<!&ak 1Leabe5 Newsletter of the ELS Historical Society Volume 2 Winter 1999 Issue 4 This issue of l!&ak 1Leabe~ continues the biography of the Rev. Bjug Harstad (1848-1933) who was elected as the first president of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod in 1918. History finds him, one hundred years ago, in the gold fields of the Klondike The previous issue provided a summary of his life until that day in February 1898 when he left for the Klondike in an attempt to "solve financial problems" for Pacific Lutheran University which had been founded in 1890 by the Norwegian Synod. The cost of construction and the fmancial panic of the 1890s left a debt for which Bjug Harstad, the school's president, felt responsible. The letters, written for publication in the Pacific Herald, tell the tale of his journey to the Klondike and also of the reason for this momentous journey. This issue continues to tell his story after he returned to Parkland, Washington in 1899. Our thanks to his grandson, Dr. Peter T. Harstad, for preparing the biography. Rev. Bjug Harstad memorial stone at Valle, Norway Bjug Harstad f"rc.:t nrA~ident of +ha E"~ng"""-=c I .... .!.-~ .-·--• ... • • - ww ""'"' PI.... • 1-ULIhe ... a--•• Synod, continued Back home in the summer of 1899, Bjug asked forgiveness for going to Alaska without permission from the Pacific District of the Norwegian Synod and for the fact that the venture "had not proved successful." He relinquished the presidencies of the district and of the Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) Association, but remained steadfastly loyal to both. His priorities for the new century were pastoral work in the Parkland congregation and teaching religion, Bible history, the Augsburg Confession, and Norwegian at the college. Bjug and Guro completed their family 10 January 1902 with the birth of a son. They named him Adolph Marius after his sister, Marie, who had died of tuberculosis the previous September. The name Adolph sounds like the Greek word for brother, thus brother of Marie.' Winter 1999 - ~age 2 Both the college and the congregation spacious home and twenty-five acres on thrived during the first decade of the a hillside overlooking Parkland. Here, with twentieth century. As part of PLU's June help from their boys, they tended an 1910 commencement ceremony, officials orchard and cultivated many varieties of unveiled an oil painting of "the founder" trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables. and placed it in Old Main (later renamed They also kept a horse and several cows. Harstad Hall). Income from The following Guro's dairy month Bjug's operation Parkland supplemented Bjug's Shup CCW1p, A~ congregation ?vilM'c.h-l as pastor and 28 898 salary dedicated a teacher. Si+1..ce-yow~ 'h.ecu-d,.{Yom; ~We- M..ve- WOY~ beautiful church wl:thtaUtour t11iAjht~~ our~ up the­ in the presence Bookshelves lined the ~--· of a thousand We-had--ear~hopedtthat:'we-~~our walls of an office and members and ~up0111-the-paw, p~the-d«ty~m.ove-our library on the second guests. The ~ ~Lake-L~Ct4-'l<)Ofl!Ct4-'p~ c..w floor of the Harstad orde-r~ celebrtXte-Eamw C..Wpea<:et~quie:t a:t' structure was L~ L~ 'But ir d.oEw not' ~that; cat1.1 home. Bjug owned "one nearly paid for be-. We-~ welL be-- h.e,ye,. i..w Shup CCW1p LM'I.t'w of the largest collections so "Pastor c;t.{te,y Eamw. ~w nct"~~place.-~ of religions works in k.eep h.o1:Y the-feft!NCIL of Ecv.¢'tw ... private hands in this Harstad K gladdened th country," reported one hearts of account. "Some of the the great -1!:...------------------./ books were listed at crowd" by recommending that the $1000 apiece" and one volume "dated dedication offering go to missions. The back almost to the Guttenberg Bible." years of hard physical and mental work Bjug enjoyed the pleasures of his study. of pioneering, building, and fund raising In one corner he kept a collection of long appeared to be over for Bjug. stemmed pipes for the enjoyment of visiting pastors and friends. He smoked There was also time to enjoy domestic very little, practiced moderation in all comforts in the mild climate of Puget things, and, according to his children, Sound. In 1900 Bjug and Guro used pushed himself back from the table while proceeds from the sale of their North still a little hungry. Dakota homestead to purchase a ®ah ll.tabU is published periodically by the ELS Historical Society; Membershlp 6 Browns Court; Mankato, MN 56001. All membership' renewaLs due. on June 1 Editor: Rev. Craig A. Ferkenstad Voting Membership: Board of Directors: Erling Teigen (Chairman). Joseph Abrahamson, Craig Ferkenstad, $10/year - individual Norman Holte, Gerhard. Lee, Albin Levorson, Amanda Madson, George Orvick, $15/year- husband &wife Lois Pieper Associate Membership: ®ak 1teabes welcomes articles of both synodical and local significance for $15/year- individual ''- publication; articles may be edited for style, clarity, or length to lillow for publication; $25/year - institutional c submitted manuscripts will be deposited in tbe Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran $ 5 /year - student Synod. Life: $200 c • Winter 1999 - i)age 3 Well educated and thoroughly American, Reformation. But the document which the next generation of Harstads was was to be the basis for the merger beginning to make its mark. Three of the compromised the Biblical teaching that boys played professional baseball, one of man comes to faith through God's grace whom, pitched for the ,..--=:::------------------ alone. Cleveland Indians in Bjug 1915. (Ty Cobb, the stood with a first major league Shup Crunp, A~ batter Oscar Theander ApriLLf., 1898 minority of faced, rattled a double Vear Hercudl Norwegian off the right field Y~~ w~PcdmtS~ Ct+'Ui-~ Synod pastors wl.th-our fy~{Yom,t SCU\1 Fr~ we- wue­ who opposed a fence.) It satisfied the ed.i{yiM.fr our~EW W'\1 our T a.co-tJ1,Ct~fy~ t-ent" mature couple when W'\1~ pr~u~~upowGodJl' merger on that their youngest son \1J()yd, We-~jU4t"~whe-wthe-'tY~ basis. n.eM/l'~{romtthe- ~p~~ decided to prepare for ~ua,Z,pecplet 'had,. per~ W'\1 Cl/ ,www ~ ... the ministry and when A ma-w~'h,4-wi(e-tri.edttlJ-.J<Wet~EW He also went the older boys found by ~dcwtWiard, rhe.- w~peri4hed­ with an even good wives and w'hile-tJte, ma-w w~ IM'I..i+y'Uf"'~ ~ deat'ht smaller minority ~i.1uw he-re- ~there-. m.atl:Y ~r ~ deat'ht brought grandchildren rcr to a tent on the wi.1uw b!indly, bur. ~ G~ our ScwLcY Iowa/Minnesota to Parkland. The two 0Vef1'0We¥l' deat'ht Ct+'\d; ~ tJte, k..eyl' tD-life­ daughters, Louise and ~dea:th,. .:WHw r:JUWc.t.fi,W hu~ su~ border in June Lydia, became nurses w~e,d,ow~~~· one--~nct" 1918 to now hea.rtJte,~e«.r~~ committed to caring organize what is .»~~eariM.fr~~ofdutnb-~w~ for their parents as ~rwuber~aJ.L.~tJte,w~ before-. now the ELS. they aged. We- waUv W'\1 ~ aJ.L.tJte, w~; we- waUv a.Uo­ Present on that towardtdea:th,.cill,-ffl.e, w~. One-~ occasion were bt-eat'h- ca.t'\1 et'\.dt our w~. Bjug spent the 191 0-11 thirteen 'But we-~ .:w~ ~W£4~try tlJ-be.UeNe­ clergymen, academic year filling in ~c:.ortfe,w. "I waUv wl.th-~cUL-~ w~; most for his friend, Prof. H. they ~ tne-Ct+'ld-befrL.eMt me$ AlLS~l-' of them without G. Stub, at the pow'r w~~~ whe-whea-v~ n.cm- congregations, ~me;, 711.e:Y are-~ l«ret ~ cill,-fec;w Norwegian Synod's plus laymen, ~}Orm·w h.e-!~~J.:..e-1 Urtha.rme.d,.,..L')' foe~ d.o-wf...a.t" most of them Luther Seminary in St. they ~. I waUv wl.th- ~ aJ.L.tJte, w~." "I Paul, Minnesota. Little waUvwl.th-J~a.lL~w~, Hw~ from scattered, did he realize that ne-ver~ me$ w~H.ww~ I {W1.d.;Cl/ ~ strife-ridden -~ whe-wSattt.nhpowu tne/." this was the ~ congregations in H. calm before a the rural furious Midwest. These theological storm that would deprive him "scattered sheep" of a tranquil retirement. It all started elected Bjug their president whereupon he when three bodies of Norwegian­ extended comfort through words of the prophet American Lutherans (Norwegian Synod, Jeremiah: "Thus saith the Lord I Hauge Synod, and United Norwegian Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask Lutheran Church) developed plans to for the old paths, where is the good way, merge into a single body by 1917, the and walk therein, and ye shall find rest 400'h anniversary of the Lutheran for your souls." Leaders of the merged ®ak lLeabe~ Winter 1999 · flage 4 Norwegian Lutheran Church of America regarded the tenuous "little Norwegian synod" as an insignificant backwater left behind by the She€:p Camp, A~ prevailing current toward a General ApYw7, 1897 Motors of American Lutheranism. To-AlL fy~ofPetd:{io Lu.therat'\1 U....U.VeY~, s~ G~w~ we,-waltl001'Vmovl!/~~ Back in Parkland, Bjug turned "three Yu.kcw Vcill..ey ~de- not" k-now wha:t ~ score years and ten" on 17 happet'4 whethe.r or not" we- CCLttt yece.We,- le:tteYl- or December 1918. Friends advised ~'LefteYl- Y~, I ~at'\! I,W~t"o-~ ear~ ciU;~ who-have- wppor-ted,.~ him to come to his senses and turn ~ow~ We4it"C~ t,w CL+'l:Y w~.