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rm-WmkCm fr .wx:FIRST CHURCH — This is a line drawing of the first Oakland Lutheran church.★*★★*★FIRST ORGANIZED IN 1876Oakland Lutheran Church#Held Services in SchoolThe Oakland Lutheran chur c h was organized under the direction of Einar Wulfsberg, pastor of the Freeborn Lutheran church, in 1876 in the Devereaux public school-house.Services were held in the Devereaux public school until the first church was built. This schoolhouse still stands in Riceland township; one mile west of the church.Then the Rev. O. H. Smeby, who had been an assistant of Rev. Wulfsberg, was called as pastor for Albert Lea, Hayward and Oak-and congregations, besides preaching in Moscow and l/mdon township. His work in Albert Lea expanded and it became necessa r y For these rural small churches to rail another pastor.A small building for the Oak-and congregation was built on athree - acre tract of land in the lorthwest corner of Oakland township where the present church low stands. The Oakland Luther-in church, that is its official name, s located near highway 16, about nidway between Austin and Al-ert Lea. It is also called the Midway enurch.First Resident PastorIn 1894 the Rev. T. O. Tolo lecame the first resident pastor f the Hayward parish. A parsonage was built after he came toIHayward and from there h e served the Oakland congregation and also the Moscow and Trondh-jem congregations. More Lutheran families kept moving in and the little church became too small. So a much larger one was built in 1896. The corner stone for t h i s church was laid on June 22, 1896, by Rev. Smeby, and it was dedicated in the fall of the same year by Prof. John Ylvisaker of Luther Seminary.The Ladies Aid, or “Kvindefore-ning was organized in 1894 at the Christopher Christopherson home. At about this time the Young People's Society or, Ungdomsforeng'* was also organized by Rev. Tolo. The Young People's Society is now called the Luther League.In 1889 Pastor Eivind Skabo took over the work of the Hayw a r d Parish, During his stay the smallaltar was replaced with the present altar.In 1904 death claimed this pastor, Eivind Skabo, and he was succeeded by the Rev. O. A. Amdal-srud, who had b e e n a seamen’s missionary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, besides serving parishes here in the United States. During these years lightning struck the steeple of the church three times so thetall steeple was removed. Lightning had also destroyed the eon-tents of the cornerstone and a new one was placed on Oct. 19, 1952.Join New SynodJohan Ellertson came to be the pastor in 1913. On May 31, 1917, the congregation voted u n a n i-mously to join the newly - formed synod, the Norwegian Luth e r a r Church of America. This churct body is now called the Evangelica Lutheran church.The total income for the ehurcl in 1917 was $302.59. June 2. 1920the members of Aurland’s a n c Oakland congregations joined tc form one body. The Aur lane church was located a half mile south and a half mile east of the Oakland church, near the presenl site of the Hillcrest cemetery. Rev. Ellertson was very active in Red Cross work as this was dur i n g World War I and many of the boys were called into service. In 1923 Rev. Ellertson resigned because of ill health.On May 26, 1924 CharlesFritz came to serve as pastor ol this parish.In 1933 the women of the con gregation were given the right U vote in the church.The next pastor of the parisl was Andrew Nordaune who cami in the spring of 1934. It was ii this same year that a reg u 1 a i Sunday school was organized at thlt; church, although Sunday sch o o had been held in the sch o o 1 houses of the community befon this.The Oakland Lutheran Cemeterj association was formed in 1937 The care of the cemetery was un der the congregation until this time.fn 1939 electric lights were in-rALBERT LEA TRIBUNEFriday. */«• 7, 1957 -SERVICES IN SCHOOL — Early services of the Oaklandiy iLutheran congregation were held in the Devereaux public schoolhouse. The church was organized under the direc-tion of Einar Wulfsberg, pastor of the Freeborn Lutheran church, in 1876. The schoolhouse still stands in Riceland township, a mile west of the church.held on the lawn and lunch was served by the ladies of the parish.W'orship services are now held every Sunday morning. Sun day school and an adult Bible class now meets every Sunday morning of the school year. Luther League meets twice a month. An Altar Guild has been organized. The parish has had the Every Member Visit program and the Preaching-Teaching - Reaching Mission.The present membership of the congregation is 495 baptized and 33 confirmed souls.Four sons of the congregation have been ordained to the ministry. The Rev. M. E. Fretheim and The Rev. S. J. Fretheim have now passed on. Rev E. A. Fretheim has retired and is living in Albert Lea. The Rev. Joseph H. Berg, who has retired, is living at Pasadena, Calif.The present church officers are chairman, Rev. Rust; vice - chairman, Julius Hansen; secretary, Mrs. Burhild Legried; treasurer, Clare Knutson. The deacons are Charles Holmquist, Robert Schewe and Anders Bendickson. Trustees are Harmon Thompson, Orin Wangen and Olav Nelson. Mrs. Karl Eggum is Sunday school superintendent. The Ladies Aid president is Mrs. Ordean Riske d a h I and Richard Holmquist is the Luther League president.Church RecordsList Familiesstalled A church building fund for lsh and Oakland and Moscow the the remodeling of the church was other.In Year 1887started in 1945. The envelope sys-A four - year Bible course wastern of free - will stewardship was added to the Sunday school. Theadopted two years after this.It was in 1947 that Rev. Nordaune became ill and it was ne-Sunday school had an altar made and placed in the basement.In the early days the churchcessary for him to have minister- had neither an organ nor an orial help. During this, his last and serious illness, the Rev. S. J. Fretheim, a retired pastor and also a son of the congregation, served until the Rev. S. O. Sorllen came in 1951.Mother’s Circle OrganizedIn 1949 a Cradle Roll Mother’s Circle was organized. It was the first of its kind in this circuit. The old kitchen was changed to a nursery and it is now used for the nursery Sunday school classes.At this time the church wasganist but “Klokkers” who directed the singing. Then an organ was added and an organist provided. Pianos were soon put in and in 1952 an electronic console organ was installed, the greater share of it being paid for through memorials.A Brotherhood for the four gregations of the Hayward tsh was organized before the realignment and still carries on work as one Brotherhood for the two parishes.Adult choirs furnished tional music through the years Rev. Sorlien organized a jun i ocompletely remodeled. It was made all modern with a full base-ment. A natural gas heating system was installed.The 75th anniversary of the church was celebrated Oct. 6 and 7, 1951. On this Sunday, Oct.7, the newly - remodeled church J the newly - formed parish was dedicated.New Parsonage BuiltAfter the realignment a new sonage was needed and was built The Rev. O. A. Rust came to15, 1955. Rev. Rust and his fam-Durlng the pastorate of Rev.! ily were the first to occupy theSorlien this parish was realigned new parsonage. On Oct, I, 1955,making two parishes Hayward the new parsonage was dedicat-j era and clouds and starsand Trondhjem became one par- ' ed with an appropriate program —LutherFamilies listed in the first record book of Christ Episcopal church, Albert lea, in 1887 were:Henry W. Sue, Elisabeth, William and Mabel Arev; Elizabeth Armstrong; Dr. G. W. Gus, Florence and Horanc# Barch; Charles Bralnard; Fred. Beatrice and Gertrude Bennett; George T.,Hattie, Jessie and Fred Gardner; Frank and Marianna Gage; Anna L., Harriet, Andrew, John, Warren and W’atson Homer; Carrie and Robert Hopkins; D R P. and Mrs. Hibbs.Stanley Hammond: John Lunn; Darius, Ella, Jessie. Richard and Bessie Morgan; Hugh, Mary Jane and Frank Morton; W. W., James and Mrs. Parker; George, Clara, Archibald, Sydney and Edna Rutan; R M . Selina, Charlotta, Helen, Blanche and Ethel Tood; W., Marv, Joseph and Robert Warner; Laura and Bernice Williams; John. Virginia. Laura, and Virginia (child) Whytook; Louisa White and Thomas. Elizabeth, Jeanie, Howard, Allen and Richard Vande-grift.God writes the gospel, not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flow-
Newspaper Details
Albert Lea Centennial Tribune
Albert Lea, Minnesota, US
Fri, Jun 07, 1957
Page 60
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 24 Jan 2022
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