A  view  of  the  former  Spring  Valley  Baptist  Church  on  a  special  monument  erected  on  its  site.

A very active Scandinavian community began forming in the late 1800's in the area of Viborg South Dakota, including Swan Lake and Spring Valley.  By 1890 there were Scandinavian Baptist and Lutheran churches throughout these community areas, and families from Denmark and Norway were arriving to take residency in this area.  Most of these folks stayed close together and their lives focused around their churches and related activities.  Each church had a cemetery that was an important part of their heritage.

The Spring Valley Baptist church had its beginnings in the 1880's with meetings in local homes.  By 1892 land was acquired and a church built with an adjacent cemetery.  Ten years later in 1902 a storm destroyed the building and it was replaced and endured until taken down in 1970.  The cemetery is now incorporated with a board of trustees and continues to serve current and former members of the community.

The Spring Valley Baptist Cemetery information database consists of 3 parts.

This information was prepared by Ken Tiahrt (tiahrt@montana.edu) with the generous assistance of the cemetery secretary and may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use.  Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires written approval.

1.  A Cemetery Map

2.  A List of Burials

3.  Photos of Grave Monuments