HISTORY OF
NORDEN TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
D. C. Christenson, 10/4/98
It is not clear just when Peder and Siri Aasen, the donors of land for the church and cemetery, moved into their new home built on their homestead. They emigrated from Norway in the year 1867, arriving at East Bennett Valley in 1868, where their son Nils and his wife Marie had settled two years earlier. Once in the Valley, they joined Nils and Marie and their neighbors in church socials and services, which united the settlers into a cohesive community. Peder soon learned that he could get land at a very low price in Buffalo County, just north across the Bennett Valley ridge, if he could clear the land, plant crops and build a home on the land. He soon applied to homestead 160 acres of partly swampy land in Section 24, Township 24 N, Range 10W. After settling there, they found the trip over Bennett Valley ridge in a wagon over rough dirt roads rather difficult, and joined their new neighbors at services in the Plainview School, about two miles east of the Peder and Siri home. Pastor Lars Sherven traveled from his parish home in Pigeon Creek by foot or buggy in summer, and sometimes on skiis in winter to serve them, and often had to spend the night with one of the families.
A new church with a resident pastor was what they needed, and on December 16, 1872 a group gathered at the home of Peder and Siri under the leadership of Pastor Sherven and organized a new congregation, which they called Norsk Evangelisk Luthersk Trefoldigheds Menighed (Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Congregation). At this time everyone in the area communicated in the Norwegian language. Instrumental in organizing the new congregation were Pastor Sherven, Peder N. Aasen, Jens Tostenson Kammen, Lorentz K. Wenaas, Ole Engebretson Halrud, Ole Harrison, Torgrim Tomason Berg, Ole I. Lindelien, Andres C. Bruvold, Knut H. Brenn, Jens H. Halvorson, Nils Gjaermundson, Anders Olson Skovbroten, and Andreas Olson Nordager.
Lars Sherven was chosen to be the pastor. The following officers were elected: Deacons, Jens Tostenson Kammen and Ole Engebretson Halrud; Song Director, Soeren Odegaard, who also became the Parochial school teacher; Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Lorentz K. Wenaas, who also became the Secretary of the meeting. In 1875 Andres C. Bruvold was elected Trustee in the place of Ole Harrison, deceased, who evidently was elected Trustee at the first meeting. The congregation adopted its Constitution October 7th, the same year 1875.
In the year 1876 Peder N. Aasen donated three acres of land to be used as a site for a church and cemetery (Peder Aasen must have committed the land as a cemetery prior to 1876, as there were burials in the cemetery as early as 1873). The following year a fund raising drive was made to obtain funds with which to build the church. Pledges amounting to $890.00 were received, payable in three annual installments. The building committee consisted of the following: Nils O. Tweet, Andres C. Bruvold, Knut Halvorson Brenn, Ole Kjaerstad, and Sever Anderson. Ole Hovey was engaged as Superintendent of Construction. The church was built during the summer of 1878, at which time Peder and Siri Aasen deeded the three acres of ground to the congregation. The congregation began holding services at the church before the interior was completed, and planks placed on nail kegs were used for seating. A church bell weighing 1,000 pounds was purchased in 1888. The church was dedicated by Prof. F. A. Schmidt, DD May 27, 1888
Andreas Grorud, who was Peder Aasen's son in-law, served as song director during a period of about sixteen years. Andreas Smeberg was engaged as song director and Parochial school teacher from 1898 to 1905. His successor, Hans Endal, accepted a letter of call from Trinity in 1906 to serve in the same capacity. Mr. Endal was allotted up to six months of parochial teaching per year, plus Sunday School: Two months each at Norden and Plainview schools; shorter terms at Chimney Rock and Pace schools. Surely this congregation with its widely spread membership had a deep concern for the christian training of children. Mr. Endal's teaching career was shortened by ill health. His death occurred Jan. 25, 1922.
During the early years of its existence, the congregation was associated with Chimney Rock Congregation, Independence and Little Elk Creek Congregations. Chimney Rock and Trinity were together until 1912. Then for many years, East Bennett Valley Congregation and Trinity Congregation were served by the same pastor until realignment pressure made it necessary for Trinity to sever parish connection with East Bennett Valley, and line up with Thompson Valley in 1957 to be served by the same pastor. Drammen congregation was served by Pastor Danielson during a temporary vacancy beginning in 1956.
The following organizations have functioned effectively within the church, and have made a deep impact on the congregation, both spiritually and materially: The Ladies' Aid, organized in 1879; the Trinity Young People's Society, organized Jan. 12, 1903; and the Norden Lutheran Daughters of the Reformation and the Lutheran Children of the Reformation, organized in 1944. The LDR girls of Highschool age, and LCR girls and boys ages 8 to 12 functioned fruitfully with local and mission activities until the merger with the American Lutheran Church when they were replaced by Hi-League and Junior Lutherans. The Ladies' Aid (now ALCW); the Young People's Luther League (now Family League); the LDR -LCR have each had separate written history for specific details. Different choirs from time to time have enriched worship services.
A major joint project by the Ladies' Aid and the Young People's League was the building of the Young People's hall, which consisted of an assembly room 20 x 40 feet, and a small kitchen. The first recorded meeting in the hall was held on November 13, 1904. In 1946 an addition of 24 x 24 feet was added to the hall. The enlarged kitchen and dining areas were repainted and redecorated.
Due to Pastor Hanson's foresight, a moving project was being planned in 1959. The congregation voted to move the parish hall across the highway and join it to the church. The following year on Easter Sunday April 17, 1960 the ground was broken for the excavation which began the following day. A local member, Marvin Fossum, was hired to be the builder. With additional hired and volunteer help the project was completed in 1961. Rededicatation rites by Dr. Ohlrogge June 25th. The addition joining the parish hall and church consists of a hallway, church office, two rest rooms, and a closet for choir robes, closed in shelves for library books and storage space, and some new Sunday school class rooms in the basement.
The construction of the first parsonage began in 1879. A new parsonage was erected in 1923. Building committee: Chris Skovbroten, Martin Sather, Joseph Nyre, Knut Iverson, Andrew Thoen, Sever Ronnei and Sever Severson. Contractor Chris Skovbroten. The elegant parsonage was ready for occupancy in October the same year.
Trinity's seventy-fifth Anniversary in 1947 was a great event. Two sons of the congregation, Pastors Gabriel and Irvin Tweet were present; also present was Reverend Bernhard Guldseth, who was born in the community and baptized at Norden church, during the time his father, Olaf Guldseth, was serving as Pastor at Trinity Lutheran from 1888 to 1892
As the congregation became more and more aware of its great need to have a cemetery association, a meeting was held on May 11, 1936 for the purpose of organizing same, under the direction of Attorney Dutee Whelan. Its official name became "The Norden Lutheran Church Cemetery Association". The Board of Trustees consisted of: Chris Skovbroten, president; Clarence Ness, secretary- treasurer; and Albert Iverson. The board immediately surveyed the cemetery area and effective planning was made. A blueprint was drawn by Chris Skovbroten, designating each lot and available space. After Mr. Skovbroten's death, a successor, Joseph Berg, was appointed as president on March 27, l950. These men were, through hard work and devoted care, responsible for the transforming of a neglected cemetery into an attractive one.
Pastors who have served the congregation:
Lars Sherven, 1872 - 1874
F. A. Moeller, 1874 - 1879
O. O. Daehlen, 1884 - 1888
Olaf Guldseth, 1888 - 1892
M. C. Holseth, 1893 - 1906
M. C. Stenson, 1906 - 1911
H. C. Wik, 1912 - 1918
J. A. Westberg, 1918 - 1944
P. C. Danielson, 1944 - 1956
Herbert C. Hanson, 1958 - 1962
Paul O. Monson, 1963 - 1966
Kenneth H. Petersen, 1967 - 1969
Thomas H. Hoversten, 1970 - 1977
Danny G. Wheeler, 1977 - 1982
Etlar A. Johnson, 1983 - 1989
David Bengert, 1990
Seminary students and neighboring pastors alternated in serving through the fall of 1956 and early 1957. Student Robert L. Witte interned from early summer through the end of 1957. Herbert C. Hanson became next resident pastor Jan. 5, 1958 to Nov. 1, 1962, after which time seminary students Paul O. Monson and John Westby served alternately until June, 1963. New ordained Paul Monson then became resident pastor from July 1963 to Jan. 2, l966. Pastor Marvin Roloff began his interim services Jan. 9, l966.
All the above information was obtained from earlier write ups, and from information received from the Peder Aasen family tree, which was researched by Vernon Ausen, who passed away this past summer. Vernon had done extensive research on the early land ownerships of Norden while researching the Aasen family tree. Notice the name Aasen spelled two different ways. It seems Aasens born in the USA used the name Ausen. Many of the birth and death dates for the cemetery records were also obtained from the Aasen records.
One other person who deserves mention is Agnes Endal, daughter of Hans Endal, who served as organist and parochial school teacher for many years.
You may find typographical errors in this write up. I have corrected any that I have found, but there may also be errors in the material I used for this report. Anyone having anything to add or subtract from this history, please let me know, so corrections or additions may be made.
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