|
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
|
|
|
HISTORY OF (Researched by Larry Lass in 2004) Emmanuel’s 120th Anniversary Historically, Emmanuel Lutheran has its roots in two church communities in Moscow that merged in 1961. Our long history dates back to the 1884 for the Swedish community and 1902 for the Norwegian community. The next few newsletters will focus on the Swedish side of our heritage. The seeds of beginning for the Swedish Lutheran Church were first sown on Christmas Day in 1883 as large flakes floated down blocking roads and hiding mountains. The Olof Olson and A. P. Magnusson families who had gathered at Gustaf Johnson’s home, were greatly disappointed because they were expecting Peter Carlson for dinner and he was to tell them the familiar Christmas Story. Carlson was traveling from the settlement of Lenville where he was living with his sons. He had just dedicated the new Cordelia Church on December 15, 1883 and knew the territory well. The snow piled high, and dinner served without the expected guest. But late in the afternoon a sleigh pulled up to the door. Pastor Carlson had come! So begins the story of Emmanuel Lutheran Church. In the spring of 1884, Moscow was growing as other Swedish families moved from Minnesota. Notably, Allen (Erland) Ramstedts and family came from the Vista Congregation, near Waseca Minnesota. They were active in the formation of a group of worshipers. John, son of Erland, was confirmed on July 27, 1884 in Moscow although his formal training occurred when they lived in Minnesota, and is reported to have been the first Lutheran conferment in the Idaho territory. Another son, Carl, would later become the pastor in Moscow. In the fall of 1884, Carlson held a series of Sunday worship meetings. Although the group was small there was a growing sentiment to form a regular organization. Pastor Carlson called the organization meeting on October 12 where the first church record read: "Protocol of transaction at a legally announced meeting with the Swedes in the town of Moscow, Idaho Territory, on the 12th day of October, 1884 in the act and meaning of organizing a Swedish Evangelical Lutheran congregation. Meeting opened with Bible reading and Prayer by Pastor P . Carlson and remarks, his text was Mathew 13:31-32. ... Pastor P. Carlson was elected Temporary Chairman and Olof Olson secretary for one year. The question of organizing a Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Congregation was placed before those assembled (13 adults). Those families present and agreed to organize were Gustaf Johnson, Allen Ramstedt, P.J. Sundell, Olof Olson, John O. Olson, Widow Berta Olson, and Mrs. Lessa Karin Magnusson." The official name of the first church was the Swedish Evangelical Zion Congregation in Moscow, Idaho Territory. Building the first church Emmanuel Lutheran is rooted in the Swedish and Norwegian communities in Moscow that merged in 1961. This month, tunnel vision keeps us focused on the establishment of the Swedish church in 1884. First Lutheran had over 250 members and growing pains were evident since they were still using the building started by Pastor Carlson in 1887. At the time, First was the largest church in the Columbia Conference. The old church measured 40 by 28 feet with a tower in the southeast corner. Members of the Building Committee were G. E. Anderson, F. M. Gustafson, C. B. Green, G. Johnson, J. T. Johnson, N. A. Nelson, P. Nelson, and Pastor N. J. W. Nelson. Gustaf Johnson, a member of the building committee, reports the old church was sold and moved to the south-east corner of 3rd and Howard. History does not record how the church was moved. Work on the new church was started in 1905 and completed in 1906. The new building was 4 times the size of the old church. A bell tower was located in the southeast corner. Interestingly, the bell tower never had a bell. The new church cost over $5,000 to construct and there were 288 members. The church dedication on March 11th 1906 during the Columbia Conference was conducted by the Conference President, Martin L. Larson, and other pastors at the conference. In 1945, Mrs. Frances Olson Gram, whose father Andrew Olson gave the land for Cordelia Lutheran, gave a baptismal font to the church in memory of her parents. The church structure remained unchanged until new windows were installed in 1947. The Ladies Aid Society furnished new electric light fixtures and new front doors were installed in 1948. After the merger with Our Saviors Lutheran in 1961, services rotated between churches until May 13, 1962. The building was sold in 1966 to a private organization to be used for a senior center. The senior citizens group used the church as a social club where Pinochle, shuffle board, and other games were played. The group made major modifications to the building to try to de-Lutheranize it. They replaced the stain glass windows, removed pews and furnishing, and added a shuffle board court. Depending on whom you talk to the bell tower either fell off and what remained was taken down, or it was taken down during the remodeling process. Bill Anderson recalls it was deemed unsafe by church elders during his youth and had been condemned for a while before the tower fell and/or was taken down. Regardless of what they did to the building when remodeling, it still looked like a former Swedish church. The Unitarian Church of the Palouse purchased the building in 1984 and the senior’’s group moved their meetings to the Latah County Fairgrounds. After considerable renovation and lots of work, the Unitarian Church was dedicated on October 17, 1985, almost 100 years after the First Lutheran Congregation agreed to purchase the land to build a church. Next month, the list of pastors at First Lutheran and Our Savior’’s Lutheran and those serving after the two churches united to form Emmanuel Church in 1961. In April, we will explore the roots of Our Saviors Lutheran Church, the Norwegian Lutheran Church. Emmanuel Lutheran is rooted in the Swedish and Norwegian communities in Moscow. We are celebrating the 120th year since the establishment of First Lutheran. The following pastors served at First Lutheran (Swedish) and Our Savior’’s Lutheran (Norwegian) and after the two churches united to form Emmanuel Church in 1961. First Lutheran
Our Savior’s Lutheran Merged churches The roots of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, the Norwegian Lutheran Church When writing history, you work with the material at hand and often much is missing. It would appear the Norwegian members were either having too much fun to record a history, or wanted to forget the past. Their 50th Anniversary book reports the following for history: ""The Congregation was organized by the Reverend Iver Andreassen who was living near the present site of Deary. He was followed by Pastor Carl J. Olsen, of Genesee Valley, who helped out until the first resident Pastor, Reverend Christian. S. Thompson, came to Moscow. The lay organizers of the Congregation were Andrew Andreassen, John Bue, Tobiasen, Sather, Burke, and H.P. Eggan Families."" The pamphlet had little text on history but lots of pictures of the congregation in 1952 including Fritz and Dale Flomer, Grace Lyon, Helen Olson and Clarence Johnson with his accordion. Much of Our Savior’’s history was recorded indirectly when Our Savior’’s Ladies Aid Society wrote their history in 1942. Officially Our Saviors Lutheran celebrates their organization date as November 15 or 16, 1902 under the name of the ""Norwegian Lutheran Church"". Roots of the organization started in 1901 and may go back to a country church in Genesse organized in1878. Our Savior’’s would share 13 pastors with this country church. In 1901, Rev. Iver Andreassen started to visit a small group Lutherans of Norwegian extraction in Moscow. Historical records written in1942 indicate Pastor Carl Olson started to come on alternating Sundays from Trinity Lutheran Church near Genesee in 1902. The congregation worshiped in the Adventist Church on the corner of Third and Almon St. The history of the Norwegian Lutheran Church in Moscow would not be complete without writing about the Lutefisk and Smorgaasbord dinners. The Ladies Aid Society of the Norwegian Church started this tradition in January 1903. The first dinner was held at John Bue’’s house and they served about sixty before turning away many more. In addition to lutefisk, the meal consisted of meat balls, potatoes, vegetables, flategroit, lefse, flatbroid, gubost, primost, blood polse, cromcake, flatignean, spekekjod, sandebrakle, and much more. All this for just 35 cents a plate. The dinner became a yearly event and large crowds came to eat good food. It was common to hold the Lutefisk dinner in December or January and a Smorgaasbord dinner the following month. In 1950, the cost of the dinner had risen to $1.50 for adults and $0.75 for children. Funds raised by the dinners supported mission work and purchased needed items for the church. The use of the dinners as a fund raiser declined after the merger on 1961 and the last one was held in 1969. Emmanuel’s
120th Anniversary. The name, Our Savior’s Lutheran or in Norwegian Vor
Frelsers Menighet, was
not new to the Palouse.
Norwegian settlers in the Thorn Creek area near In 1957-58, the church built a new parsonage for Pastor Lokken
at 1021 E. 5th. The old
parish house just to the east of the church was converted to Sunday school
classrooms in May of 1958. In 1961, First Lutheran and Our Savior’s merged and
agreed to construct a new facility that would hold both congregations and allow
expansion. The members of Emmanuel
evaluated both churches and facilities. They
chose to sell First Lutheran on HISTORY Emmanuel’s 120th Anniversary. Emmanuel Lutheran is rooted in the Swedish and Norwegian communities. In past newsletters, we have explored the beginnings of both congregations and the Swedish church building. The Norwegian founding group purchased the lot on which the present Methodist Church is built (3rd and Adams) in1902 and planned to construct a church there in 1905. The Methodists wanted the lot for an expanded church, so the two groups got together and traded. In 1904, the Norwegians took possession of the lot and 17-year-old church building used by the Methodists located at 223 E Sixth (Sixth and Jefferson). The church was established as the Norwegian Lutheran Church, but after the First World War, the name was changed to Our Savior’s Lutheran, when most Norwegian Lutherans merged back into a single synod in 1917. The name, Our Savior’s Lutheran or in Norwegian Vor Frelsers Menighet, was not new to the Palouse. Norwegian settlers in the Thorn Creek area near Genessee organized the first Lutheran church in 1878, calling it Our Savior’s. In 1884, the church divided over a theological debate on salvation and if man had a cooperating role or no role in it. It would take 33 years before Our Savior’s and Trinity of Genessee would reunite in 1917 to create the Genessee Valley Lutheran Church. The new name used by the Norwegian church in Moscow may have come from Pastor Grimsrud who served the two churches being merged in Genesee and the Norwegian church of Moscow, from 1912 to 1918, or a former member of the Genessee church. In 1948, the church was enlarged to provide individual Sunday school rooms, a new kitchen, office, and sanctuary, all of which enlarged the church auditorium and social room. The addition cost $25,000 including a new organ. Over 400 attended the dedication of the new addition and organ. In 1954, new maple pews with beige plastic cushions were added. The old pews must have been in bad shape and very hard, or the sermon was exceptional, because the church elders proudly reported the funds were raised to replace them on a single October day. In 1957-58, the church built a new parsonage for Pastor Lokken at 1021 E. 5th. The old parish house just to the east of the church was converted to Sunday school classrooms in May of 1958. In 1961, First Lutheran and Our Savior’s merged and agreed to construct a new facility that would hold both congregations and allow expansion. The members of Emmanuel evaluated both churches and facilities. They chose to sell First Lutheran on May 13, 1962. Services were held in Our Savior’s until Easter Sunday, April 14, 1968, when Emmanuel started to use the present facilities. The new church was dedicated on May 13, 1968. Our Savior’s building and parish house were sold to Grace Baptist Church shortly after the dedication of the new church submitted by Larry Lass ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY By Larry Lass Historically, Emmanuel has its roots in two church communities in Moscow that merged in 1961, or so I thought until cataloging historic papers of Victoria Olson given to the Friends of Cordelia by her family. The first evidence of a missing Norwegian Church was a dead end lead from the history of Zion, later called First Lutheran. Their history reports the first building was sold to a Lutheran Church and moved to Third and Howard in 1905. Olson’s papers indicate the land for the new location of the church was donated by E. Arneson who was a founding member of the congregation. St Peter’s shared a pastor with Our Savior’s, now called Genesee Valley Lutheran. The Norwegian congregation survived until the merger of three Lutheran Synods in 1917. Members continued to worship at the site until 1918 when the church merged with Our Savior’s Lutheran in Moscow. The property was deeded to Our Savior’s of Moscow. The building was rented to the Church of the Nazarene. The merger was not as smooth as hoped, and in 1922, it was decided to resume independent services again. The building and property were deeded back to the St. Peter’s congregation. The Moscow Morning Star newspaper reports the 1923 Easter Service was at 11:00 am and Sunday school at 10:00. Services were held until 1927 when the congregation decided to dissolve the organization. A few members rejoined Our Savior’s Lutheran. The church sat vacant until 1930 when it was torn down by Knute Hippe, who used the lumber on his ranch southwest of the city. Pastors serving St. Peter’s Lutheran were: Oscar Hellekson 1904-1911
|
|
