New Sweden Church - some Centennial notes

HOKANSON, OLSON, REHNSTROM, BENZON, MAXELL, ANDER, BENGSTON, PERSENIUS, TERNBERG, SANDEN, DAGNER, LINDER, LUNDBERG, KASTMAN, ENGSTROM

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 7/21/2006 at 13:08:16

From the Prill transcriptions ~~

NEW SWEDEN LUTHERAN CHURCH AND CEMETERY

Sec. 21, Lockridge Twp., Jefferson County, Iowa
(West of Four Corners)

Plaque on boulder:
NEW SWEDEN CHAPEL
LUTHERAN AUGUSTANA SYNOD
CENTENNIAL 1848-1948
Marker erected by the Brotherhood
of the Iowa Conference
June 11, 1948

Sign on the church building: "ERECTED 1860"

Plaque on church:
NEW SWEDEN CHAPEL
New Sweden, Jefferson County, Iowa
Centennial 1848-1948

This property marking the beginnings of Augustana Synod church life is maintained as an historic shrine by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of North America and by the First Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Lockridge Township.

The New Sweden Congregation began its history in 1848 when a small group of baptized and confirmed members of the Lutheran Church banded themselves together and, as a part of the universal priesthood of believers, chose one of their own number as their spiritual leader. The following have served as pastors of the New Sweden Congregation:

M. F. HOKANSON.....1848-1856
H. OLSON..................1858-1868
J. E. REHNSTROM...1869-1876
J. S. BENZON...........1876-1883
C. J. MAXELL...........1883-1888
A. G. ANDER............1889-1892
C. J. BENGSTON.....1893-1900
J. M. PERSENIUS....1902-1907
E. S. TERNBERG.....1908-1910
E. H. SANDEN..........1910-1922
G. L. DAGNER..........1925-1926
Anton LINDER...........1927-1929
H. W. LUNDBERG....1930-1935
R. A. KASTMAN.......1937-1939
R. W. ENGSTROM...1946-

To the pioneers in the faith who began and sustained this work of God, this marker is respectfully dedicated in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, at special Centennial Dedication ceremonies Friday June 11, 1948, held as a part of the 89th Anniversary Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod.

"Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers." Ezra 7:27

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.