Rev. Samuel Carlsen (1899-1976)

CARLSEN, KNUDSON, QUERNA, EGENES, ANDERSON, SHAW, CHRISTENSEN, BIORN

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:13

From Nevada Evening Journal October 29, 1976 (page 7)

Obituaries

Rev. Samuel Carlsen

Funeral services for Rev. Samuel Carlsen, 77, Story City, were held at 1:30 p.m., Monday, October 18 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Story City. Rev. C. A. Gisselquist officiated, assisted by the deceased's brother, the Rev. S. E. Carlsen, Spirit Lake, and brother-in-law, the Rev. Boral R. Biorn of Sioux City.

Miss Louise Olson served as orgnist "I Know a Sleep in Jesus Name and "Built on a Rock" were sung by the Clergymen's Quintet, Pastors C. A. Gisselquist, William A. Ostroot, Donald A. Berg, Perry V. Sampson and Rolfe S. Johnstad. The Rev. Boral chanted The Lord's Prayer, and Jay Egenes, grandson, sang "O Jesus, I have Promised."

"The Church's One Foundation" was sung by the Congregation.

Burial was in the Story City Municipal Cemetery.

Casket bearers were Vincent Fricke, Enoch Hall, Norbert Joliette, Paul H. Beckman, Howard Lybeck and Orris Haraldson.

Samuel Carlsen was born in the community of Norwegian immigrants in Kendall County, Illinois son of Carl and Malinda (Knudson) Carlsen, on September 1, 1899. At an early age he moved with his parents to the Palestine Lutheran settlement near Dolliver, Iowa. He graduated from Waldorf College in Forest City in 1921, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., in 1924, and was ordained in the Lutheran ministry at Lutheran Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., in 1929.

On August 16, 1925 he was united in marriage to Lillian Querna. As an educator he taught at Waldorf College, and was president of Lutheran Bible Institute at Chicago, Ill. He served ministries at East Immanuel Lutheran, St. Paul, Minn. from 1929-1938, Hauge Lutheran College, Chicago, Ill. from 1938-1945, and Immanuel Lutheran, Story City and Gilbert Lutheran Churches form 1945 to 1947.

In 1947 he left Story City-Gilbert parishes to become president of Augustana Academy at Canton, S. D. from 1947-1954, Sixty eight graduates went into the ministry during these seven years. He then became assistant to the president of Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S. D. form 1951 to 1959. Here he was instrumental in raising considerable sums of money for a chapel, library, and the operation of the college.

He then became superintendent and chaplain during the development years of the Riverside Retirement Center at Spokane, Wash., from 1959 to 1960, he then went to minister at the Calvary and Grant Lutheran churches at Crystal Lake, Ia. from 1960 until he retired in 1965.

In 1951 he visited and preached to 25 congregations throughout Norway at the invitation of the Norwegian Mission Federation who invited him to accept the tanks of the Norwegian people for assistance given by Norwegian-Americans during the German Occupation, and following World War II. Pastor Carlsen died at the Story City Memorial Hospital Friday evening, October 15, 1976.

Survivors include his wife, Lillian, one daughter, Sonja Egenes and one grandson, Jay Carlton Egenes, all of Story City, three sisters and two brothers Clara Anderson of Dolliver, Eleanor Shaw of Forest City and Sanford Carlsen of Spirit Lake, Ia., Charlotte Christensen of Portland, Ore., and Kenneth Carlsen, Kensington, Minn.

Preceded in death were his parents, two brothers and two sisters.