Rev. Gotfred Smedal (1861-1957)

SMEDAL, STORAKER, HIGHLAND

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

From Nevada Evening Journal July 13, 1957 (page 4)

REV. GOTFRED SMEDAL

ROLAND: Funeral services for the Rev. Gotfred Smedal, 95, were held June 25 at 2 p. m. in Bergen Lutheran church with the Rev. A. E. Nelson in charge.

Prayer services at the home of the daughter, Mrs. C. O. Highland, preceded the church service.

Tributes to his memory, life and good influences were paid by Dr. Frederick A. Schiotz of Minneapolis, Minn., president of the Evangelical Lutheran church of America.

Pall bearers were the three sons, Carl, Georg and Olav Smedal, and grandsons, Harold Highland, Carl Smedal, Jr. an Lloyd Ritland. Honorary pall bearers were the pastors of the Story City Circuit.

Interment was in the Roland cemetery.

Life Sketch

The Rev. Smedal was born Sept. 10, 1861 at Mundal, Norway and died June 22 at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Elise Highland.

After receiving the Bachelor of Divinity degree at the University of Kristiana (Oslo) Norway, he taught in various schools of Norway. In 1889, he married Agnes Storaker, came to America and served as pastor at Ridgeway from 1889 to 1890. They moved to Roland in 1895 where he became pastor of the Bergen Lutheran church and continued in that pastorate for 26 years. During this period, he fostered interest in all phases of work in the church. In 1917 he pioneered the establishment of regular Christian education in the public schools of Roland, a program which has been continuing for the past 40 years.

In 1920, Pastor Smedal accepted the position of executive secretary of the Ministerial Pension Fund of the Evangelical Lutheran church. Before and after retirement, he wrote several books an numerous articles.

He is survived by his daughter, Mrs. Elise Highland of Roland, Carl and Olav of Ames and George of Milwaukee, Wis. Eight grandchildren and nine great grandchildren also survive. His wife and a daughter, Agnes, and a son, Harold, preceded him in death.