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Shelby County |
CHAPTER XVI. - PROTESTANT CHURCHES IN SHELBY COUNTY (CONT'D)ELK HORN DANISH EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH.
The pioneer Lutheran church of Shelby county and the largest Lutheran church in the county today is the Danish Evangelical Lutheran church at Elk Horn. The church congregation was organized April 25, 1875, and its church building finished February 15, 1882. The first pastor was Rev. O. L. Kirkeberg, who began his pastorate April 6, 1876. The names of the succeeding pastors to date and the respective periods of their pastorates are as follows: O. L. Kirkeberg, 1876-1880; H. J. Petersen, 1880-1882; Mr. Anker, 1882-1897; P. L. C. Hansen, 1897-1899; P. S. Vig. 1899-1903; Th. Jersild, 1903-1914; C. C. Kloth, 1914. The present officers of the church are Thomas Christensen, chairman; Jorgen Madsen, secretary; W. Rattenborg, treasurer; Christ Larsen, Andreas Aagaard, Laurits Petersen, trustees; John Johansen, Madsen Petersen, Sven Larsen, Martin Nielson, Thor Madsen, deacons. This great church, numbering eight hundred and eighty-two baptized members, is located in the largest Danish settlement of the United States. It has throughout its history taken a deep interest in, and has been closely connected with, Elk Horn College, which at the present time is the property of this congregation and is now conducted by it as a rural high school. This church has wielded a great influence for good citizenship, and for the best interests of the community in which it is situated. The church building stands on a beautiful ridge overlooking an agricultural landscape as beautiful as any in Iowa.
For the past ten to twelve years Danish Lutheran pastors have been coming to Harlan to hold religious services. These have been held usually in the church building of the Latter-day Saints or in that of the Evangelical in the church building of the Latter-Day Saints or in that of the Evangelical son township [?? previous sentence transcribed exactly as printed; error in original]. Among these earlier pastors were Revs. P. S. Vig, A. C. Weisman, N. P. J. Nielsen and A. M. Kelson. The present pastor, Rev. James C. Petersen, was assigned to this parish by the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran church of America, soon after finishing college and seminary work at Blair, Nebraska, and at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He came here in 1912 and soon united the scattered members of the Lutheran faith residing in this community. The church was formerly organized on February 16, 1914, at a mass meeting called by Rev. Mr. Petersen. The congregation soon asked for affiliation with the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran church of America, which request was unanimous, and was granted by the church authorities in June, 1914, at their meeting at Greenville, Michigan. The first members of the Harlan church are: Messrs. Soren Carlsen, John Thimm, Paul Sorenson, N. C. Larsen, Andrew Klitgaard, P. H. Jespersen, C. H. Hess, J. J. Norgaard, James C. Olsen, L. P. Sorenson, Albert Hansen, Nels Klitgaard, S. M. Smith, Magnus Larsen, E. C. Boel, Chris Thogersen, Johan Nissen, Peter H. Lauritzen, J. S. Vig, Nels H. Christensen, L. H. Savereide, George H. Hess, Thomas C. Jensen, H. A. Hansen, Chris Jensen, Soren Jensen, M. C. Sorensen, Charles Nissen, Andrew Jensen, Niels N. Vendelboe, Chris Johnson, Peter Clausen, Karsten Clausen, Chris Sorensen, J. C. Christensen, Ole Olesen, Hans N. Hansen, P. W. Christiansen, Mesdames J. M. Kringel, J. Thimm, N. Nielsen, M. C. Sorensen, J. J. Norgaard, G. H. Hess, C. H. Hess, Kristine Nielsen, J. C. Christensen, Ana C. Hansen, Chrinstine [sic? Christine] L. Hansen, Hanne Smith, S. Jensen, P. Lauritzen, J. C. Olsen and the Misses Alma Nielsen, Dora Christensen, Else M. Nielsen, Janna Marie Jensen. The first officers of the church were: J. J. Norgaard, president; James C. Olsen, secretary; E. C. Boel, treasurer; Albert Hansen, H. N. Hansen and Soren Carlsen, trustees. This church congregation has a beautiful new church building almost completed. It is eighty-four feet long, forty-four feet wide, with a spire eighty-four feet in height. The church maintains a parochial school, which is in session for three months during the summer, three times per week and on each Saturday during the rest of the year. Each year it has a confirmation class, which begins in the winter and meets until April or May. The second Danish Lutheran church to be established in Shelby county was that of Jackson township, near the village of Jacksonville. This church congregation was formed of Danish Lutherans living in the west and southwest parts of Jackson township in and about "Copenhagen." The church building was erected in 1885. Another Lutheran church, built about the same time, was the Norwegian Lutheran church of Polk township. Both of these churches still maintain their organizations and have preaching services.
The above named church was organized in January, 1883, under the name of the German Evangelical Lutheran Friedens congregation. The charter members of the church were: Ed. Eden, Hans Nissen, Carl Lutt, Joachim Nave, William Johnson, H. William Leback and Jurgen Stump. This church belongs to the German Evangelical Synod of Nord Amerika, with headquarters at St. Louis, Missouri. The church and school house with it were erected in 1882, the cost thereof being defrayed by Christian Reddelin, of Hamburg, Germany. The pastors, in order of service and to date, are: Revs. J. Kammiski, G. Petersen, H. Kloeckner, A. Kern, J. Bizer, F. Leonhard, A. Dettmann and P. Ott, the present pastor.
There are at least two Danish Adventist churches in Shelby county, one in Clay township, which was established in 1873, and another in Jackson township about 1877. The first Danish Adventists to reside in Shelby county were Fredrickson, Chris Johnson, Ole Johnson, Hans Larsen, Jacob Broderson, Rasmus Kroderson, Ole Hansen.
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