$2,000, and all paid for before dedication. The church rose to a membership of about forty, but, on account of removals and other causes, there are not more than twenty now. The first pastor, Rev. Childs, officiated for several years, and was succeeded by Rev. Houten; after him came Revs. D. L. Clouse and E. O. Groat, each of whose pastorate lasted two years. For the last two years they have been compelled to be content with supplies, of whom the Rev. Mills, a young student, is the last.
The First Baptist Church of Kelley was organized on February 11, 1882, as stated, by Elders D. D. Propee and H. W. Weaver, of Ames. Mr. and Mrs. A. Wortman, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Cook, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, James Drago, Mrs. L. Crane and Mr. D. D. Crane were the original members, and Messrs. Cook and Wortman the first deacons, while the trusteeship was vested in Messrs. Cook, Wortman and Crane, with Mrs. Cook, treasurer, and Mrs. Crane, secretary. They at once erected a frame church costing about $1,000, and dedicated on December 16, 1882. Rev. Weaver, the first pastor, served two years, and Rev. Starring about the same length of time, during which latter pastorate about eighteen members were added. His call to another field led to the pastorate of Rev. H. W. Wilson, which began in May, 1886, and ended in May, 1890, with no successor at the present writing. A Sabbath-school was organized in March, 1883, and has had a successful career. The present superintendent is Mr. A. Wort-man, and the attendance is about fifty. The membership of the church is thirty. They also have the other usual societies in connection with the church.
The Norwegian Lutheran Churches have an existence based upon nationality, and also have had several divisions among themselves, based upon differences that are usual among churches of one general belief. The churches in Story County have been in three or four sub-denominations, the main conference, the Hauge branch, the Wisconsin synod, and the Augustana synod. As most of these were recently united, at Minneapolis, in the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America, the churches of Story County naturally fall in the Des Moines District, and will be here treated by congregations, with a liberal allowance for the spelling of foreign names.
Palestine Norwegian Lutheran Church was organized on March 25, 1856, by Rev. O. Aufinsen, the first pastor, with the following officers: K. A. Bauge, secretary; O. Sheldahl and O. Fatland, board of deacons; Oscar Larson and P. Christian, trustees; and about fifty members. In 1858 Rev. O. Sheldahl succeeded Rev. Aufinsen, and served for the long period between that and 1875, when Rev. T. H. Myhre succeeded him. Rev. H. C. Holm, a graduate of Augsburg Theological Seminary, at Minneapolis, has had charge since 1881, and has had a very successful career. The other officers, at present, are: John Stenberg, secretary; H. Larson, T. Sivertsen, Oliver Hill and Ole Fretz, the board of deacons; C. Pederson, O. R. Olesen, W. W. Weeks and Andrew Richardson, board of trustees. There are three well organized ladies' societies for various purposes, and a young people's reading circle in connection with the church. A private religious school is also had in addition to the public school, and Sunday-schools are conducted in both English and Norwegian. Two churches and parsonage belong to the congregation, one at Cambridge and the other at Palestine, and both valued, in the aggregate, at about $7,000. The total membership of both is about 600 souls.
The Bergen Norwegian Lutheran Church,