Transcribed by Gordon Felland

CHURCH HISTORY (to 1960)

In 1859 the Rev. C. L. Clausen of St. Ansgar, helped organize the first Lutheran Congregation of Worth County. The Congregation was then known as North Silver Lake, but at that time no provision was made for a permanent resident pastor. Perhaps one of the vital commentaries revealing the hardiness, vision, fortitude, and integrity of the pioneer is the fact that congregations were organized before there was any promise of a resident pastor.

Other congregations were also being organized at this time: Elk Grove, three miles west of Kensett; Lime Creek, in Winnebago County; and Round Prairie in Freeborn County, Minnesota. These congregations, together with North Silver Lake, gave the Church Council of the Norwegian Synod the authority to call a pastor for them. Candidate T. A. Torgerson accepted the call and was ordained by Rev. H. A. Preus on July 23, 1865; he was installed by Rev. C. L. Clausen on August 20, the same year. The parsonage was located just west of the Silver Lake Church. During the time from 1867 to the fall of 1869 there arose consider­able strife among the people and between the congregation and the pastor on the theological questions pertaining to slavery and to the sabbath. Pastor Torgerson ultimately resigned and moved out on.

December 1, 1869. A group of people sympathetic to Pastor Torgerson's position bought a farm four miles further south. This farm home became the parsonage for many years. The farm land was purchased from Aslak Larson and Barbo Larson on June 25, 1870.

According to the records on file in the Worth County Court House, what is now Sion Lutheran Congregation, was originally organized as South Silver Lake Congregation. The Articles of Incorporation were recorded at the Worth County Court House on December 31, 1869. There are records of Church activity dating back beyond 1869. For example, in one of the record books we find listed as the first baptisms: Ole Thorsten, son of Ingeborg and Simund Thorsten; Harold Theodore Tollefsd, son of Knud and Ingeborg Tollefsd; and Olaus Loberg, son of L. and Barbro Loberg - all baptized on August 20, 1865.

Also listed as the first confirmands are: Nels Christian Larsen; Sevat Svendsen, John Sjursen, Hans Olson, Hans Nelson, Evan Evanson, Inge­ borg Mathiason, Anna Sophia Sorenson, and Jens Pederson, all con­firmed in 1864.

The first wedding is listed as Jacob Olson Mikkelson and Isabel Olson on Dec. 19, 1865. The first funeral recorded is for Pedar Knudson on May 30, 1867. Since all of these dates are before 1869 it must be assum­ed that these administrations of Church rites occurred before the of­ficial organization of South Silver Lake but after the slavery controversy begin to split the North Silver Lake Congregation.

It was also common practice in those days to travel great distances for the Sacraments and rites of the Church. It is possible that the above listed dates are events which occurred in other congregations but for the sake of records are listed in the South Silver Lake books.

From 1870 to 1906 a number of new families settled in Worth County. The question of a church home was vital to them and in 1873 a church building was built where the Sion building now stands. The parsonage was used as a parochial school and at times as many as 30 children were housed there with board and room. At one time there were 70 children enrolled. The school rooms were in the parsonage basement. The sixteen room parsonage was at one time occupied by twelve pastors who were attending a meeting at the nearby church.

In 1894, Rev. T. A. Torgerson was elected President of the Iowa District of the Synod Church. In 1898 the Rev. A. J. Torgerson was called to succeed his father to serve Concordia and South Silver Lake (now Sion).

On the morning of December 23, 1916 the church building burned to the ground. A chimney fire caused the disaster. Until 1921 worship services were held in the Bristol church every other Sunday. The Bristol Congregation worshiped on alternating Sundays.

In 1921, construction was begun on what is the present church plant. Services were held in the church basement for several years until the sanctuary was completed. Dedication services for the new church build­ing were held on Oct. 13, 1929.

With the Union of 1917, South Silver Lake became a part of The Nor­wegian Lutheran Church of America. The Rev. A. J. Torgerson was opposed to this synodical merger and did not affiliate with it He and those with a common disagreement withdrew and formed the Somber Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. Pastors Holseth and Amdalsrud served as interim pastors from 1917 to 1920, but poor health forced both to give up their profession. In the fall of 1920 the Rev. R. Malmin was obtained as interim Pastor and served until the next spring Pastor Rosenquist accepted the call issued him and was installed July 10, 1921. He served faithfully until his sudden passing into eternity, June 29, 1936. Pastor Chas. A. Fritz of Glenville, Minn., was obtained as interim from July to December, 1936. Rev. Helleckson was installed in December of 1936 and served until 1943 when he accepted a call to serve at Jewell, Iowa.

Pastor Christian Notsund was then called to take up the work He accepted the call and served faithfully until December 31 1957 when he moved to Milford, Iowa. Pastor Harvey Gilbertson was then obtained to serve as interim Pastor. He began on January 1, 1958. Later that spring he was issued a call to serve as regular pastor of Sion-Bristol-Deer Creek Valley Parish. He accepted the call and was installed on March 9, 1958 by the Rev. V. T. Jordahl, president of the South Central District of the E. L. C. Pastor Gilbertson is currently serving the con­gregation.

Rev. A. J. Torgerson 1898-1917	Rev. R. Malmin 1920-1921	Rev. H. Rosenquist 1921-1936	Rev. O. C. Hellekson 1936-1943	Rev. Christian Notsund 1943-1957

The church fire of 1916 destroyed many records which would of course have been helpful and informative in compiling and editing this congre­gational history. After the Synodical Union in 1917 and in the bewilder­ment of no church home because of the fire of 1916, and by invitation initiated at Bristol Lutheran Congregation, South Silver Lake and Bristol began to consider a new church alignment and a new corporation to be called SION, which would in reality be a union between Bristol and South Silver Lake. The following quotation is from the History of the Bristol Lutheran Congregation", which history was compiled for Bristol's 50th anniversary in 1942: "When the South Silver Lake (Sion) Church burned down in 1916, the Bristol Congregation tendered them the use of its church.

"On June 18, 1917, just as the organization meeting of the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America had adjourned, the following motion was passed: Resolved, that we elect a committee of five to confer with South Silver Lake (Sion) Congregation about union in event they elect a like committee. Those elected were L. D. Lien, C. H. Hanson, G. J. Ostmo, A. T. Grosland, O. T. Tenold. Moved and seconded that the Bristol Congregation after the union of Hauge Synod, N. S. and U. C. are in favor of union between South Silver Lake (Sion) and Bristol Congregations."

It was in 1919 that South Silver Lake became Sion Congregation, and apparently the new Sion Congregation was actually a union between South Silver Lake and Bristol congregations. In the Articles of Incorpora­tion dated December 20,1919, Article I reads: "The name of this corpora­tion shall be Sion Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation." Article II reads: "The members of this corporation are those who are now members of Silver Lake Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Con­gregation, being one of the congregations constituting the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Association of Worth and Winnebago Counties, Iowa, and southern part of Freeborn County, Minn., the articles of in­corporation of which association are now about to expire by operation of law, or who are members of the Bristol Evangelical Lutheran Con­gregation, which two congregations have consolidated or are consolida­ting by this incorporation, and such other persons as may become mem­bers of the meetings of this congregation according to its by-laws or constitution, and in accordance with the teachings, rules and regulations of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America, to which denomina­tion this congregation belongs." Article VI reads: "Until the first regular annual meeting of the congregation the following persons shall be its trustees and secretary and treasurer respectively: P. I. Peterson, trustee, B. M. Holstad, trustee, A. T. Arnerson, trustee, M. O. Holstad, E. L. Hagen, trustee, L. D. Lien, secretary A. T. Grosland, treasurer." The Articles of Incorporation are signed by D. O. Ellingson G. J. Ostmo, O. I. Kassa, P. I. Peterson, and M. O. Holstad.

Prior to this time much conversation and correspondence had existed between South Silver Lake and Bristol Congregations in hopes of settling differences and becoming one congregation. Plans transpired to move the Bristol church building one mile north and thus Bristol and . South Silver Lake to become Sion Congregation.

Evidently, from the Court House Records actual incorporations took p lace but somehow the noble aspirations were never carried out, and so, in 1921, the new Sion Corporation began building a new church home.

Apparently the Rev. R. Malmin was the first pastor who served both Sion and Bristol congregation. The following quote is also taken from the Bristol History: ". . .Many meetings were held during his stay here trying to adjust to parish relationships and in these he lent great aid to the congregations and was officially thanked at a meeting Feb. 7, 1921. At this same meeting an offer was received from Rev. H. C. Holm, President of the Iowa District, that he would be willing to aid the congregation if they so desired. This offer was accepted with thanks."

Somehow, evidently after incorporating South Silver Lake and Bris­tol Congregations into Sion Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congrega­tions into Sion Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation, and filing of the Articles - a resolution was passed to form a parish between Bristol and Sion and to extend a call to the same pastor - each congrega­tion to extend separate letters of call.

Rev. H. Rosenquist accepted the call and came in 1921. On August 4, 1932 the agreement to have same pastor with Bristol was discontinued. Rev. Rosenquist continued to serve Sion congregation until his sudden death in 1936.

In 1936, through the efforts of then District President Dr. N. A. Lar­son, a three point parish was arranged. Rev. O. C. Helleckson of Mobridge, S. Dakota accepted the call and arrived on December 2, 1936 to begin serving the Sion-Bristol-Deer Creek Valley Lutheran Parish. In 1943 when Pastor Helleckson left for Jewell, Iowa, Christian Notsund became pastor of the three point parish and served for 14 years.

In 1919, eighty acres of the 120 acre "church farm" were sold; 40 acres to Ole Haugo, and 40 acres to Even Hagen. In 1949 the remaining "40 acre church farm" was sold to Irvin Ausen. Torgus Haugo donated a half acre north of the church and a new parsonage was started in 1949 and finished in 1950.

Not only was Pastor Gilbertson new to Sion congregation on January 5, 1958, but for the first time in the history of Sion-Bristol Congregations joint worship services were held. Sion and Bristol congregations had agreed to have joint Sunday school and joint worship. One Sunday services were held in the Bristol Church, the next Sunday in the Sion church. Everyone seemed surprised at the large number of worshipers attending services every Sunday.

A choir, under the direction of Mrs. Harvey Gilbertson, was organized on January 30, 1958 following a P. T. R. service in the Bristol church. During the Worth County Fair of 1958 the Sion-Bristol choir spon­sored a food stand and used the proceeds to buy 36 beautiful choir gowns. No small amount of credit is due§ the Choir for its contribution to the spiritual enrichment of the Congregation.

A Junior Choir under the able hand of Mrs. Olger Tenold has also been organized, and is indeed another great stride forward in worship participation.

As was mentioned earlier, there are records of church administration even earlier than 1869. The first confirmands in South Silver Lake were confirmed on Nov. 6, 1870. They were Amund A. Johnson, Torkel N. Brua; Barbro Rugland; and Marie E. Trosteim.

The congregation has an active WMF which now is officially called The American Lutheran Church Women of Sion. This faithful organiza­tion has been a true help-meet down through the 90 years now past. As has been said so many times in so many places is also true at Sion -"Where would we have been if it were not for the Ladies Aid."

The Luther League and Brotherhood as well as the Couple's Club are other active organizations of the congregation.

In 1959 five of the pine trees directly in front were threatening to cause danger to the church and so were removed. The logs were hauled to Alfred Groe's and sawed into "square lumber". The lumber from these trees was used in the frame work of the breezeway at the parson­age.

Also in 1960 the church edifice and the parsonage were painted. The whole congregation is grateful to "Tony" Knutson for fitting this job into his crowded schedule

Source: Ninetieth Anniversary Booklet, Oct. 29-30, 1960.

 

History since 1960

Pastor Gilbertson served until the summer of 1968. Rev. Haaland of Emmons, MN served as interim pastor until Pastor Theodore J. Anderson was installed in Sept. 1968. At this time it was a two point parish consisting of Sion and Dear Creek. In 1966 and 1967, a new educational and office wing was built extending from the front and north of the church building. This addition provided much needed room for Sunday School and a roomy narthex for visiting after service. In 1969, Sion observed its 100th anniversary.

Today Sion Lutheran Church belongs to the One in Christ Lutheran Parish. The One in Christ Lutheran Parish consists of 5 area Lutheran churches who share staff and resources. The pastors for the 5 churches are Randy Baldwin and Bill Peters. The president for Sion congreation is Doug Kingland and the secretary is Kathy Mackey.

 

For burials in the Sion Lutheran Cemetery, see "Cemeteries" on this web site. or click here.

Transcribed by Gordon Felland, 11/06/2008. Updated on 10/28/2010.