Rev. Olaf A. Langehough

Rev. Olaf A. Langehough, the 4th pastor of First Lutheran Church in St. Ansgar, Iowa, was born on October 25, 1899 at Mabel, Minnesota. He was the son of Amund and Margaret Walhous Langhough. His father was a well known Lutheran minister. Olaf graduated from the Montevideo High School, and then attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, graduating in 1921. He then attended Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, graduating from there in 1924.

From 1924 until 1927 he served in Ladysmith, Wisconsin. He was then called to serve at First Lutheran Church in St. Ansgar, Iowa, where he then served for 29 years. During this time he also served the Deer Creek Lutheran Church, north of Carpenter, Iowa. During the time he served at St. Ansgar, he served for three years as a member of the Waldorf College Board, in Forest City, Iowa. He served as President of the Iowa District Pastoral Conference for one year, and as Stewardship Secretary of the South Central District for six years.

Olaf married Hazel Moline of Minneapolis of June 18, 1925. They had two children: Mary, and John. Mary died on October 12, 2001. John is a minister in Lemmon, South Dakota. Hazel died on January 18, 1985.

In 1956 Olaf accepted a call from the Home Mission Board to establish a new church in Vancouver, Washington. He then served 11 years as pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church in Vancouver. Olaf retired from the ministry on October 8, 1967.

In November 1967 he travelled to Spring Valley, Minnesota to serve as visitation pastor at Our Savior's Lutheran Church. Olaf died on October 4, 1968 following a short illness. Funeral services were held on October 7, 1968, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Spring Valley. Interment was at the First Lutheran Cemetery in St. Ansgar, Iowa.

 

Based on a piece in the First Lutheran sesquicentennial booklet.
The photo is from an issue of the St. Ansgar Enterprise, September 7, 1927, on the occasion of his installation as pastor at First Lutheran.
For additional information see his obituary on the Mitchell county-IAGENWEB obits board.