Danes Organize Church

April 25, 1875--The Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in Elk Horn was organized at a meeting in the red school house near the grove 2 1-2 miles southwest of the Rasmus Hansen homestead.

The congregation was organized with the help of Pastor A. S. Nielsen who traveled through the area conducting services.

First officers of the congregation were president Ole Therkelsen, secretary Ole Olesen, Treasurer Andreas Natvig, and trustees Rasmus Hansen, Jens Nielsen and Jens Johansen.

The congregation approved plans to purchase the 40-acre tract one mile north of Indian Creek crested by the hill north of the Rasmus Hansen homestead. Hansen settled north of the farms of Hans Larsen, Ole Jensen and Peter Johansen. Others nearby were Chris Jensen, Lars Mikkalsen, Paul Nielsen, George James and Jens Johansen.

Because Pastor Nielsen indicated he did not plan to become a permanent resident of the community, the congregation put out a call for a minister.

Kirkeberg Answers Call

April 6, 1876--The Elk Horn church's first call for a minister was answered by Pastor Olaf L. Kirkeberg, a Norwegian, who came to the community from Indianapolis.

He preached his first sermon in the community Palm Sunday, nearly one year after the congregation organized. The congregation set his salary at $400 per year, in $100 quarterly allotments.

The charter showed these members and their families: Kresten P. Madsen, Kerstin Albertsen, Jorgen Jensen, Rasmus Hansen, Kerstine Madsen, Maren Madsen, Mads H. Madsen, Albert H. Madsen, Hans C. P. Rasmussen, Ole L. Olesen, Jens C. Johansen, Peter C. Rasmussen, Jorgen Jorgensen, Jens Pedersen, Martha Andersen, Johannes Andersen, Karen Jorgensen, Karl Drier.

Jorgen Hansen, Gjertrud Jacobsen, Edward Nielsen, Peter Nielsen, Hans Nielsen, Lars Johansen, Lars Jensen, Niels C. Nielsen, Mads S. Sogaard, Peder H. Kroman, Hans P. Hansen, Hans J. Rasmussen, Rasmus Pedersen, Niels Peder Fabeck, Niels Andersen, Niels Pedersen, Hans Petersen, Hans Madsen and Anna S. Madsen.

Winter School Term Ends

April 1, 1879--The first winter term at the Danish folk school ended after five months. The first nine students were joined later by ten more.

Most students were more interested in Danish subjects but some emphasized English. All attended Pastor Kirkeberg's lectures and morning devotional exercises in the parsonage.

Students told of trips to visit farms and seek elk horns on the prairie; about the winter menace of prairie wolves and the spring menace of rattlesnakes.

With the end of the winter term for men, Pastor Kirkeberg made arrangements for a summer term for ten young women.

Church "Firsts" Noted

December 16, 1876--The first annual congregational business meeting noted several other firsts.

The church recorded its first baptism May 7--Jens Kr. Johansen, son of Lars and Ane Kirstine Johansen.

The cemetery received its first body May 14--that of Ole Hansen Midtlien, brother to Karen (Mrs. Rasmus) Hansen.

The first wedding was that of Mads Rasmussen Taber and Delia Rasmussen, June 9.

The first communicants, in August, were Thomas Petersen, Gertrude Petersen, Mr. and Mrs. Chester Madsen, Mr. and Mrs. Jens Larsen, Mr. and Mrs. Rasmus Hansen, Mr. and Mrs. Rasmus Petersen, Mr. and Mrs. Jens Johansen, Mr. and Mrs. Lars Johansen and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Jacobsen.

The church adopted a constitution and by-laws October 1.

November 1, 1879--About 20 students opened the second winter term at the folk school. Mr. Crouse did not return. He was replaced as teacher by first term student H. C. Strandskov who had been a student at Luther College, and was preparing for the ministry. Ostergaard continued as Danish instructor.

February 1, 1875--The Danes asked bids on weekly mail service between Elk Horn and the railroad 15 miles south.

The carrier would leave Atlantic 7 a.m. Fridays, and arrive at Indian Creek at noon; leave the community at 1 p.m. and arrive in Atlantic at 6 p.m.

The Hansens

Rasmus Hansens were woven into the Elk Horn story from the time the community began taking shape in 1874-75.

Rasmus came to America in 1866, locating in Moline, Ill.: beating out plow shares on an anvil for John Deere Plow Co.

He met Karen, who came to America in 1872 and worked as a maid in the John Deere home. She was a Norwegian and Rasmus a Dane. They were married in a Swedish Lutheran church, April 18, 1874. They moved to Atlantic where Rasmus was employed as a wheelwright by Needles & McWade, manufacturers of Wagons and carriages.

They moved to the Indian Creek community in 1875. Much of Elk Horn now is on the old Hansen homestead.

Karen was born September 22, 1857 in Hedemarken, Norway, of Hans Ingelbretsen and Marte Oldsdatter. She worked as a shepperdess in the wooded upland grazing lands of Norway. She and her mother were brought to Moline in 1872 by her brother Ole Hansen, who came to America in the late 1860s. When she and Rasmus moved westward, her mother and Ole were with them.

Rasmus wrote of his parents:

"Neither my father nor mother learned to write so they left no written records. I do not even know the dates of their birth as it was poor peoples' lot to labor and toil holidays or not.

"My father died in 1856, and had worked hard all his life but had only two employers--one for 30, the other 24 years.

"I knew more of my mother as she died eight years after my father, and I had to take care of her during her long illness, tuberculosis, from which all my brothers and sisters also died.

"I was apprenticed to a carpenter and worked al day. I could be with her at night and prepare meals before I left for work."

November 1, 1878--The Danish folk school provided advanced instruction in the community.

There was a small school house nearby for youngsters with teacher Miss Allen.

There had been the red school house at the grove southwest of the town site, used by early settlers for church services and social events; the white school west of Clay Hill; and the school at Gates.

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Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, July, 2022, from Elk Horn 1868-1918, page 6.