Churches & Cemeteries

Churches and Cemeteries. Havens of Hope on the Harsh Frontier. , Churches Were the Center of Social life as Well as Spiritual Life., Churches Dot the Countryside , In early days, churches were the heart of the settlers' community, with congregations made up of friends and family. Both social life and spiritual life were centered in the church. When first organized, many of them held meetings at the homes of local residents until a church could be built., Central Lutheran Church , On March 14, 1874, the Central Lutheran Church was organized at the Peter Eklund-Ned Lyden home with 20 charter members. All were pioneer settlers in the predominantly Swedish settlement called Central Swede Grove, about three miles southeast of the tiny village of Pelican Rapids., During the very early years the congregation was served by a mission pastor. Rev. I. Kassa was called in to officiate at baptisms, weddings, confirmations, funerals and occasional worship services. Rev. Kassa was replaced by a Swedish Lutheran pastor, Rev. S.J. Kronberg, who served for six years, until 1881. Rev. Kronberg traveled to Sweden and brought back a theological student named Lorentz.P. Stenstrom, who preached his first sermon in Central Swede Grove in November 1879. He served three congregations in return for a salary of $400 and a room in the town of Elizabeth. When his family arrived from Sweden, they built a farmstead with the help of the congregation. Stenstrom served at the church for 39 years., Building the Church , It soon became apparent that a church should be built; but until that became a reality in 1884, members met at homes such as A.F. Stenstrom's and others, and in the District 35 East schoolhouse., The building plans were drawn by Gustaf Ljund, John Johnson and Carl Larson who each donated half an acre of land. An additional acre was purchased from Larson for five dollars., Parishioners were directly responsible for its construction and those who owned land were required to deliver 200 feet of logs to the sawmill by March 1, 1883. All members paid for the construction in both money and labor. Furnishings were bought over time and included an organ in 1890 for a total of $545.02., Changing the Name , Over the years, many new members of different nationalities joined the Central Swede Grove Lutheran Church, and a name change was proposed. At the annual meeting in December 1943, it officially became known as the Central Lutheran Evangelical Church of the Augustana Synod., The Birth of a New Congregation , In 1953 some members wanted to move the congregation to Pelican Rapids. The proposal was rejected but came up again the following year. After a majority of members voted against the move, a small group left Central to form Faith Lutheran Church. The creation of this new congregation proved to be a positive move, with both Central and Faith surviving the transition and continuing to flourish today., Cemeteries , Cemeteries were built adjacent to rural churches and operated according to strict denominational standards – Lutherans in Lutheran churches and cemeteries, Catholics in Catholic churches and cemeteries, and so on. However, cemeteries in cities were non-denominational, such as Oak Grove in Fergus Falls. Some cemeteries were private family plots. There were also several American Indian burial grounds., The Historical Society Museum in Fergus Falls is the place to access genealogy searchers – by township, in cemetery books, biography files, WPA interviews, oral history tapes and through artifacts left by relatives and friends., Headstones , Headstones and grave markers tell about history not only by the information engraved on them but also by distinct symbols and styles of the time period., Funerals and Furniture , Funeral businesses were in private homes or were part of the furniture maker's trade. E.T. Barnard, who is well known in county history, ran both a funeral home and furniture store. Coffins were built at the furniture stores or were homemade by family members or friends of the deceased., Captions: , Lorentz P. Stenstrom , July 14, 1926 Central Swede Grove Church and congregation , Tombstone in Ringsaker Cemetery, Egstad Family [#1108 from the collections of the Otter Tail County Historical Society] , Norwegian Methodist Cemetery, Tordenskjold Township, Battle Lake, May 29, 1911 [#9814 from the collections of the Otter Tail County Historical Society], Traditions and Customs of Central Swede Grove Lutheran Church , . Women sat on the left side of the church with their children; men sat on the right. Boys who had attained a certain age sat with their fathers. , . A sleigh-ride with bells on the horses took members to the church to attend "Julotta" at six o'clock Christmas morning. Candles were placed in the windows of homes along the route to guide the early-morning travelers. , . Women were expected to remove their coats for communion. , . At funerals, pallbearers wore black armbands and the altar was covered in black. The church bell was tolled on the day of a member's death, one stroke of the bell for each year of the member's age. , . Owing to difficulties in language transition, some services were held in English, some in Swedish.