Lund Lutheran Church
47°17'56.2"N 97°55'05.3"W
47.298930, -97.918150
Luverne, Willow Lake Township, Steele County, North Dakota 59056
47°17'56.2"N 97°55'05.3"W
47.298930, -97.918150
Luverne, Willow Lake Township, Steele County, North Dakota 59056
Lund Lutheran Church (Willow Lake Township Sec. 9)
Lund congregation was organized in 1885 and named after I. L. Lundeby who was a missionary stationed in Valley City as early as 1880. Pastor Lundeby was sent by Norse-Danish Evangelical Conference of North America, and his mission field included the area from Lisbon along the Sheyenne River on up to Devils Lake. He also seems to have been active in organizing Ness and Union Congregation as well as Lund.
The congregation was made up of people of Norwegian, Swedish and Danish descent. The early organizers of the Lund congregation include Knut Olson, Andrew Anderson, Ole Sanden, Ben Nybo, John Nybo, Arne Nybo, Peter Peterson, Gilbert Johnson and Nels Peterson. The first church council of this newly organized congregation consisted of John K. Nybo, Gilbert Johnson and Knut Olson. The first regular pastor was Rev. O. K. Quamme who came to serve this congregation in 1886.
In the early years church services were held in various homes in the community and later on in the Meader school in Willow Lake township, the Hendrickson school which later became known as the Sanden school, also in Willow Lake Township, and in Kimball school in Riverside township.
The Lund Ladies Aide organized in 1894, and with a small group of ladies, meetings were held in the homes. They met together to quilt, knit, and sew articles to be sold by auction at dinners served in various homes. The first officers were Mrs. Ole Sanden, president; Mrs. Ben Nybo, vice president; Mrs. Arne Nybo, secretary; and Mr. Ole Sandeen, treasurer.
The first cemetery was located on Section 34 in Riverside township on land owned by P. R. Peterson. This was half acre in size and the deed to this plot was recorded in the office of Register of Deeds, Steele County, on April 11, 1910.
In 1905 a committee was formed to decide on a location for a church and to obtain the land for a church and cemetery. The place decided upon was the southwest corner of section 9 in Willow Lake township, and the size of the plot was two acres. In 1906 work was started on the new church building with contracts being let to H. O. Haugen of Cooperstown for carpenter work, the B&R Lumber Co. of Hope for Lumber, and to N. A. Couron of Hope for stone masonry. A considerable amount of work was donated by the members of the congregation such as basement digging, lumber hauling and stone hauling. The building was completed in 1907 and dedicated on July 19, 1907. “Lund Scandinavian Lutheran Church of Willow Lake Township” was incorporated on August 1, 1905.
Many improvements have been added since then with the members themselves doing the work such as enlarging the basement, improving the kitchen, redecorating, etc. With the coming of REA, the oil heating unit was installed and a change in lighting from the original cluster of kerosene lamps that hung from the ceiling and a half dozen or so gasoline lanterns to the modern electric lighting. A major repair job was the foundation and new concrete front steps were done by a contractor a few years later.
For many years Union, Ness and Lund served by the same pastor who lived in Cooperstown and drove out to each church with horse and buggy. From time-to-time changes have taken place and later the parish consisted of Ness, Blabon, St. Petri and Lund, and was known as the Blabon Parish. These four congregations jointly owned a parsonage located in Blabon, N. Dak.
At a special meeting of Lund Congregation held on May 1, 1960, the future of the Lund Congregation was discussed. A Vote by ballot was taken and a decision was made to close Lund Lutheran Church on August 31, 1960.
On June 12, 1960, the Lund Evangelical Lutheran Church observed the 75th anniversary of the organization of their church. In attendance were Rev. Leslie Vanderpan, Sioux Rapids, Iowa; Rev. Howard Benson, Crosby, N.D.; Rev. John Haaland, Mason City, Iowa, former pastors of Lund, and Rev. Elmer O. Lee of Fargo, N.D.
All through the years the Ladies Aid had been active and had played an important part in supporting the congregation. Sunday school and parochial school had been held regularly. At various times there have been an active Luther League organization and a choir.
Pastors who served Lund congregation were:
O. K. Quamme 1886-1904
E. T. Silness 1905
Hendrick Voldal 1905-1908
N. J. Vikingstad 1909-1914
Sigurd Olson 1914-1921
John Haaland 1921-1924
John A. Fagering 1924-1925
Sigurd Sydness 1928-1942
Overt Skilbred 1945-1946
S. C. B. Knutson 1947-1949
Leslie Vanderpan 1949-1950
Howard Benson 1951-1953
Kenneth Roufs 1953-1960
Many neighboring pastors served at various times when the congregation was without a regular pastor, and to mention some of these includes Rev. E. O. Stenson, Rev. E. O. Lee, Rev. Fyrand and Rev. H. A. Svendsen.
Info from – Steele County 1883- 1983 A Centennial Commemoration (pages 264 & 265)
Lund congregation was organized in 1885 and named after I. L. Lundeby who was a missionary stationed in Valley City as early as 1880. Pastor Lundeby was sent by Norse-Danish Evangelical Conference of North America, and his mission field included the area from Lisbon along the Sheyenne River on up to Devils Lake. He also seems to have been active in organizing Ness and Union Congregation as well as Lund.
The congregation was made up of people of Norwegian, Swedish and Danish descent. The early organizers of the Lund congregation include Knut Olson, Andrew Anderson, Ole Sanden, Ben Nybo, John Nybo, Arne Nybo, Peter Peterson, Gilbert Johnson and Nels Peterson. The first church council of this newly organized congregation consisted of John K. Nybo, Gilbert Johnson and Knut Olson. The first regular pastor was Rev. O. K. Quamme who came to serve this congregation in 1886.
In the early years church services were held in various homes in the community and later on in the Meader school in Willow Lake township, the Hendrickson school which later became known as the Sanden school, also in Willow Lake Township, and in Kimball school in Riverside township.
The Lund Ladies Aide organized in 1894, and with a small group of ladies, meetings were held in the homes. They met together to quilt, knit, and sew articles to be sold by auction at dinners served in various homes. The first officers were Mrs. Ole Sanden, president; Mrs. Ben Nybo, vice president; Mrs. Arne Nybo, secretary; and Mr. Ole Sandeen, treasurer.
The first cemetery was located on Section 34 in Riverside township on land owned by P. R. Peterson. This was half acre in size and the deed to this plot was recorded in the office of Register of Deeds, Steele County, on April 11, 1910.
In 1905 a committee was formed to decide on a location for a church and to obtain the land for a church and cemetery. The place decided upon was the southwest corner of section 9 in Willow Lake township, and the size of the plot was two acres. In 1906 work was started on the new church building with contracts being let to H. O. Haugen of Cooperstown for carpenter work, the B&R Lumber Co. of Hope for Lumber, and to N. A. Couron of Hope for stone masonry. A considerable amount of work was donated by the members of the congregation such as basement digging, lumber hauling and stone hauling. The building was completed in 1907 and dedicated on July 19, 1907. “Lund Scandinavian Lutheran Church of Willow Lake Township” was incorporated on August 1, 1905.
Many improvements have been added since then with the members themselves doing the work such as enlarging the basement, improving the kitchen, redecorating, etc. With the coming of REA, the oil heating unit was installed and a change in lighting from the original cluster of kerosene lamps that hung from the ceiling and a half dozen or so gasoline lanterns to the modern electric lighting. A major repair job was the foundation and new concrete front steps were done by a contractor a few years later.
For many years Union, Ness and Lund served by the same pastor who lived in Cooperstown and drove out to each church with horse and buggy. From time-to-time changes have taken place and later the parish consisted of Ness, Blabon, St. Petri and Lund, and was known as the Blabon Parish. These four congregations jointly owned a parsonage located in Blabon, N. Dak.
At a special meeting of Lund Congregation held on May 1, 1960, the future of the Lund Congregation was discussed. A Vote by ballot was taken and a decision was made to close Lund Lutheran Church on August 31, 1960.
On June 12, 1960, the Lund Evangelical Lutheran Church observed the 75th anniversary of the organization of their church. In attendance were Rev. Leslie Vanderpan, Sioux Rapids, Iowa; Rev. Howard Benson, Crosby, N.D.; Rev. John Haaland, Mason City, Iowa, former pastors of Lund, and Rev. Elmer O. Lee of Fargo, N.D.
All through the years the Ladies Aid had been active and had played an important part in supporting the congregation. Sunday school and parochial school had been held regularly. At various times there have been an active Luther League organization and a choir.
Pastors who served Lund congregation were:
O. K. Quamme 1886-1904
E. T. Silness 1905
Hendrick Voldal 1905-1908
N. J. Vikingstad 1909-1914
Sigurd Olson 1914-1921
John Haaland 1921-1924
John A. Fagering 1924-1925
Sigurd Sydness 1928-1942
Overt Skilbred 1945-1946
S. C. B. Knutson 1947-1949
Leslie Vanderpan 1949-1950
Howard Benson 1951-1953
Kenneth Roufs 1953-1960
Many neighboring pastors served at various times when the congregation was without a regular pastor, and to mention some of these includes Rev. E. O. Stenson, Rev. E. O. Lee, Rev. Fyrand and Rev. H. A. Svendsen.
Info from – Steele County 1883- 1983 A Centennial Commemoration (pages 264 & 265)