Sand Hill Lutheran Church
34145 State Highway 220 SW
Climax, Polk County, Minnesota 56532
34145 State Highway 220 SW
Climax, Polk County, Minnesota 56532
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The early immigrants who settled in this valley along the Red River of the North were to a large extent Scandinavians who had lived for a longer or shorter period of time in Illinoi, Iowa, or other parts of Minnesota. Most of them had therefore some acquaintance or affiliation with one or the other of the two existing Norwegian Lutheran Church denominations: the Norwegian Synod and the Norwegian Alanish Evangelical Conference. These churches through their home missions sought to reach out to all the new settlements with the word of God. Wherever men settled there came also the men of God to minister unto their spiritual need. The first one of these to enter this settlement was Reverend Bernt Hagebo. This pioneer pastor came to this settlement from Audubon, Becker County, Minnesota.
While sleeping out on the open prairie one night the pastor had a wonderful dream. He saw a nail-pierced hand of Christ pointing westward and he heard a voice saying. "Go, and 1 will be with you. Organize a great vineyard for me in this new country." Reverend Hagebo became the great organizer of Lutheran Congregations in the Red River and Goose River Valley.
The Sand Hill Congregation was organized August 12, 1872, at the Tollef Tollefson home. According to the records of the first secretary, Peder O. Satermo, the organizers, who also became charter members were Peder O. Satermo, A. O. Tronnes, Gulbrand Amundson, Peder O. Estenson, Salve Olson, Gullik Salveson, Johan Bramseth, Elling T. Dokken, H. Heia, Tollef Tollefson, Nils Olson, Ole Estenson, Ole O. Estenson, Ole O. Tronnes, Ole Estenson, Ole Johnson Jevning, Knut Olson Ose, Thore Erickson, and Jorgen Knutson.
Reverend B. Hagebo, working in the interest of the home mission of the Northern Danish Conference, helped organize this congregation and became its first pastor.
From 1872-1883, services were held in the homes and schoolhouses. There was a strong desire among the people to have a house of worship, dedicated to God. At a meeting held the 27th of December 1873, at the Iver Mjoen home, the subject of a church building was brought up for decision. It may be of interest and value to those of younger generations to know that the groundwork for this church was in preparation over a period of 10 years.
If we but let our imagination turn back to those years, we can see that more costly materials than wood and stone, though they were not cheap, have gone into the building of this house of God. Prayers and hopes and tears are a part of the groundwork. Thought and discussion and arguments were interjected into the framework. Sacrifices and labor were indelibly inscribed into the very architecture of the building. The first parsonage was a log house located on the west side of the coulee. (West of the church)
The church building was constructed in 1883 and served its members until the erection of a new edifice in 1959 and 1960. The old church built by the pioneers, which had been a landmark, was torn down. Original Various auxiliary organizations have helped build this congregation into a fellowship of believers in the Christian faith. The Ladies Aid had its inception on October 27, 1876, at the Ole Estenson home. Sixteen ladies were present.
The church choirs, Sunday School and the Luther League have all played an important part in the Christian education and inspiration of its members.
Pastors who have served this congregation in the order of their services are Pastors B. Hagebo, O. Bostad, Chr. Saugstad, H. J. Villesvik, Chr. Ytrehus, Lonne, J. Brono, O. N. Bergh, H. A. B. Winther, Ludvig Pederson, N. Halvorson, C. J. Christianson, Louis Olson, C. J. Carlson, N. C. Anderson, Ralph L. Okland.
Info - Bicentennial history of Polk County, Minnesota: pioneers of the valley 1976
While sleeping out on the open prairie one night the pastor had a wonderful dream. He saw a nail-pierced hand of Christ pointing westward and he heard a voice saying. "Go, and 1 will be with you. Organize a great vineyard for me in this new country." Reverend Hagebo became the great organizer of Lutheran Congregations in the Red River and Goose River Valley.
The Sand Hill Congregation was organized August 12, 1872, at the Tollef Tollefson home. According to the records of the first secretary, Peder O. Satermo, the organizers, who also became charter members were Peder O. Satermo, A. O. Tronnes, Gulbrand Amundson, Peder O. Estenson, Salve Olson, Gullik Salveson, Johan Bramseth, Elling T. Dokken, H. Heia, Tollef Tollefson, Nils Olson, Ole Estenson, Ole O. Estenson, Ole O. Tronnes, Ole Estenson, Ole Johnson Jevning, Knut Olson Ose, Thore Erickson, and Jorgen Knutson.
Reverend B. Hagebo, working in the interest of the home mission of the Northern Danish Conference, helped organize this congregation and became its first pastor.
From 1872-1883, services were held in the homes and schoolhouses. There was a strong desire among the people to have a house of worship, dedicated to God. At a meeting held the 27th of December 1873, at the Iver Mjoen home, the subject of a church building was brought up for decision. It may be of interest and value to those of younger generations to know that the groundwork for this church was in preparation over a period of 10 years.
If we but let our imagination turn back to those years, we can see that more costly materials than wood and stone, though they were not cheap, have gone into the building of this house of God. Prayers and hopes and tears are a part of the groundwork. Thought and discussion and arguments were interjected into the framework. Sacrifices and labor were indelibly inscribed into the very architecture of the building. The first parsonage was a log house located on the west side of the coulee. (West of the church)
The church building was constructed in 1883 and served its members until the erection of a new edifice in 1959 and 1960. The old church built by the pioneers, which had been a landmark, was torn down. Original Various auxiliary organizations have helped build this congregation into a fellowship of believers in the Christian faith. The Ladies Aid had its inception on October 27, 1876, at the Ole Estenson home. Sixteen ladies were present.
The church choirs, Sunday School and the Luther League have all played an important part in the Christian education and inspiration of its members.
Pastors who have served this congregation in the order of their services are Pastors B. Hagebo, O. Bostad, Chr. Saugstad, H. J. Villesvik, Chr. Ytrehus, Lonne, J. Brono, O. N. Bergh, H. A. B. Winther, Ludvig Pederson, N. Halvorson, C. J. Christianson, Louis Olson, C. J. Carlson, N. C. Anderson, Ralph L. Okland.
Info - Bicentennial history of Polk County, Minnesota: pioneers of the valley 1976