From the Evangelisk
Luthersk Kirketidende Volume V, No. 22, 6 May 1878 P. 345
On Thursday the 11th of April, the congregation in Dunn Co,
Wis, had the joy of having a new church house inaugurated in the name of the
triune God. The congregation was founded as early as 1864 by Pastor O.J.K.
Hagestad of Rush River; then it was operated from 1866—74 by Pastor K.
Thorstenjen, 1874—76 by Past H.G. Krog and finally by Pastor H. Haakonsen.
The reason why a settlement as large and beautiful as
Eighteen Mile Creek has not before been able to rejoice in having its own
church-house is not that there were too few settlers, nor that they were too
poor, or that zealous preachers of the word were lacking to work for the church;
but the reason here, as elsewhere, has been a sad split into parties that for a
long time stole power, and both the ability and courage to get going, and when they
finally could and wanted to start building, disagreement arose regarding the church's
location and so on. Finally, some agreement was reached in the spring of 1876,
and they laid hands on the work and began to break stones for the walls.
Then a sad accident occurred, when a huge block of
sandstone suddenly fell down and in its fall literally crushed two hopeful
young boys, mutilated and terribly wounded a third who, as if by God, escaped
death, and broke one friend of an elderly family caregiver. There was blood on
our church wall; the event shook many but became a blessing both for the
individual families who were most affected by the accident, and for the entire
congregation, who now took the matter earnestly and seriously.
Builder Olaus Olsen of Menomonee put the finishing touches
on the work and directed erecting the steeple, painting the interior, installing
the pews, pulpit, altar ring, etc. for $600. The church is a frame building,
46x32 feet with steeple of 14x14 feet, and now costs about $1500. Above the
entrance is a beautiful and spacious gallery. The Women's Association had by
much diligence and agreement provided about $70 for the altar vessels, pulpit altar
ornaments, and carpet. The location of the church is exceedingly beautiful; surrounded
by beautiful, smiling meadows, it lies, surrounded by a small wood, on a high
bank by the lovely Menomonee River.
At the inauguration, the opening prayer was read by Past J.L.
Dietrichson and the closing prayer by Past H. Haakonsen. The initiation speech
was given by Pastor M. Thorsen, the inaugural sermon by Pastor H.G. Krog was on
Philippians 3:20 .: "Our citizenship is in heaven." He
demonstrated what this citizenship is based on, what it consists of, and also how
this house by the pure preaching of the Word and the administration of the
sacraments should remind us of it, call and draw us to it, fortify and empower
us in it, to the glory of God’s name and the eternal salvation of souls. The
Menomonee choir came up and kindly assisted on the occasion, which, favored by
a good weather, had gathered a large crowd of attentive listeners. God grant
then that our Church House may in truth be and become a proper House of God and
a house of prayer, where blood-bought souls become vessels of God through the pure
Word and sacraments and bear fruit for eternal life, for Jesus' sake! Amen. —Harald
Hakonsen.
