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CHAPTER XV.

CHURCHES AND RELIGION. (CONT'D)

From History of Audubon Co., Iowa (1915)
by H. F. Andrews

DANISH LUTHERAN CHURCHES.

Bethany Danish Evangelical Lutheran congregation was organized in 1890. During the same year five acres of land, located on a beautiful hill two and a half miles northeast of Kimballton, on section 16, Sharon township, were purchased and a church, thirty-two by forty feet, costing one thousand five hundred dollars was built on this land. This church stood only eight years, when it was destroyed by fire caused by its being struck by lightning. Neither discouraged nor down-hearted, the congregation immediately set to work, contributed liberally of their means, and had a new church edifice built upon the same site in the fall of the same year--1898. The next year, 1899, a comfortable and convenient six-room parsonage was built. The church is located on one side of a public highway and the parsonage is on the other side. The cemetery adjoins the church grounds.

At the beginning of this congregation, there was no church in Kimballton, so that a number from that place belonged to Bethany church. Later, when a church was built in Kimballton, these withdrew, but, notwithstanding their leaving, this congregation has made steady progress and today numbers fifty-four families, comprising three hundred souls.

Rev. Christian Auker [?sic Anker], Rev. P. S. Vig, Rev. Frimodt Moller, Rev. N. P. Simonson, Rev. Buda Johansen and Rev. Christian Hansen have served as pastors of this church, Rev. H. L. Jensen being the present pastor. This church is splendidly located for doing a great work among the Danish people.

Oak Hill Danish Lutheran church in America is located on section 21, Oakfield township. It was organized about 1895 by a number of Danish families who had settled west of Brayton. From the first, this has been a flourishing congregation. The church edifice, which is twenty-four by forty-eight feet in size, was erected at a cost of two thousand dollars. Among those who have served as pastors are, Rev. Skovgaard, November, 1890, to November, 1893; Reverend Gravengaard, 1894; Rev. N. P. Hold, May, 1900, to June, 1903; Reverend Jensen, 1903 to 1907; Reverend Jorgensen, 1908-9; Rev. H. E. Raven, 1910-13. The present pastor is Rev. H. C. Strandskoo, who has a catechetical class of thirty-six children. The pastor of this church also serves St. Johannes church in the northeast part of Oakfield township. The two churches pay a salary of seven hundred and fifty dollars per year and the free use and occupation of the parsonage and eight acres of land. The present membership is fifty families or two hundred members.

St. Johannes Danish Lutheran church of the Danish Lutheran church in America is located near the northeast corner of Oakfield township and was organized about 1905. This church is affiliated with the Oak Hill Danish church and is served by the same pastor, Rev. H. C. Strandskoo being the present minister. The church, which was built in 1905 and is twenty-eight by fifty feet in size, cost two thousand dollars. The congregation consists of about fifty families, or two hundred souls and is in a flourishing condition.

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Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, November, 2018, from History of Audubon Co., Iowa (1915), by H. F. Andrews, pp. 227-228.