Our Savior's Lutheran Church
Mitchell County Press-News, Wed., Aug. 7, 1996, Vol. 131 - No. 32

OUR SAVIOR'S CELEBRATES CENTENNIAL JUBILEE In the early days of Mitchell County, the Norwegian settlers in this area worshipped at Rock Creek or held their religious meetings at the Mitchell County Courthouse. THE PRESENT CHURCH completed and the first service held in the new sanctuary in 1955. The name was then changed to Our Savior's Lutheran. In February of 1893, they held an organizational meeting at the Farmer's National Bank of Osage and organized under the name of Osage Evangelical Lutheran Church, the fourth Lutheran parish in Mitchell County. This was the seed that was to become Our Savior's Lutheran Church, now celebrating it's 100th centennial celebration. The pastor was Reverend Johan Olsen. Another event was taking place that same year, the first modern Olympic games were being held in Athens, Greece. Unlike today's games, now in progress at Atlanta, Georgia, news traveled slow if ever, and the event was not nearly as celebrated internationally as it is now. Three years later, Osage and Rock Creek seperated from the St. Ansgar parish. The Home Trust and Savings Bank opened it's doors that year in Osage, and Mitchell County had 88 rural schools. THE BUILDER OF Our Savior's Lutheran church was Scandinavian stonecutter and builder, E.B. Christoffersen, who first built St. Peter's Catholic Church and then Our Savior's Lutheran. He then built a family home across the street from the new sanctuary out of the same limestone used to construct the church. The new Our Savior's Lutheran Church, in 1952. By 1920, the parish withdrew from the Rock Creek church, and became an independent congregation. They built a new church at 614 Mechanic Street with a total cost of $3,585.67. A parsonage was also purchased at 516 Chase Street and Reverend Urnes was to serve as pastor for the next 20 years. Progress was being made, and in 1922, the minutes of the annual church meeting were recorded in English, previously they had always been written in Norwegian. Offering envelopes were being used in 1927, and the first year's envelope offerings totaled $1997.17 and loose change totaled $151.55. By 1926, Saturday school was started. In 1929 the congregation voted to raise the pastor's salary from $1600 to $1800 yearly. THE LARGE CROSS in the front of Our Savior's Lutheran is made of walnut and weighs 1,400 pounds. A variety of other woods make up the interiot of the sanctuary including Washington fir on the ceiling, oak for doors and door panels, choir stalls and paneling are of cherry, the pews of maple, and the beams of laminated fir. 'It seemed to me, at the time, that I ought to be a Lutheran Christian, vote Republican, drive Fords and get a good education. I have been faithful in three of the four' -- Karl Langrock Progress continued and the country enters the thirties and the beginning of worldwide conflicts. Hitler had become the leader of Germany in 1934 and eventually invaded Poland, starting World War II. Art's Shoe Store in Osage opened, the Monopoly game was invented, and the Olympics again were being held in Berlin in 1936 with America's Jesse Owens winning four gold medals. Mitchell Countians were asked for soap, metal, silk, and nylon hose; and shopping involved using rationed foods, stamps and tokens. A building fund for the future new church had begun with $2,500 in the fund. Ladies Aid memberhsip had grown to 106 members in 1943 and they served church suppers for 25 cents each. 'We worshipped in the Parish Hall. There was a pile of rock outside and a dream in the congregation. That dream involved hours of hard work. At times I wondered if we had gone into the restaurant business. We served every group that required a large dining room and great cooking. -- Fran Berven OSAGE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN Church built on Mechanic Street, Osage, in 1897, the church was to be dedicated in May of 1898 and would withdraw from the founding church in St. Ansgar the following year. In April of 1951, the ground breaking ceremonies for a new church to be built at it's prsent location on Ash street. It had become the largest congregation in Mitchell County. By 1955, the first service was held in the sanctuary and the name had been changed to Our Savior's Lutheran Church. A replica of the new church was built as a parade float for osage's Centennial in 1956, and won first place. Four years later, Millard's Jack and Jill grocery store open3ed in Osage. Hawaii and Alaska became states and Pastor Obert Hoven was installed to serve as pastor from 1959 to 1971. Pastor Hoven made a point of writing monthly letters to church members in the military in Viet Nam during it's height form 1968 to 1971. CHARTER MEMBERS OF the original Osage Lutheran congregation were, Top Row: J.B. Johnson, Mrs. J.B. Johnson, Ole Gunderson, Mrs. Ole Gunderson, Ole Knudson; Middle Row: E.K. Evens, Hans Odden, Anton Christianson, Ole Odden; Bottom Row: Mrs. E.K. Evens, Gilbert Horgen, Mrs. Gilbert Horgen, Mrs. H.C. Goplerud, H.C. Goplerud, Julian Schoger, (Not pictured, Mrs. Ole Knudson, John C. Goplerud As the church continued to grow, so did the world around us. The Lunar Rover, Apollo 15, was exploring the surface of the moon in 1971, and Our Savior's celebrated it's Diamond Jubilee. The Bicentennial parade was held in Osage in 1976 with 207 units. The next year, in 1977, Pastor Nesheim was installed as pastor and the church celebrated it's mortgage burning. Time marched on, and the first case of AIDS was reported, which, unbeknown then, was to become one of our worst and saddest epidemics. 'Louise Dieterich and I were co-chairmen of the first smorgasbord. It was a festive occasion. Many people wore their Norwegian costumes. The rest of us wore the black shirts, white blouses and red aprons; I still have mine.' -- Jo Fabricius 1984, the church erected a bell tower, made of matching limestone -- many couples have concluded their marriage ceremony with the ringing of the bell. Tops Business Forms opened it's production services in Osage and Pastor Dennis Hanson was installed as associate pastor in 1985. The next winter, the world watrched while Challenger space shuttle exploded before out eyes on the television screen killing the seven astronauts aboard. Our Savior's was heavily involved in making quilts for world relief and the world was relieved of another burden with the tumbling of the Berlin Wall. Osage won the girl's basketball championship in 1992, and Our Saviour's Lutheran added computers within it's office network. Pastor Nesheim announced his retirement from Our Savior's and Tom Hughes was hired as assistant with Reverend Hanson becoming senior pastor. Roy Ott came a few yeras later, in 1994, and serves today as the assistant pastor. ONE OF THE BIGGEST yearly events was the annual Smorgasbord dinner held in the fall at Our Savior's Lutheran. The above picture was taken the same year of the Bicentennial of the United States in 1976. A special thank you to the 1996 Centennial committee for Our Savior's Lutheran: Donna Bremer, Velda LaCoste, Clarissa Larson, Anne Birdsall, Greta Huebsch, Bonnie Blake, Leone Dunkelberg, Doug Lang, Chris Carrison, Everett Gisleson, Til Haaland, Pastor Denny Hanson, RaeAnn Havig, Shirley Rake and Stephanie Blake. In 1995, the church's centennial was getting close after 1,442 had been haptized, 1,078 confirmed, 300 were enrolled in Sunday School. Plans were underway for the centennial anniversary of Our Savior's Lutheran Church just as Iowa was celebrating it's 150th anniversary. The Centennial Jubiliee Homecoming Weekend of Or Savior's Lutheran is scheduled for August 10-11.   A brief history of Ladie's Aid A group of 11 ladies met at the G.O. Broger home on 421 Mechanic Street in the month of August in 1892 for the purpose of organizing a ladies aid. Officers were elected as follows: Mrs. Ole Hallingby, President; Mrs. J.W. Johnson, secretary; and Miss Ingeborg Goplerud, treasurer. The monthly dues were 10 cents and approximately $2 per month was taken in at different meetings held around in homes. This group is credited with the beginning of the fund raising for the original church building erected in 1898.