Gazette editor C.A. Anderson

In earlier installments of "Early History" mention has been made of the fact that the Lutheran congregation was organized in this community in the very early days of the settlement. That the organization of a Swedish Lutheran congregation was thus in the beginning accomplished is probably easily comprehended as it was a couple of Lutheran ministers who founded the colony and advertised it to Swedes of America. ( Torell and Fogelstrom -ed)

It was not long until the Swedish folks began to arrive in goodly numbers from various parts of our country and by the year 1885 a sufficient number who wished to affiliate themselves with a Lutheran church were here and their desire was to organize a congregation. Thus on July 20th, 1885 during a visit here by Rev. F. W Bergquist, of Wakefield, a meeting was held and such organization was perfected.

Those who presented themselves as charter members at that time were: Mr. S. A. Johnson and wife, Johanna Maria, together with their , daughter, Ida Josephine, (now known as Mrs. Ida Lundberg), and a son, Claus Edward, (now living at Crofton) Mrs. Matilda Sofia Anderson (Mrs. A. V. Swanson), Mr. T. T. Thorson and wife, Emma Helena,. Mr. John M. Bard and wife, Sara Lisa, daughter, Mathilda and son, Anders Johan, Mr. P. J. Runquist, and wife Johanna Josephine, Mr. Lars Runquist, Charles A. Bard and wife Maria, Mr. Peter Bennert, Mr. G. W. Larson and wife, Carrie, Mr. Charles Linner and Mr. August P. Swenson. Of these twenty-one charter members there are yet, after, fifty-three years, three of them yet in the community and remaining as members of the organization, viz. Mr. G. W. Larson, Mrs. A. V. Swanson and Mrs. Ida Lundberg. The twenty-one members together with fifteen children made up a total membership of thirty-six. Deacons elected at this time according to records were G. W. Larson; S. A. Johnson and John M. Bard. Trustees were Chas. A. Bard; Hugo Oberg and T. T. Thorson.

The name under which the organization was charted was "The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Thabor Congregation", of Thorson, Knox County, Nebraska, as it will be recalled that the name of the post office of the new settlement was named Thorson, the office being at this time located in the Thorson home, known at this period as the A. H. Banks farm, just to the southwest of the present townsite of Wausa. Immediately the question of building a church building was discussed, but as the settlers were all in meager circumstances there were those who argued that this could not be accomplished.

Mr. Bard was one of the more aggressive and it is credited to him to have replied at one time that "a church building we must have, even if I have to donate a forty acre piece of land. Then, as always, there must be these who dare and do. Thus, in the following year, 1886, a decision was reached to proceed to build a church building and the size decided upon was 50 x 32 ft., which proves that these early comers had hopes of the future of the community and would need a large house of worship then to accommodate those twenty-one charter members. Building of the church was started that year, but due to financial hardships the interior of the building could not be completed. Nor was is ever fully completed upon the site where first erected being on the north side of the road past the present Lutheran cemetery northwest of Wausa.

At the first annual meeting of the Thabor congregation, held January 11 1886, it was decided to accept an offer to purchase 10 acres of land in the northeast corner of Section 8, Township 29, Range 2 W. for $57.50 to be used for a. church building plot and a cemetery. It was also decided to proceed with building a church, 32x50 feet, in the spring. A cemetery with 100 lots was planned, tobe platted in the spring. This was the first cemetery in southeast Knox county. However, Mr Aaron Middlekauff, owner of the land in this location, donated three acres in section 5, just across the section line from the congregation's tract, for the church plot. The church was built on this during that summer. But the interior was not plastered or finished. I

I quote the following from my , 1886 diary: "The first meeting at the Sw. Luth. Church at Wasa, in Knox Co, Nebr, was held Aug. 24, 1886 by Rev. Bergquist of Wakefield Neb." Mrs. Thorson informs me that Miss Mathilda Bard was organist at that meeting, her organ having been brought to the church for the occasion. ...seating a few chairs and the balance of the floor space as well as the balcony was "seated" with planks laid on nail kegs. Unpainted 4-inch cribbing boards made up the alter railing and the pulpit which was a home-made affair is now being used in the church at Bristow, Nebraska. Considerable improvement was made however,...

At the time the congregation was organized, it was decided that the board consist of three deacons and three trustees. Chas. A. Bard was elected secretary at that meeting and was reelected in 1887, at the annual meeting of that year. S. A. Johnson resigned as deacon and Olof Larson was elected to fill the vacancy of one year. T. T. Thorson resigned as trustee and in his place, Eric Baggstrom was elected to fill the vacancy of one year, and J. A. Wild to take the place of P. J. Rundquist who had been elected, for one year.

At the annual meeting in 1886, it was decided that to make a business meeting of the congregation legal, one half of the membership must be present. At a special business meeting held on the 1st of March, 1887, this resolution was changed to read one-fourth of the membership. At the meeting in February, 1888, A. P. Swanson was elected deacon for three years and N. P. Johnson as trustee for three years. At this time the first janitors were also elected, each to serve three months. J. A. Wild, O. Larson, N. P. Johnson and J. M. Bard.

Another annual meeting was held on July 31, 1889 at which time Rev. H. R. Miller, of Oakland acted as chairman. Victor Swanson was elected secretary. S. G. Swanson was elected as deacon and Gustaf Swanson as trustee for three years and John M. Johnson for one year. At this meeting C. A. Swanson as elected as delegate to the conference, J. M. Bard was elected janitor for one year. At the annual meeting December 25th, 1890, C. A. Swanson was elected chairman, Victor Swanson, secretary and also deacon. C. P. Bloomquist was elected trustee. The janitorship again went back to a three months serving and those elected were Victor Swanson, Gustaf Swanson, G. W. Larson. and C. A. Swanson. S. G. Swanson was elected delegate to the conference. The rest of the year rolled along much the same as its predecessors, with its plowing, planting, cultivating and harvesting in their ordinary routine. From what I can gather from the church records a student, Backman served the congregation this summer. '

Little did the settlers surmise that this was to be the last year of their isolation on the vast prairies, and what the coming year had in store for them. Then came the epoch making year for the settlement and the Thabor congregation were greatly determined by the outstanding development of that year-the building of the railroad through the heart of the settlement.

Of the charter members the following are yet living: Mrs. Emma H. Thorson, at Howard, Alabama, Mr. G. W. Larson, Mrs. Ida Lundberg, and Mrs. A. V. Swanson, of Wausa, Mr. Claus E. Johnson, of Crofton, and Mrs. Chas. Bard, Creighton. There may be one or possibly two more yet living, but I have not been able to locate them.

Work on the Lutheran Church was under way during the season and on June 25th George Elwell moved the old church building from its location out into the street and the excavation of the basement. rushed along. On August 2nd the work had progressed to such extent that the corner stone laying with proper ceremonies was had.. In December a contract was let for the purchsse of the pipe organ. ! At a special business session held Decmber 25th, 1890, it was decided to hold another special meet for the purpose of issuing a call for a pastor. Student Holstt who was serving the congregation at this time, was put For some reason this business meeting must not have been held as no, record is given but at a meeting on December :3rd, 1890. Rev. C.G Olson of Elgin, Illinois was unanimously called as pastor His salary was set at $600 a year with free residence. J. M. Bard was elected as delegate to the conference. Membership dues were at this time set at $10 for man and wife; single lady, $4, and single man, $6. On January 2nd, 1391, Victor Swanson was reelected secretary for a year. The income for 1890 had been $346.76. G. W. Larson was elected deacon and J. M. Bard trustee. Janitors for the year were J. M. Bard, G. W. Larson, C. P. Bloomquist and S. G. Swanson.

At this meeting the first action was taken: to move the church building to Wausa; as the village had then been established. C. A. Swanson, Nils Johnson and Victor Swanson were appointed as a committee to investigate the securing of a location for the church and parsonage. The call issued to Rev. C. G. Olson was answered in the negative as another special business meeting was held on March 17th, 1891, at which time a call was issued to Rev. C. H. Sodergren. At this timr a committee consisting of J. M Bard, A. P. Swanson, and Victor Swanson were selected to raise funds for the building of a parsonage in the village of Wausa, the former location committee to continue the work in securing a suitable location for as reasonable a price as possible.

Negative answer had also in due course of time been received from Rev. Sodergren and on the 24th of May another business session was held at which time a call was issued to Rev. Swanbom. Negative reply was also received from Rev. Swanbom and on the 17th of July 1891, yet another business meeting was held. At this time a second call was issued Rev. C. G- Olson, of Elgin, Illinois. The committee on church location reported on lots and trustees were instructed to purchase same at a cost of $25 which had to be raised by subscription. Committee on location for parsonage instructed to continue their work. At this meeting the trustees were also instructed to secure bids for the moving of the church building from the location in the country northwest of Wausa to its new location in town.

At the annual meeting of the Thabor Lutheran Church held January 2nd, 1391, a resolution was adopted that a location for the church and a parsonage should be selected In the town of Wausa, and a committee to attend to this was chosen. The present location was selected, it was in the "First Addition to Wausa", ana there was not a building in the whole "Addition". At a special meeting held October 7. it was decided to move the church to town as soon as possible, it was moved that winter, a, Mr. Frezell doing the job for $235.

The interior of the church was plastered and cased up and a gallery built late in the summer of 1892. Kitchen chairs were used as seats until 1893, when pews were purchased and installed. Rev. C. G- Olson of Elgin, Ill., was tendered a call for the second; time by a unanimous vote at a special meeting held July 17, 1891, the salary to be $600 for the first year and free parsonage. After some delay Rev. Olson sent in his acceptance of this call and on Sunday, May first, 1892 he preached his initial sermon as Thabor's first resident pastor. Rev. Olson. continued in this charge for more than fourteen years, and his untiring work and influence together with that of his charming and unpretentious wife, a truly Christian soul, left a lasting imprint on the whole community, and to a great extent directed its moral course. Surely no one who came in contact with these people can ever forget them.

My plans were: (1.) To have our church building moved, into town. (2.) To have a parsonage built in Wausa. (3.) To have the congregation call a local pastor. The Townsite Company of Wausa had made very liberal offers to the 'first congregation that was ready to build a church in town and also to the first parsonage built in Wausa. Later an offer was also made for the first English church built in town. At this time there was only one English speaking family located in town. So I promised the Company that we would make an effort to call a minister capable to preach the word in both languages so that a Sunday evening service could be held occasionally in the English language. The Townsite Company accepted these prospects. requested us to move the church building at once and erect a suitable parsonage to be finished in the summer of 1892. The Company would give us all the necessary lots for the buildings.

I expected this would be good news to the congregation but to my surprise some of the leading members, who had contributed the largest subscriptions, protested, stating that the church out in the country should never be moved in to town. They started a propaganda against moving the church. I called an extra meeting of the congregation. With an overwhelming majority it was decided to move the church to Wausa. The undersigned with two others were selected as a committee to carry out said motion. We started the following day to make contract with a house- mover in Wayne. On Monday the following week ,the church was on its way to town. The sheriff from Niobrara arrived on the scene and ordered the church building back on its former foundation, but when he heard we had legal right according to our church constitution, to move the church to Wausa, he exclaimed "Alright, gentlemen, proceed in your work. God bless you!"

We now started on our soliciting trips for building fund, old church debt and parsonage, in all surrounding towns. Most of the time we traveled around in lumber wagons as spring wagons were very scarce. We succeeded to pay for everything leaving us without debt up to the year 1892. During the year 1896 a new impetus was experienced and that year the congregation had the church building remodeled, building a steeple and installing a bell. The committee having this work in charge was E. Baggstrom, Otto Holmquist, Aug. Anderson, F. A. Larson and Chas. Newquist for building; Rev. Olson, F. E. Anderson and J. E. Baggstrom for purchasing bell.

In the interior of the building in, 1892, all the walls were plastered, the ceiling covered with ceiling board and wainscoating all around the room as high as to the bottom of the windows. The frame work of the balcony was also made this year. The parsonage was also built and completed in 1892. The residence building is now located south across the street from Oscar Malm's. In the fall of this year, a barn was built on the parsonage property and Mr. Emil Engdahl was selected as committee to have this work in charge.

In previous articles it was mentioned that H. E. Osberg was selected to lead the congregational singing, but later in the year Augusta Anderson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. O. Anderson had taken over the work of organist and served to the end of the year. At the annual meeting held on December 31st, Miss Minnie Johnson (Mrs. T. A. Anthony) was elected as organist at a salary of two collections during the year. (To make it more clear we will in some subsequent article give a list of deacons, trustees, secretary and organist in order and time each served.) At this annual meeting a salaried janitor was also elected. Mr. A. P. Engstedt being unanimously elected at a salary of $25.00 for the year.

A similar "anti-steeple cross" movement is reported in Andover, Illinois
The new church shows dramatically that the "pro-cross" movement won

No reason is given as to why this decision, but presumably to be done on account of moving the church building from the country to town. At the annual meeting January 7th, 1902 the constitutional name of the congregation was changed from "The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Thabor Congregation of Thorson, Nebraska," to "The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Thabor Congregation of Wausa, Nebraska", Also at this meeting a resolution was passed to the effect that a committee be appointed to secure plans and estimate of cost of a new church building as well as plans and cost of an addition to the old church building. To this committee was named J. E, Baggstrom, C. O. Anderson and F. E. Anderson; this committee to report in three months. Thus was the first move made for the building of the new church. On

March 13th the committee made its report and a decision was reached that an addition be built on the east and west and the south end moved out ten feet and basement made under the entire south part even with the north wall of the additions. At another meeting on May 8th, the former decision was revoked and a committee consisting of Rev. C. G. Olson, Emil Engdahl, F. E. Anderson, Otto Holmquist and J. E. Baggstrom were named to secure plans and estimate of cost of a new church building. Committee to report by fall. Meeting was again held on the llth of December, at wtiich time the committee presented two plans. (It was) decided that the building of a new church be begun as soon as five thousand dollars could be subscribed and that the total cost was not to exceed twelve thousand dollars:

In 1897 new troubles arose. The congregation was in debt $800 and this note was due and the holder of the note threatened to bring foreclosure on the church buildings on which he held a mortgage. However by earnest efforts the members subscribed sufficient funds and by the date the note was due paid it in full. Through neglect or oversight, release for this mortgage was not secured and recorded until 1922 or 1923 when it was discovered that it was still on record.

During the year 1897 an EnglishSunday school was organized with F. E. Anderson as superintendent. Ada Johnson, Augusta Anderson and Minnie Swanson together with Rev- C. G. Olson constituted the teachers corps. During the year 1898 the trustees had been empowered to deed the three acres on the ncrth side of the road across from the present cemetery, and where the first church building had been erected, to the donor, Mr. Middlekauf- the price being $30.00.

During 1902, "the Willing Workers" was reorganized, this society having previously been organized, having stopped functioning for a time. During the year 1900 the name of the Young Peoples Society was changed to Luther League. During October this year the Dorcas society was organized, this being a young women society. A fifteen years festival was held on July 20th at which time the Revs. J. Torell, E. A. Fogelstrom, F. N. Swanberg, and Dr. M. Wahlstrom had been invited to be present, also Rev. C. E.Elving and Dr. S.M. Hill.

At a business meeting held on the 24th of February, 1892 the affirmative answer from Rev. C. G. Olson to the call issued him to become the pastor of Thabor was read and the congregation greatly rejoiced in the expectations of having a resident pastor, promising to be here for the first Sunday in May 1892. A new momentum was given the congregation on May 1st of 1892, at which time Rev. C. G. Olson, together with his family arrived from Elgin, Illinois to take up the work in Thabor as its local pastor. At the time of Rev, Olson's arrival, the church building had been moved into Wausa, but was not anywhere near completed, especially as to the interior. Neither was this accomplished at once. The writer well remembers that in arriving here in the spring of 1893 there were no pews in the church ...

At an adjourned meeting on October 17, 1891, it was decided that the new parsonage be 28x30. At this meeting the bid of Mr. Frezell of $235 for moving the church to Wausa was accepted. Annual meeting was held on January 2nd, 1892 at which time C. A. Swanson acted as chairman. Theol. Student Bergstrom was present at the meeting. Gust Johnson was elected deacon at this time for a period of three years and Hugo Oberg elected trustee for a similar term. To fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of J. M. Bard as trustee, C. A. Swanson was elected to fill the vacancy for a term of two years. Hugo Oberg was at this time elected secretary of the congregation. The janitorship was still passed around and Charley Larson, G. W. Larson, Ernil Engdahl and A. P. Swanson each served three months in their respective order.

Up until this time there has been nothing recorded as to any organist, and it is very evident that no instrument was used for leading the singing and just how this was carried out will have to be left to the imagination. However at the above mentioned meeting it was unanimously decided that Hugo Oberg should lead the congregational singing. Mr. Oberg, as the writer remembers him had a good voice for singing and played a cornet which he undoubtedly used in leading the singing. During January and February of 1899, Rev. C. G. Olson, paster of the' congregation, was given a two months vacation at which time he traveled in the interest or the synod gathering funds for the home and Utah mission. Theol. Student E. A. Peterson was in charge of the work during the pastors absence.

At the annual meeting on January 2nd, 1900 the trustees handed in a resolution proposing the building of an addition on the west side of the church. After a lengthy discussion the resolution was voted down, and in place it was decided that the balcony be rebuilt so as to accommodate the seating of a larger number and Chas. Newquist, August Newquist, Nels Ludvigson, Eric Baggstrom and J. E. Baggstrom were selected as a committee to have this work in charge. At this meeting it was also decided that the pulpit be moved to the side of the auditorium, rebuild the altar rail and prepare a place for an altar picture. This was left in the hands of Rev. C. G. Olson. However this work was not done, due to the feeling that before long it would become necessary to enlarge the church building and this would mean only added expense.

At the time the new church was built, a part of the plastering had been slightly frozen and was not giving satisfactory service, thus in 1920, a portion was replasterea. A new boiler was installed in the parsonage during the year and numerous other repairs and improvements effected. The ceiling in the basement was repainted due to a fire which threatened the church building in the late winter. At the annual meeting in 1921 it was decided that the Nebraska conference be invited to hold their annual meeting in Wausa in 1922 and that if this invitation was accepted that the church be redecorated for this event. Redecorating was done in the spring of 1922.

In looking through the files of the Gazette we notice that at at a meeting of the Young Peoples Society of the Lutheran church a debate was held and the subject discussed was, "Resolved that the Swedish language is heading for a rapid extinction." And here it is thirty-four years later and the Swedish language is still in use. The new Lutheran church building which was being erected was so far completed that the first services were held in the main auditorium on Sunday, February 21st. In May, from the 17th to the 22nd, the Nebraska Conference of the Lutheran church held its annual meeting in Wausa at which time dedication of the new church building was held.