•••• In writing the history of a church the most logical place to begin is with organizational meeting of the congregation. There is something more basic than that, however, and that is the reason for forming a church in the first place. Essential to this understanding is the reason for the founding of the Wausa community itself.

It was late in the summer of 1882 when a lone traveler was leisurely making his way across the plains of Northeast Nebraska. He was Thoodore Thorson from Scandia Grove, Minnesota, who was returning from a five-months' roam over Montana, Wyoming and the West Coast in search of a good place for stock raising. In south-eastern Knox County he found the spot for which he was seeking.

Thorson then returned to Minnesota where he married in the spring of 1883. He returned to Nebraska that spring with his bride, built a sod house, leased 200 acres of land and started a sheep ranch. Before Thorson set out to find this good stock-raising land, he had contact with the Reverend E. A. Fogelstrom, founder of Immanuel Hospital and Deaconess Institute at Omaha, who asked Thorson to let him know if he found a good location for a new Swedish colony, where land could be had at a low price.

It was in response to Reverend Fogelstrom's request that Thorson wrote to him about what he called "Paradise Valley." Rev. Fogelstrom came to the corner of Nebraska in 1883 to see for himself what Thorson had found and brought with him a Reverend Torell of Oakland, Nebraska and a Carl

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Swanson from Antelope County, but originally from Boone, Iowa. All of them agreed that this was the place to begin the proposed new Swedish colony.

These men journeyed to the Quimby and Crum land office in Creighton, Nebraska where Carl Swanson bought the 200 acres of land adjacent to Thorson's. They named the new community Vasa, in honor of Gustaf Vasa, the great king and liberator of the homeland. Quimby appointed Thorson to be their local agent and locator for the new colony because he already had his home built there. They decided they would advertise this new colony In the Chicago newspapers that fall and winter and by so doing, hope to attract a large number of settlers in the spring of 1884.*

Thorson received mail regularly asking information about Vasa, all this in response to the advertising in the Chicago papers. Several farms were sold to prospective settlers in the fall of 1883 and in the spring of 1884, the colonists began to arrive. J. A. Wild and his family from Illinois were the first of these to arrive. They, as did the others who came, had to make the trip by "prairie schooner." This manner of travel always had its trials and difficulties to overcome. Streams had to be forded, the wagons had to be pulled out of mud holes, rivers had to be crossed by ferry. There were no roads to follow, few trails, and much open prairie. In spite of these hardships, the settlers began to arrive in 1884. Settlers came from other Swedish communities located in other parts of Northeast Nebraska and Northwest Iowa. Reverend Fogelstrom was

* It in not very likely that these acts appeared in the English papers of Chicago in 1883, but rather any Swedish papers that might have circulated during that time, because they wanted only Swedes to settle In Vasa.

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concerned about the thousands of Swedish immigrants who were coming into America and it was this urge to help them establish themselves in homes in this country that prompted him to envision this new colony of Vasa. He was concerned also of their spiritual welfare and this motive seemed to move this old Swedish Lutheran pastor the most. He wanted to see his countrymen in a church home with which they were familiar.

On July 20, 1885, two years after Thorson settled in Vasa, the first church was organised in the colony. The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Thabor Congregation. With this, the dreams of the pioneer ministers and founders of the colony were at last realised.

Much of this corner of Nebraska is nationally Swedish. There are several towns relatively close together and predominately Swedish. This fact is borne out by the popular quotation circulating in the territory that, "The sun rises in Oakland, shines on Wakefield, and sets on Wausa."

This brief history of the Wausa community is the introductory part of this paper because it is essential to see that the motives for forming the town and its churches are the same. These Swedish immigrants just arrived from the homeland, longing for the fellowship of their own people and longing for the fellouship of a church like the one they left in the homeland, coming together, founding a town and establishing churches, all together shows how much can be accomplished if there is vision enough for the task.

In the spring of 1890 as the Village of Wausa took form as a branch of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, the Swan Brothers moved thoir stock of general merchandise from Wakefield. G. E. Lundgren, of Oakland, opened a real estate office in Wausa and the Claus Johnson family, also of Wakefield, moved to a farm east of Wausa.

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Only a short time after this, these Swedish people of a Mission background began to think of a spiritual fellowship of their own. Back in Sweden many of them had met the Lord at their neighborhood prayer gatherings and when they came to America, they sought out others of their own group. They found them in such places as Chicago, Paxton, Swede Bend, Iowa, Oakland, and Wakefield. Many of these people hearing of the new community of Wausa came to it and began to seek each other's fellowship. The N. P. Hults, the Swan brothers, G. E. Lundgren, the Claus Johnsons and others began to meet for prayer and fellowship. They organized a Sunday School with both Swedish and English classes that met in the homes of the people. These classes both prospered until the Methodists in the fall of 1890 took over the English classes while the Swedish classes remained to become the foundation of the Mission Church.

The veteran Nebraska pastor, John Peterson of Oakland, was the first to come and preach to this new group in the school houses and homes. There were many of the group who felt the need of Christian fellowship within a church so they corresponded with Rev. K. F. Larson of St. Louis who had formerly served the Mission Church in Wakefield. He accepted the call and purchased a farm directly north of town and made this his home early in the summer of 1893. He held regular services in private homes and school houses and the work prospered so that a few weeks later the people called a meeting to organise a congregation. There were seven men present at this first meeting: N. P. Swan, K. F. Larson, G. E. Lundgren, August Mord, Adolph Anderson, Claus Johnson and J. 0. Lindquist. The officers elected to serve until the first annual meeting in January, 1894, were K. F. Larson, chairman, G. E. Lundgren, secretary and Claus Johnson,

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treasurer. The name they selected for the organisation was, "The Swedish Christian Congregation of Wausa." They rented the Wausa Public School building for their Sunday meetings.

The first annual meeting was called to order on January 6, 1894 at which time K. F. Larson was again elected chairman, G. E. Lundgren, secretary, N. P. Swan, trustee for one year; C. P. Peterson, trustee for two years; Claus Johnson, treasurer and trustee for three years.

The infant years of most groups are very modest and those of this church were no different. At the second annual meeting on January 3, 1895, the treasurer's report showed an income of $138.67 and expenses of $154.00. They also circulated a subscription list for the pastor's salary, which total reached $175.00. At this meeting the people expressed a desire to feel the responsibility of a united group in carrying on their work and they discussed the question of membership. No action was taken at this meeting and the question was put off until the following week when the group acted favorably to receive members that "as a congregation they might work together for unity, edification, discipline and admonition of one another and all Christians; also to work for the salvation of souls and for Christian missions in general." The charter members, seventy in number, were received into the fellowship of the church on two consecutive Sundays in March, 1895.

The third annual meeting convened on January 3, 1896, at which time the treasurer's report showed an income of $222.00 with a balance of 61 cents. To foreign missions was contributed $17.59. Also at this meeting the trustees were instructed to have articles of incorporation drawn up according to the laws of Nebraska. N. P. Swan was elected Pastor and remained such until 1899.

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At the fifth annual meeting on January 10, 1898, the church voted to go ahead with the construction of a new church building. A committee of three, J. A. E. Carlson, Claus Johnson end Joseph Hall, was to solicit bids and obtain plans for a building. Ten days later a meeting was called, at which the committee submitted plans for a building 38 x 54 feet and reported that $1,400.00 had been subscribed. The plans were approved.

On December 23, 1893, at the sixth annual meeting a proposed constitution was approved and the treasurer reported that the total cost of the new building was $2,500.00. He also reported that when all the pledges were paid, there would be no debts left on the building.

Rev. Cornelius Andrewson of Oakland, Nebraska was called as pastor on May 20, 1899 with a salary of $400 a year. He remained in Wausa for nearly two years when on December 31, 1900, Rev. G. D. Hall of Moses Hill, Nebraska was called. He came early in the spring of 1900 and until he was offered the editorship of an eastern weekly, "Osterns Veckobladet." It was during his ministry that the Young People's Society was organised.

On August 15, 1903, the church issued a call to the Rev. F. 0. Hultman of Stromsburg, Nebraska and he came late in the fall of that year. He was very talented and greatly inspired the entire congregation. In 1904 he organised a male chorus.

By 1903, the church had become too small to accommodate all the people who came to the services and various other meetings held there, so it was decided to remodel and enlarge the structure. Together with the enlarging, a furnace was installed, electricty put in and extra seats were added. All this, including the painting, cost about $5,000

In 1912, Pastor Hultman went to California on his vacation and was

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honored at a special "Wausa Picnic" when he visited the Turlock-Hilmar district. He reported that about 150 former members of the congregation and their children were in attendance at the affair. Even to this day the Turlock-Hilmar area seems to be the favored place for Wausa people to retire.

After serving the church for over eleven years, Rev. Hultman resigned on May 13, 1915 to accept a call to the church at Albert City, Iowa. After he left the church sold the parsonage for $2,900 and purchased a new one for $6,000.

In November of 1915, Rev, Albert Johanson of Moline, Illinois arrived to take up Hultman's work. He stayed until January, 1919, when he received a call from the Broadway Covenant Church of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Rev. Adan Lidman of Champlin, Minnesota served as interim pastor for four months until on April 1, 1919, Rev. A. T. Frykman of Jamestown, New York arrived to take up the work. He was an enthusiastic revivalist and through his ministry the church had a sweeping revival. It was during these years that many of the young people left Wausa to go to North Park College and Moody Bible Institute to take up Christian work. Among these were Rev. Carl Peterson, now Superintendent of the North Pacific Conference, Rev. Walter Palm of Brooklyn, New York, Rev. Stanley Anderson, deceased, and the Rev. C. Edwin Anderson, former Army Chaplain and now pastor of a church in Palisade, Nebraska.

A. T. Frykman resigned in December, 1921, and accepted a call to Rockford, Illinois. Arvid Alden filled the pulpit until Rev. Wm. Hawkinson of Brantford, Kansas came in March of 1922. He very capably carried on the work until he was forced to resign after two and one half years, because of his wife's illness.

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Rev. Fritz Hjelm, who was serving as Iowa-Nebraska evangelist, was called and he came on April 10, 1925. He was a great blessing in the community untill September, 1928, when he accepted a call to Princeton, Illinois.

Rev. 0. B. Olson was called and he came in the spring of 1929 to relieve J. E. Widen of his interim work. During Rev. Olson's pastorate the church again had growing pains. Pastor Olson was not a man afraid of work and when the basement was excavated from underneath the church he dug out as much dirt as the next man and maybe a little more. He was very energetic and friendly and held the respect of the entire town of Wausa, a respect that even endures today, although he has since passed to his reward.

The renovated church was dedicated in September of 1930. During O.B. Olson'a ministry, Mrs. Olson organised tha Aurora circle for young ladies. The Vacation Bible School also had its beginning at this time. Rev. Olson left Wausa after he accepted a call to Ravenswood, Chicago, in January, 1933.

Rev. Robert Peterson came to Wausa fron Menominee, Michigan, at the depth of the depression in April, 1933. He continued the Vacation Bible Schools and expanded them into several of the rural schools. The Covenant Women's Auxiliary and the Junior Church were organised during his pas­torate. Those were hard years for the church. They had to pay the yearly assessments for the street paving past the church, despite the crop failures, grasshoppers, hail and drouth that cast heavy shadows over the community.

After World War Two began, Rev. Peterson offered his services to the U. S. Army as Chaplain. He was called into active duty in June, 1943.

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this was the Golden Jubilee year and no year to be without a pastor so the church issued an interim call to Wm. Hawkinson again of Brantford, Kansas. He accepted and came on June 13, 1943, to help with the work. On August 23rd the church issued him a permanent call which he accepted. The Golden Jubilee year was a festive one which left not only pleasant memories but a spiritual impact that was to give the people greater goals and increased vision for their task. The people wanted their worship services enriched a little more and they purchased choir robes in 1944, and started plans to get an electric organ.

In April, 1945 their spiritual enthusiasm inaugurated a missionary fund. In June the congregation voted to assume half support for 5 years of a missionary to Congo, Quentin Nelson, paying $625.00 a year. The missionary zeal of the Wausa people is reflected in their giving to missions. For the Covenant fiscal year ending April 30, 1945, they had given $519.02 to foreign missions. The next fiscal year on the Covenant's book showed the Wausa giving to foreign missions as $2,22l.86, a 300% increase over what had been given the previous year. This tremendous increase is greatly due to the diligent and fervent stewardship preaching of Pastor John Anderson who came to serve as interim after Wm. Hawkinson left in July of 1945. In April of 1946 the church voted to assume full support of Quentin Nelson at the sum of $1,600.00 a year. This act of faith on the part of members of a farming community was to continue to bear rich fruit throughout the coming years. Not only did John Anderson's stewardship preaching loosen the purse strings but it persuaded many of the people to throw those purse strings away so that the Lord's money might never he hampered in getting back to His work.

In 1946, the Men's Brotherhood was born and it has molded the men of

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the church into a united group as no other organisation could.

The week prior to Christmas in 1946 their new pastor, Bethel N. Bengtson, his wife and son arrived. With them they brought a warmth and friendliness and Christian spirit that will be remembered for many, many years to come. He and his lovely wife endeared themselves deeply into the hearts of all of the people of the church.

The dream that began in 1944 came true in 1947 -that of an electric organ for the church. A drive for funds began in early 1947 and by fall it was purchased and installed. Clarence Hoaglund of Denver gave a great concert on it at the dedication services for it. The church had never had Sunday bulletins so in March, 1947, the church bought a duplicator and within a few weeks the new bulletins were being appreciated.

A Board of Religious Education was formed that year to coordinate the various phases of Christian Education within the church. Pastor Bengtson had to return to a Denver hospital for a checkup and extended treatments that summer so the church obtained Fred Lawson to supply for the summer months. In 1948 the Midwest Conference received a gift of 30 acres of land for a Bible camp. This brought activity to every church in the conference. Many carloads of workers from all over the state went to Covenant Cedars in the spring of 1949 and worked many long and diligent hours erecting buildings and clearing brush. In addition to helping build the conference buildings, several churches, including Wausa built their own cabin to take care of their own church groups.

In 1949 the church constitution was reviewed and revised and at the annual meeting accepted by the congregation. At that same business meeting, the people really went out in faith and trust in God and told the Covenant they would assume full support of Quentin Nelson, indefinitely.

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It was also voted to use missionary funds to purchase a new car for Quentin Nelson and the keys for this were given to him at a meeting when he returned, on furlough. In August, 1950, Pastor Bengtson had to leave Wausa for Hilmar, California, due to Mrs. Bengtson's ill health. Wausa's loss was Hilmar's gain. In September, 1950, Edwin Mattson and family came from Superior, Wisconsin to take up the work.

In 1951, the Wausa church officially joined the Mission Covenant Denomination. Since 1916 it had been a member of the district conference only but had contributed to all of the Covenant's enterprises and special undertakings. In 1935 they pledged $88.55 to the Covenant's Jubilee Fund and had the entire pledge paid the following year. Also in 1945 the church contributed $1,371.25 to the Covenant's 60th Anniversary Fund. Even though not a memsber of the larger organisation, it contributed well to its projects. In 1945 the China Relief got $420.60 and in 1946 European Relief got $248.00 from Wausa through the Covenant. The attached statistical sheet will show at a glance what the church has done since 1934 in the work of the Covenant.

In 1951 this consecrated giving called forth the partial support of two more missionaries, Walter Anderson of Alaska and Mrs. Alden Ryd of Ecuador. Mrs. Ryd has now been replaced as missionary by Mrs. Norman Dwight of Formosa. Also in 1951 more renovation was done at the church, converting two storerooms into needed classroom space. The church was painted and landscaped the same year.

In 1952 the interior was remodeled and redecorated. New carpeting was laid and new light fixtures installed. Throughout the years most of the renovation work was done by men of the church, donating time

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from their busy work schedules on the farm to come and help out.

The 60th Anniversary year was a busy one and the church sought to leave some tangible memorial of it, so it chose to purchase new folding chairs for the lower auditorium.

In 1954 it was called to the attention of a business meeting that the missionary treasury had a large surplus. By decision of the congre­gation $2000,00 was given to the Bensonvale Covenant Church outside of Omaha so they could start enlarging their facilities immediately. Their need was great at that time and the missionminded Wausa people filled that need.

In 1955 the outstanding achievement of the congregation is the way the people responded to the Covenant Diamond Jubilee Stewardship Drive. The suggested minimum for the church was $6,000 and this was exceeded by $3,000, even with the heavy missions budget of the church.

The Wausa church has been a busy, active church during all the years of its existence. It has fulfilled a definite need in the community of Wausa. It came forth out of a pietietic background and remained firm in that heritage, continuing so today. Wausa is still a Swedish town. Only Swedes could settle there originally, though all people are welcome now. The first church in town was the Swedish Lutheran; the second was a Methodist. Each has its people to minister to and helps to fill out the life of the community. The whole area of northeast Nebraska is pre­dominately Protestant although a few Roman Catholic churches are present. The Wausa Church has been loyal to the district conference since it affiliated with them in 1916 and loyal to the Covenant denomination just as long, even though it did not formally join until 1951.

The early members builded upon the true foundation-faith in Jesus

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Christ. This is evidenced by the blessing of God which has rested upon the church, causing it to progress and spread its witness through Christian lives in the community. Earnest preaching, faithful teaching by Sunday School teachers and continual intercession of the prayer groups has wrought this fine work in His name.

"The friendship of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant." Psalm 25.14.