| Summary: | The Sheyenne Lutheran Church, the year — about 1912. Torger Brekken, A. P. Bjorlie, Soren Evenstad and Sivert Bjorlie met and committed themselves as members of Sheyenne congregation. Officers were elected, and the first annual meeting occurred on Dec. 5, 1882. During the first full year of existence, a Sunday school was begun, a cemetery was established and a Ladies Aid was organized. Pastor Ibrahim L. Lundeby was called to serve as permanent pastor on Dec. 4, 1883. The church services were held in the log cabin homes until Dec. 23,1884, when the Sheyenne congregation assembled in a 16' by 20' log structure, the first Sheyenne Lutheran Church. A larger meeting place was needed to accommodate the ever increasing population of the Sheyenne Valley and the prairies above. By late 1886 a new wooden building 36' by 26' had been almost completed with the original log church attached as the chancel. By 1893 the steeple and balconies had been added to the structure. The log church chancel was replaced by a new chancel in 1900. The dedication of the completed church took place on June 29, 1902. Later in 1911, the church had a basement to house its heating apparatus and to act as a fellowship hall. The "Pige Forening" (Girls' Society) was organized in 1897 and continued for 22 years contributing time and money to many church projects. "Ungdom's Forening" (Young People's Society) was begun formally in 1908 or 1909 although it was in existence in 1896 as the bell for the then new church was partially inscribed with the words "Insamling ved Ungdom's Forening — 1896" (Subscription by Young People's Society). This same bell now hangs in the present church belfry. The organization became known as the Luther League in 1936, and after many years of activity and contributions to church projects, it was disbanded in 1976. In the early 1890s group singing was encouraged by early day school teachers and led to the eventual formation of the Sheyenne Choir in 1895. Since that time the choir can be described as vascillating between very active and dormant. Over the years there have been many memorable performances. Most recent was the activity at the centennial of Sheyenne Church in 1982. Under the direction of LeRoy Alfson, the choir presented several songs during the two day celebration. "The King Is Coming" perhaps remains in many memories as a splendid culmination of those many practices preceding the performances. Pastor Lundeby died on Sept. 22, 1897, and by May of II 1. !■ w 1 The present Sheyenne Lutheran Church. 1898 Pastor Severin S. Wold had been called to serve as Sheyenne's spiritual leader. After Pastor Wold's arrival a parsonage was completed on 160 acres of land adjacent to the church property. Here he farmed and served his three, and sometimes more, congregations. In 1916 a storm did considerable damage to the church, but it was repaired. The 40th anniversary of the congregation was celebrated during a three day fete in July of 1922. After 38 years of service Pastor S. S. Wold resigned on July 21,1935. He passed away on April 24,1941. Both he and Pastor Lundeby are interred at the Sheyenne Cemetery adjacent to the present church. The next pastor to be installed at Sheyenne was, Oscar Rud, and this event occurred in July of 1936. Poor health forced his resignation in December of 1938. Benjamin Ostrem succeeded Pastor Rud on Aug. 6, 1939. At this time acceptance of Pekin as a parish congregation occurred. Pastor Ostrem's request to move to Pekin was granted, and in 1943 the rural parsonage and land was sold. By 1942 Pastor Ostrem had resigned and Roy Malde was called and was installed on July 11, 1943. It was in this year also that a parsonage was established in Pekin. A storm in July of 1943 so badly damaged the Sheyenne Church that a committee was formed to facilitate the building of a new church. In spite of the war years' shortages, the building was at near completion for Easter services in 1946. Pastor Malde had resigned in November of 1945, and by March 1946, Pastor Thomas K. Spande was serving the congregation. His stay lasted until Easter Sunday 1952. Clifford Ritland was installed on June 7, 1953. He was instrumental in organization of the Pekin Parish Brotherhood in October of that year. This organization accomplished many good works in contributions to 4-H clubs, Scout work, Bible Camp sponsors, and fathers' and sons' banquets. The Brotherhood discontinued its meetings in 1964. In 1954, Percy Ensrud, son of John and Ingeborge Ensrud, was ordained into the ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. He has served in the Alamo Parish, at Bowman and Bisbee in North Dakota, and is at present chaplain of the Lutheran Nursing Home at Madison, Minn. Pastor Ritland resigned in 1956 and was replaced by Albert O. Tastad, who was serving on the Eskimo mission fields in Alaska. Pastor Tastad was installed on Oct. 21, 1956. In 1956 the Sheyenne Cemetery Committee was established and has provided improvement and care of the cemetery since. 727 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited in Multi-page TIFF Editor.
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