| Summary: | In 1944, after being in disuse for many years, the Owen Lee's purchased the building from the McVille Commercial Club. The building was to be completely renovated into a modern Creamery, and had been moved to lots directly north of the building used at present by Chuck's Heating. On June 9,1945, there was a grand opening of the Creamery under the management of Mr. and Mrs. Owen Lee with several prizes awarded and a free show at the Hollywood Theater celebrating the occasion. Since there is much mention of Romness in the foregoing paraghraphs, it might be well to explain that a rural postoffice named Romness existed several miles south of Kloten in Griggs County on Sec. 16-147-59. Established November 1,1883, with Peter Mathison as Postmaster, it was named for the township in which it existed and had been named by Mr. Mathison for his wife's birthplace-Romness, Telemarken, Norway. Among the first settlers, John Hagenson and Peter Mathison settled along the banks of the Sheyenne River in 1880. The Postoffice was discontinued May 5,1903, and mail sent to Cooperstown. Near that location, and still in existance stands the Romness M.E. Church. Photo Courtesy of Iver Pederson. NEW LUTHER VALLEY CHURCH HISTORY The pioneer home of Mr. and Mrs. Torger Mikkelson was the meeting place for a small group of zealous settlers who had arrived in the Sheyenne Valley in 1881, when they decided to organize a congregation on February 5, 1882, with the help of Rev. Lundeby. The group was composed of Torger Mikkelson, Rollev Johnson, Ole and Andrew Olson, Sam Samson, Anfin Helgeland, and Aad Rauland. To Torger Mikkelson was given the honor of naming the new congregation, and he chose to call it "New Luther Valley," which name it still bears. Mr. Mikkelson was chosen the first secretary, and also acted as trustee with Ole Olson and Anfin Helgeland. These men were also commissioned to draft a constitution which was adopted April 14, 1883. Other members joining during this first crucial year were Ingebret Helgeland, Thors Olson, Kolbin Grindeland, Otto Nilson, Nils Nilson, Halvor S. Quanbeck, Reinhold Erickson, Halvor P. Hammer, Ole Eliv- son, A.L. Fregord, Augustine Stene, Ole Groff, Charles Olson, Hans Olson, Lars I. Helgeland, Lars S. Helgeland, Thomas Helgeland, Nels C Rukke. New Luther Valley Church. A Ladies Aid Society also was organized, and in 1883, the Sunday School was organized with Anfin Helgeland and L. Helgeland as the first Sunday School teachers. Anfin Helgeland served many years as "Klokker" and choir direc tor. T.S. Quanbeck served many years as a Sunday School teacher also. Rev. I. Lundeby was called to serve the congregation in 1883 at a salary of $150 per year. Often adverse crop conditions caused him to cancel any part of his salary they had difficulty in raising. Eivand Vettleson donated land in 1884, about three quarters of a mile southwest from where the cemetery is now located, and a log church was to be built by Thor and Halvor Quanbeck who were hired to erect it for the sum of $30. The log walls were almost completed the same fall, but before the structure was completed, the site was abandoned because the flood waters of the Sheyenne River would have made it an impractical spot for a cemetery. Land was then donated by Halvor Knutson on the hilltop where the cemetery is still located, and in 1885 Ole Erickson and Charles Colson were to be paid $45 to build a frame church. This new building was damaged by a windstorm shortly after completion, but repairs were made immediately. More members had joined by now including Hans Berwick, Lars Njos, Ole Thorsland, Eivand Vettleson, Wm. Domier, Andrew Settevig, and Aasmund Waa and their families. Some years later a church barn was built which was destroyed by a tornado in 1916, but was rebuilt the same year. In 1896 Rev. Lundeby resigned; he was replaced by Rev. Halvor S. Quanbeck who served until 1904. He made his home in Aneta, the end of the Great Northern Railroad at that time, and as the winter of 1896-97 was the winter of the largest snowfall ever experienced, Rev. Quanbeck made several trips to the New Luther Valley Church for Sunday services on skiis, the distance one way being about 12 miles. An organ was added and Miss Lorenze Freegard (Mrs. Job Moen) was the first organist. Elma Helgeland (Mrs. John Fretheim) succeeded her, followed by Miss Esther Helgeland. Rev. B.I. Land succeeded Rev. Quanbeck and served until 1911, and during his term as pastor an addition was made to the church on the west side. Rev. C.J. Nestvold accepted the call in 1912, and during his service, the Luther League was organized with Henry Quanbeck as its first president. In 1917, following the resignation of Nestvold, Rev. Knut Gjestfjeld accepted the call and served until 1919, followed by Rev. O.P. Grambo from 1922 to 1924. If these names have a familiar ring to the readers, it is because these same pastors also served Zion Church congregation which was the subject of a previous "Nostalgia" article. Rev. O. Swenson arrived in 1925 to continue the work. During this time another addition to the church was built which included a belfry. A church bell donated by Halvor Waa, was also added. In October, 1925, the New Luther Valley congregation had a surprise party for Mr. and Mrs. Halvor Knutson. A dinner was served at the church and an enjoyable social time followed. Mrs. Knutson was presented with a silver dinner set in honor of her 60th birthday, and Mr. Knutson, for 20 years the janitor of the church received a leather vest. Mr. and Mrs. Knutson were the voluntary and unpaid custodians of the church property for many years. In 1932 the 50th anniversary of the church was observed with Rev. T.O. Burntvedt, President of the Lutheran Free Church, present to give a commemoration sermon. Rev. Swenson resigned in 1933, and some time elapsed before Rev. D.W. Lyndal, the youngest pastor to serve the congregation, came. He arrived in the summer of 1934, immediately upon his graduation from Seminary. It should he noted that upon the arrival of Lyndal, services were conducted in the English language in contrast to the Norse language used during all the previous years. Rev. Trygve Dahle succeeded Lyndal in 1937, and it was at this time that the George Bakke residence in McVille was purchased for use as a parsonage. It was in 1936 that a new altar made by Mike Orskog and an altar pain- 61 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited in Multi-page TIFF Editor.
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