| Summary: | held for them at the McVille Hotel. The church was formally dedicated March 1, 1908. At 3 p.m. Rev. Olson gave the dedication service assisted by Rev. H.O. Jacobson (English language), and in the evening a song service was held and services were by Rev. Hayes (Aneta). On March 11,1908, the ladies of the M.E. Church had an Ice Cream Social, and the music of their new organ was also enjoyed. The F.B. Thomas residence was purchased for use as a parsonage. This is the present home of Miss Ida Ringdahl. Rev. Rosness was pastor for a time in 1909, followed by Rev. Jacobson, in 1910-1914. In December 1911, revival meetings were held for ten days at the church with Rev. K.O. Brudevold of Benedict, N.D., and Miss Marie Danielson, Hillsboro, assisting Rev. Jacobson. Headlines in the local paper in July 1913 proclaimed “Big Camp Meeting to be Held at McVille. Methodist Church people will hold a series of meetings beginning Wednesday evening, July 2, 1913, at the McDougall grove south of McVille. A big tent will be provided, and several distinguished workers will be present to help along in the cause of these meetings. Rev. H.O. Jacobson, local M.E. pastor, assures the people that there will be entertainment afforded at these meetings which will please the audiences, and he desires everyone to attend during the ten days that the services are to be held. Services will be conducted in the big tent every morning at ten o’clock, every afternoon at 2:30 p.m., and in the evening at 8 p.m. All are cordially invited to come. Rev. M. Danielson, renowned speaker and evangelist, and his daughter, Miss Marie Danielson, a soloist, will be present at these meetings. Services will be conducted in both the English and Norwegian languages.” Rev. and Mrs. H.O. Jacobson entertained at the M.E. parsonage April 28,1914, in honor of Julius Burkland who was leaving for a three month visit to Norway. Rev. C.A. Joranson of West Duluth, Minn., arrived in 1914 to take the place of Rev. Jacobson who had served the M.E. churches m McVille and Romness for four years. On Election Day, Nov. 3, 1914, the M.E. Ladies Aid served lunch in the Magoris Building on Main Street (location of Bob’s Barber Shop at present) next to the Journal Office from 12 to 6 p.m. On December 9, that same year, they held their annual supper and sale at Mrs. Becker’s Millinery Shop as the church had no kitchen or serving facilities. Also in December 1914 revival meetings were held for two weeks at the church. In September 1915 Rev. Gust Peterson, Little Falls, Minn., preached there, and in November, the McVille M.E. Church held a Thanksgiving supper and sale at the Hamlin M.E. Church. June 29,1916, Pastor Joranson held tent meetings from Thursday through Sunday with Friday and Sunday night meetings in the English language and all others in Norwegian. Rev. Trelstad, who had been visiting in McVille enroute to St. Paul, after nearly a year’s residence in California where they had gone for his health, assisted Rev. Joranson at the tent meetings. In September 1917 Rev. Joranson was officially appointed pastor of McVille-Romness at the Norwegian Danish Methodist Convention held in Minneapolis. Attending the M.E. Camp Meeting at Jamestown June 23 to July 1,1917, were Mr. and Mrs. Martin Gudim and Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Dahl and two sons. In 1917, Mr. and Mrs. Ole Mickels and family made their temporary home in the M.E. Church classrooms while negotiating for a more permanent home, having moved in from the Romness area. They purchased several acres of land on the east side of town and planned to erect a residence there. A large number of people drove to the Gilbert Mark farm home near Tolna where Mrs. Mark was entertaining the M.E. Ladies Aid. A class of five was confirmed at the M.E. Church in August, 1919. Members of the class were as follows: Raymond Dahl, Earl Dahl, Phillip Mark, Anna Egeland and Mabel Nelson. A special program was arranged for the occasion. On October 12, 1919, Rev. J. Korsmo preached his farewell sermon at the Romness church at 11 a.m., and at the McVille church at 8 p.m. He left for Ashland, Wis. Rev. G. Gilbertson preached in McVille and Romness for the balance of 1919, and Obed Asp also filled in during this period before the arrival of Pastor Oakland in 1925. He remained for two years until 1927 and was succeeded by Rev. Lee Paulson of Landa, N.D., which was where Oakland was to go from here. A series of Gospel Tent Meetings were held on the church grounds beginning June 23 to July 3, 1927. On Friday, Oct. 26, 1928, Lee Paulson was given an auto by his many friends and members of his congregations who met at the Presbyterian church (which he was also serving) and presented him with a Ford coupe as a token of friendship and appreciation for his returning to serve the charges here for another year. Following the presentation of the car by Atty. E.C. Boostrom, lunch was served by the ladies of the various churches. He was also the Superintendent of the Presbyterian Sunday school while here. In October 1929 Rev. Paulson, who had been in charge of the Methodist churches in the vicinity (Romness, McVille and Hamlin) for the past three years, left for Hillsboro, where he had accepted a charge. He had made a host of friends not only among his own people, but everyone in general, and his splendid church work was highly appreciated. 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 paragraphs, it might be well to explain that a rural post office named Romness existed several miles south of Kloten in Griggs County on Sec. 16-147-59. Established Nov. 1, 1883, with Peter Mathison as postmaster, it was named by Mr. Mathison for his wife’s birthplace — Romnes, 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 existence, stands the Romness M.E. Church. 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 Feb. 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 Elivson, A.L. Fregord, AugustineStene, Ole Groff, Charles Olson, Hans Olson, Lars I. Helgeland, Lars 1250 Scanned with a Czur book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited in Adobe Acrobat Pro
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