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HE Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Fridhem congregation of Funk, Nebraska, was organized by the people who first settled in the eastern part of Phelps county, principally the townships of Anderson, Divide and Lake. Many of them came from the older Swedish settlements in America, a few directly from Sweden. All the hardships of pioneer life were theirs. They had visitations of grasshoppers, prairie fires, tornadoes, destructive rainstorms and blizzards. They starved through years of drought and lived in dugouts and sod-houses where it often happened that they were awakened in the night by the movements of a rattlesnake in the room. But the pioneers came of a sturdy stock and were inured to hardships from the land of their birth. They overcame the obstacles that arose in their path, one by one, and finally emerged into times of prosperity and opulence.

   The same yearning for religious solace that had been awakened in the breasts of the oppressed country-folk of Sweden lived in the hearts of the men and women who came to make the melancholy prairie their home. But they had no common place of worship, no temple. The family altar was therefore the only place where the religious fire was kept burning.

   The Kansas Conference of the Augustana Synod, which was organized in 1870, made strenuous efforts to bring relief. Men were sent to preach to the scattered folk of Lutheran faith within its bounds. Ministers received large tracts of territory as their mission fields. Theological students from Augustana College spent their summer and Christmas vacations preaching and teaching in the new settlements. Beside this, men of experience, who were devout Christians, were licensed to proclaim the gospel and do missionary work where the regularly ordained minister were too few for the task.

   As early as 1876 the settlements in Phelps and Kearney counties were visited by these men. On the records we find such names as Aaron Lindholm, Carl Walleen, A. G. Setterdahl, J. Torell and Elias Peterson, all ministers of Lutheran faith. Among theological students the names of J. E. Swanbom and G. S. Norén appear. The laymen who were licensed to preach in these parts were Olof Hedlund and John Swanson. In the hands of these men the Master's cause was materially advanced, and in 1876 a Swedish Lutheran congregation named Bethania was organized in the western part of Kearney county. In 1877, Bethel, just across the line in Phelps county, was organized. Both of these congregations built places of worship, and people living in the territory between them attended services in one or the other of these churches. A number joined. But as it was a long drive with a team already tired by a week's labor in the fields, it was only occasionally possible for those living farthest away to attend services. The sod church of Bethania was located three miles southeast of the present site of Axtell, the Bethel church, also of sod, four miles southwest of Funk. For the families living farthest north, in the middle ground, the Sunday morning's drive would be 18 miles. It is therefore no great wonder that, in this territory, voices should be heard calling for a place of worship nearer the most remote portions of the settlement. At a meeting in December, 1878, at Frank Johnson's place, it was ascertained that a congregation of more than 100 members could be organized. This was evidenced by signatures on lists circulated by Andreas Olson, Andrew Berkman and John Olson. At another meeting, soon after, at Andrew Carlson's, the question of organizing again came up. Although the Rev. Elias Peterson was there, the organization was not brought about at this meeting, as a number present wished to ascertain where the Bethel congregation should build its church.

   The organization of Fridhem* was effected on January 29, 1879, at A. P. Falk's sod house, in Onieda township, Kearney county, which lies just across the line, opposite Lake township, in Phelps county. Rev. Elias Peterson presided and Alfred Johnson was temporary secretary. As the minutes of this meeting cannot now be found, nothing but a very incomplete list of charter members will be possible. On making inquiries of some of the older member and of Mr. A. P. Falk, who is now nearly 93 years old, these names are recalled: A. P. Falk and wife; Andrew Carlson and wife; Peter Ekvall and wife; John Abrahamson

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* The name, Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Fridhem congregation, was suggested by Andrew Carlson

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© 2002 for the NEGenWeb Project by Pam Rietsch, Ted & Carole Miller.