Church: Holway Our Saviour’s Lutheran

Contact: R. Lipprandt
Email: bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Anderson, Borreson, Breen, Dahl, Danielson, Erdahl, Forde, Johnson, Helland, Houguem, Kleppe, Langhough, Nordby, Larson, Nelson, Nielson, Odden, Odland, Olson, Pederson, Reinertson, Tellock, Wilhelm

----Source: Medford Area Centennial Book, 1874 - 1974, Holway Our Saviour‘s Lutheran Church, pages 79 & 81

At this time of Medford’s Centennial, our church is only 86 years old.

The history of our church dates back to 1888. No organized effort to organize a congregation was put forth before 1888, when settlers of the Holway area went to Medford to worship.

The first religious meeting that can be recalled were conducted by a layman named Nels Danielson. Reverend Nils Forde (of Amherst) came a few times and held services in a public school building on the Clara Johnson farm.

The minutes of the first meeting (1888) during which the congregation was founded are of interest and included as translated. They are found in the first secretary’s records as kept by Cornelius Olson, as follows:

On Sund. Oct. 7, 1888, a group of Scandinavians from Pine Creek and Little Black, Taylor County, Wis., gathered in the Ole Larson home for the purpose of organizing a congregation here in the settlement. Jergen Olson was chosen as Chairman and Andrew Anderson, Secretary.

Niels Nielson gave an acre of land for the church and cemetery site. It was unanimously decided that the congregations name shall be, “The Scandinavian Lutheran Church of Pine Creek and Little Black.” The church was to be built of logs, twenty by thirty feet.

Trustees for the congregations were, Chairman, Ole Larson, 1 yr., Secretary, Cornelius Olson, 2 yrs., Treasurer, J. E. Johnson, 3 yrs. The building committee Chairman Louis Nelson, and Thomas Nelson and Christ. Pederson.

The congregation appealed to the Home Mission Superintendent of the United Church to provide a pastor.

The congregation was incorporated in 1891.

Reverend Breen was the first pastor to serve the congregation regularly. He lived in Marshfield and had congregations in Dorchester, Marshfield and Medford.

1894 through 1896: Reverend C. K. Helland served Our Saviour’s. He lived in Marshfield and served for two years.

1897 through 1899: Reverend B. J. Reinertson served Our Saviour’s.

1899 through 1901: Reverend C. M. Larson served Our Saviour’s. During his pastorate, services in Medford were discontinued.

1901 through 1913: Reverend J. C. Houguem served Our Saviour’s. During his pastorate, a new church building was built and dedicated upon the site of the old building.

1914 through 1915: Reverend S. A. Erdahl served Our Saviour’s. Ill health forced him to resign.

1915 through 1918: Reverend Theo Kleppe served Our Saviour’s. During his pastorate, the church building was turned and a basement was constructed under the church building. Pastor Kleppe was the first pastor of Our Saviour’s to use an automobile.

1918 through 1921: Reverend H. P. Nordby served Our Saviour’s. During his pastorate, his territory consisted of other Norwegian congregations in Curtiss, Dorchester and Holway.

1921 through 1923: Reverend I. C. Dahl served Our Saviour’s.

1924: Reverend Langhough served Our Saviour’s. During the intervals of the resident pastor’s absences, the congregations were served occasionally by visiting pastors.

1924 through 1927: Reverend A. C. Odden served Our Saviour’s. During his pastorate, the name of the congregation was changed from “The Scandinavian Lutheran Church of Pine Creek and Little Black“ to “The Holway Lutheran Church.”

1927 through 1930: Information not presented in the Medford Area Centennial Book.

1930 through 1940: Reverend L. Anderson served Our Saviour’s.

1940 through 1948: Reverend G. E. Borreson served Our Saviour’s.

1948 through 1954: Reverend O. K. Odland served Our Saviour’s. During his pastorate, women received the right to vote at the annual church meeting (1950).

1954 through 1959: Reverend Max Wilhelm served Our Saviour’s. During his pastorate, a constitution was written.

1959 through 1962: Reverend Donald I. Olson served Our Saviour’s. During his pastorate, the name of the congregation was changed from “The Holway Lutheran Church” to “ The Holway Evangelical Church.”

1962 through present: Reverend R. I. Tellock served Our Saviour’s. During his pastorate, the name of the congregation was changed from “The Holway Evangelical Church” to “Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church of Holway,” and an extensive remodeling was done to the church building.