Omaha daily bee., 1901-03-10
March 10, 1901.

and established the first Swedish Luth-
eian mission in the state of Nebraska. The
next year he organized Emanuel church in
Omaha and from that beginning has grown
the Nebraska conference of the Lutheran
Augustana synod of America, an Urganiza-
ton which has membership of nearly
10000.
Rev. Larson was essentially a church or
ganizer. After he had started the work
among the Swedish population of Omaha ho
turned his attention to Oakland, where he
succeeded in establishing a church in 1865.
Two years later he organized churches
at Alma, Ednsburg, Swedeburg and Lin
yoln.
other pioneers in the churchs Nebraska
mission work were Rev j. s Benson, Re-.
l.. L. Ahlquist Rev. j. 'rorell and Rev ~
Nording. In the early days of the Swedish
Lutheran church in the state all congrega-
tons belonged TO the Kansas conference
and Nebraska was known as a mission dis
trict
1t was in 1856 that the Nebraska confer
ence came into existence and Nebraska and
Wyoming were united in a separate church
organization. Rev. j. Torel, who is now
pastor of the Swedeburg church, was the
first president of the conference. This
change in organization proved very bene
fetal to the church and marked a new era
in its growth.
The Swedish population of Nebraska and
Wyoming numbers about 120 600 at present
and one-t twelfth of this number is affiliated
with the Swedish Lutheran church. There
are forty-fve parishes thirty nine churches,
twenty-seven pastors and twenty y-three par
sOnages in the conference.
Although the church first secured a foot
hold in Omaha its work in the state has
been confined chiefly to farming communi-
ties Most of the Swedish Americans in
Nebraska have been on farms and mission
work has been confined chiefly to rural
districts. OF recent years, however, the
Swcdes have entered into other lines of
business and are now so numerous in the
cities and towns of the state that partcu-
lar stress will be laid upon city mission
work during the present year
Emanuel church of Omaha, located at
the corner of Nineteenth and Cass streets,
was the cradle of Swedish Lutheransm in
this state. 1t was fitting that the fifteenth
annual meeting of the Nebraska conference
should be held in that church. From Feb
Iuary % until March representatives OF
the various Lutheran parishes in Nebraska
and Wyoming convened in this city
Rev f. n. Swanberg of Oakland was re-
elected president of the conference for the
coming year and the other officers named
were: Rev. =. NJ. Lindberg, Omaha, vice
president; Otto Peterson, Minden, treas
urer; Rev c. Il. Chinlund. Lincoln, secre-
tary; Rev. l.. Hokenson. Stromsburg, stat
istician
In 1885 Luther academy was established
at Wahoo by the Nebraska conference Rev.
NJ. lloyd was its first president and was
nv Ilr
charge of the school for fourteen years.
Rev. +. NJ. Ekman of Center City, Mimi,
was selected by the conference to preside
over the school next year. There are nve
professors in the institution and 100 stu
dents. The three buildings owned by the
academy are valued at 100000.
The academy has attracted many Swedes
to Wahoo and has become a popular gath
erng place for Swedish Americans. Ma
tonal festivals are celebrated there and
several times within recent years thousands
of people have gathered on the academy
grounds to revive customs OF the father
land
Emmanuel hospital Emmanuel Deaconess
association and Emmanuel Orphanage OF
Omaha are also under the care Of the con-
ference. Rev. L. A. Fogelstrom is man
ager of these institutions. They have
buildings valued at 600 and their yearl,
income is about $4,000.
During 1900 1928 patients were cared fol
in Emmanuel hospital. The orphanage, which
was dedicated during the recen, meeting
OF the conference, is now caring for three
children and has accommodations for
much larger number.
Churches and parsonages owned b!
parishes in the Nebraska conference ar,
valued at S2l1 500 and the Indebtedness OF
~ b ll7