The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-09-04
5OI'||'R:. BIRTHDAY | !
KIR0N CHURCH
The Swedish Baptist Church Of kron
i Celebrating its Fiftieth Ami.
versary This Week.
FlRsT SERVICES in SOD HOUSES
sMpw Has Church Membership Of
$50 and Sabbath School With
Membership Of 225

KIRON, Sept. Especial to the Re.
view-The Swedish Baptist church of
Kiron celebrated it's fiftieth annivers'
ary last week with series of meet
1ngs lasting all week and continuing
/ this week. The anniversary proper
was held on Sunday the 25th, when a
brief history of the church was read
and personal testimonies given by
charter members yet living and pres.
ent at the occasion. These were /.
Nicholson, j. A. Erickson, Mrs. N.
r. Erickson and Mrs. Duncan. The
church was organized Aug. is, 1868,
with eighteen members. Otter Creek,
1s this community was then called,
was just colonized and Swedish fam
lilies came from Swede Bend, Iowa,
from Minnesota and from Sweden,
bought farms and built up the coun-
try. At first they took shelter in sod
houses until they could provide bet
ter accommodations. More members
were soon added to the church, so
that at the end of 1868 there were 81
and the next year 81 more were ad-
ded. At first they met for worship
IA the different homes, but in the fall
OF 1869 school house was built and
the church members worshipped there
until 1876, when the first church was
built. In 1870 the membership went
up to 81, a, wonderful increase indeed.
G. r. Fro1ly served at first as their
loader, but in March, 1870, A. Norel-
ius became their pastor and served
until the close of 1873. At that time
diMculties and contentious began to
0<NSS n Ia a nh prv1fi
nearly disorganized and only sc mem
barr remained. Others soon came
back, however, until they numbered
s66 In the summer Of 1876 they built
their first church at cost of $500.
The same year Rev. N. Hayland came
and 9 great revival was started so
that ~ were baptized and Joined the
church and the membership rose to
160. Then John Ring became their
pastor and served until 1880. At that
time other doctrines were preached in
the community and caused trouble in
the church, so that the membership
was again reduced to SO. After that
the work gradually developed again
under the leadership of L. J. Ahlstrom,
=. %. 4 Olson, A. p. Hanson, A. G. Lag
erGuist and A. A. Anderson. Their
present pastor is N. N. Morton. When
tho railway was built and the town of
Kir0n was started the church was
moved to town in 1900 and the second
patronage was built, both at a cost
of $4,000. The first parsonage had
been built in 1877 and was sold for
$3.50. In 1906 this second parsonage
was sold for $50 and a new one erect
Y ed for $4,000. IN 1903 the present
church edifice was erected at cost
OF SO, 765. and was dedicated in con-
necti0n with the fortieth anniversary.
lts present membership is 100. A
strong Sunday school is maintained !
with about 225 members. The B. Y.
P.SU. numbers about So. The What |
Can Is missionary organization be- |
longing to- the World Wide Guild. |
The Ladies Aid are doing missionary
and philanthropic work. Thus the
church has had it's ups and downs in |
IT. Arst fifty years, but is at present in
good working condition. Rev. L. J..
Ahlstr0m, former pastor Of the !
church, preached the anniversary SER
mon Sunday morning and Rex. Axel |
Wester, Of Gowrie, preached in the
evening. Besides these two, the fol.
lowing ministers from Iowa were in |
attendance: A. G. Lagerquist, Robert
Larson, G. Sword, j. L. Main, J. A.
N0rdstrom. These brethren took |
turns preaching during the week be-
sides taking part in the afternoon
meetings. In the forenoons the min
istefs had their own sessions when |
the following subjects were discussed:
THE Great Awakening "What Can /
We Learn from Prominent Preachers
Preparation?" Pastoral Service in
the Promotion of the Work." "How
DO We Stand in Relation to 2 Tim.
2: rs :" Last Sunday large audiences
gathered to listen to sermons by Rob.
ert Larson in the morning and C. A.
Lagerstrom from Topeka, Kans. This
week preaching services will be held Il
every night by Robert Larson, C. A
Lagerstrom, A. Wester and A. G. Lag
'erQuist