The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-08-08
GOLDEN JUBILEE
SWEDISH CHURCH
Celebration Began Last Evening anu
viii Continue Through Sunday
and Two Days Next
Wesk.
FORMER PASTORS HERE
soIendid Program is Being Carr'eo
out by Church Members MS
Evenings Program in
English.


The golden jubilee OF the o|e ,,,.ot
E,vanpelical Lutheran Mission Gu Gn
in Keokuk, is being celeDFateu sI
eek and will continue through sun
dav and two days OF next
Members of the church oil winch lne
Rev. A. E. Rundquist is the psS
together with many ylsltofs anu III
mer members and pastors are op
serving an interesting anniVersaly
nrogram. The church is oecolatou
lin yellow and gold, and one lnterest
ling feature is the display OF piclui .
of practically all OF the FORMER pa
tors. For the reunion MONDAY ~ 20
planned TO have pictures Oh aIl ol ZIG
confirmation classes that hafe
held in the church.
The anniversary program Desai
last evening with services IN tne
church. conducted by the Rey' Y. =.
AIeott This evenings services q, .
70 be part English and the Key. NJ
II Netherout of the Trinity T.
church. will speak. Friends OF tne
church are invited to this service,
sunday afternoon at three ocIoGh
will be held the jubilee service. inis
will take the form OF a memorial loi
irhe deceased pastors and me.noei o
A history Of the church and letters
of greeting will be read. Inc aa'
dress at this service viii De py me
Rev. C. j. Algott. In the evening
the Rev. J. E. Widen will concuct the
services.
Monday evening there viii be a
reunion of the former Sunday schoo'
and confirmation classes. me heVs.
. Ia r Swanson and c. ]. Algott Will
he the sneakers. Tuesday there VIII
he prayer meetings, communion aho
song services.
History Of Church.
The Swedish Evangelical Luth eran
Mission church was founded in sep
tember 1859, by few families thai
came here to seek work and pnllo
Ibomes. 1t first held meetings IN
hail on Ninth and Main street. Among
the first families mentioned are
RvlofYs, Blixts, Lindstrands, swan
sons Chas. Andersons, E Gustav
gon Andrew Johnson, Alhstadts,
Alfred Johnson, Jourons and others
THE frst minister was G. j. Lindan
who served in l87o-1872. The church
was built in 1S71-1S72 and is thu
same now occupied by the congrega
ZION though il has been enlarged ant
Improved several times. The mex
minister was a layman, John L. Eng
strom, from Galesburg, Ill, VIII
iDeached during most Of 1872 Ihel
came Rev. P Wedin for a shor
time. In January 1873, Rev. Chas
Anderson from Galesburg, H.. wa
called and came. His work gave tn
church a new start and it prospereo
He also founded a school for the pun
pose of educating ministers. III
building on Fifteenth and Morgan
q streets, near Graham hospital, wa
: lused and here was the beginning Q
: the Swedish Covenant school-no1
: located at North Park, Chicago. IL
:. REV. Anderson also started pape
= and organized a synod among som
? OF the mission churches. He lei
). here some time In 1875.
II After him served a Mr.. Andre7
= Nelson as pastor and teacher. l
q I1876-1S7S Rev. 8. Sundberg served a
2 pastor and it marked prosperou
y era in the church.
8. During 1s7s-18SO Rev. Geo. Wider
9. was pastor and as work began to b
4. hard to find many left and move
g west. During the next few year
only a small part of the origins
IS members were left, but they kept u
le the work and held service. Durin
IS part of this time an Episcopal col
j. gregation used the church for the
D. meetings,
rs Mission Helps Church.
CT In May 1886, Rev. John Wenstrar
10 arrived and took up the work. H
lg work was greatly blessed and Il
O. church grew. Being a man of fiji
&c personality he gained friends ever
10 where and was held in high estee
80 by all who knew him. During tn
time the Congregational Home MI
Vs. sion society helped to keep up Il
1g work by financial aid, but duriI
IL Wenstrand's service this aid was n
ag needed. Rev. Wenstrand left in Il
IT, cember 1891, for Kewanee, Ill,
Ie- was expected to partake in this jul
lee, but passed away a few wee
agn at his home in Chicago
. Rev. C. ]. Lundgren took up t
work in December 1891, and by fat
4 full and efficient work kept the chur
I'D to a high standard. In 1892 t
parsonage was built. Rev. Lundgr
served until July 1897. Shortly aft
ma he was taken sick and passed ava
on He is buried in the Keokuk cemetel
ha After him came Rev. Otto Strend
For who served from March 1899, un
he June 1901, during this time the wo
a among the young people is especia
be marked by progress.
go The next man called was Rev.
get r. Widen, who was especially fit
as to take up tho work and did so w
bit great success. Many improvement
the and substantial growth Is fou
lad during his pastorate. Re was he
ent until September 1905. He is now @
in of the sneakers at the Jubilee sa