Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church Records, 1898-2008

Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church Records

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Collection Overview

Title: Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church Records, 1898-2008

ID: OGLMC1539

Primary Creator: Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church (1897-)

Extent: 14.25 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 01/13/2009

Subjects: Grand Forks, Grand Forks - Churches, Religion - Church Records, Religion - Lutheran Church

Languages: English, Swedish

Abstract

Lutheran church in Grand Forks, North Dakota; established in 1897

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church Records contain materials documenting the history and mission of the Church. The collection is arranged according to the following series: History, Administrative, Annual Reports, Agendas and Meeting Minutes, Congregational Records, Organizations, Publications and Bulletins. Within each series the folders are arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.

History, 1922-2008, contains selective anniversary histories of the church and scrapbooks. The Administrative series, 1934-1992, contains property records, assorted financial documents, correspondence and pastoral reports. The Annual Reports series 1933-2008, consists of summary reports for each calendar year , including financial data and reviews of activities. The Agendas and Meeting Minutes series, 1912-2004, contains meeting records of various church governing bodies including the Board of Deacons, Church Council, and Church Board of Administration.

The Congregational Records series contains two sets of membership records, one set for the years prior to 1997 and one for 1997 and after. Both are arranged alphabetically by first letter of surname. In addition, there are membership photos, baptism, and marriage and death records. The series also contains Letters of Dismission and Flyttningsbetyg (Moving Certificates), in English and Swedish, that contain genealogical information on members including their places of birth in Sweden.

The Organizations series, 1905-1972, contains meeting minutes and other records for organizations in the church such as the Alter Guild, Ladies Aid Society, Lutheran Church Women (LCW), Lutheran Men’s Club, and Youth Group. The Publications series, 1983-2003, consists largely of The Messenger, a monthly newsletter. The Bulletins series, 1967-2004, has bulletins of church services, including inserts, and are arranged chronologically.

Collection Historical Note

Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church of Grand Forks was organized October 23, 1897 as Gustaf Adolf’s Svenska Evangelisk Luterska Forsamling (Gustavus Adolphus Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Congregation) adopting the constitution of the Augustana Synod. In 1900, a church was constructed at the corner of North Sixth Street and Alpha Avenue. Bethesda and Nyskoga Churches in East Grand Forks operated as part of the parish and shared a pastor with the church. The name was changed to Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Congregation in 1917. In 1922, morning worship services were switched from Swedish to English with evening services remaining in Swedish. Board minutes were recorded in English beginning in 1927 along with the purchase of English hymnals. The church officially became Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1931. In 1947, a lot at 520 University Avenue was purchased and groundbreaking for a new church occurred in 1954. In 1962, the Augustana Lutheran Synod joined with the United Lutheran Church in America, the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and the American Evangelical Lutheran Church to form the Lutheran Church of America. In 1988 the Lutheran Church of America merged with the American Lutheran Church to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Augustana celebrated its centennial while rebuilding from damage sustained during the 1997 Red River Flood. The church was renovated and remains at 520 University Avenue.

Subject/Index Terms

Grand Forks
Grand Forks - Churches
Religion - Church Records
Religion - Lutheran Church

Administrative Information

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Source: Laura Munski, Augustana Lutheran Church

Acquisition Method: Donation, 13 January 2009; 2009-2964

Separated Materials:

Mueller, E.W. Christ for the Changing Countryside: The Mission of the Lutheran Church in North Dakota. National Lutheran Council, Division of American Missions, 1948.

--This publication was cataloged and added to Special Collections Stacks.

Preferred Citation: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Processing Information: Processed by Matt Hagen-Stowe, an undergraduate student in Special Collections, Fall 2011.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: History],
[Series 2: Administrative],
[Series 3: Annual Reports],
[Series 4: Agendas and Meeting Minutes],
[Series 5: Membership Records],
[Series 6: Organizations],
[Series 7: Publications],
[Series 8: Church Bulletins],
[All]

Series 5: Membership Records

Box 7

Folder 1: Membership Profile Form, A-B, ca. 1979
Folder 2: Membership Profile Form, C-D, ca. 1979
Folder 3: Membership Profile Form, E-H, ca. 1979
Folder 4: Membership Profile Form, I-K, ca. 1979
Folder 5: Membership Profile Form, L-M, ca. 1979
Folder 6: Membership Profile Form, N-O, ca. 1979
Folder 7: Membership Profile Form, P-R, ca. 1979
Folder 8: Membership Profile Form, S, ca. 1979
Folder 9: Membership Profile Form, T-Z, ca. 1979
Folder 10: Record of Members, A, Pre-1997
Folder 11: Record of Members, B, Pre-1997
Folder 12: Record of Members, C, Pre-1997
Folder 13: Record of Members, D-E, Pre-1997
Folder 14: Record of Members, F-G, Pre-1997
Folder 15: Record of Members, H, Pre-1997
Folder 16: Record of Members, I, Pre-1997
Folder 17: Record of Members, J, Pre-1997
Folder 18: Record of Members, K, Pre-1997
Folder 19: Record of Members, L, Pre-1997

Box 8

Folder 1: Record of Members, M, Pre-1997

Folder 2: Record of Members, N-O, Pre-1997

Folder 3: Record of Members, P, Pre-1997

Folder 4: Record of Members, Q-R, Pre-1997

Folder 5: Record of Members, S, Pre-1997

Folder 6: Record of Members, T-V, Pre-1997

Folder 7: Record of Members, W-Z, Pre-1997

Folder 8: Record of Members, A-C, Post 1997

Folder 9: Record of Members, D-G, Post 1997

Folder 10: Record of Members, H-I, Post 1997

Folder 11: Record of Members, J-K, Post 1997

Folder 12: Record of Members, L-M, Post 1997

Folder 13: Record of Members, N-Q, Post 1997

Folder 14: Record of Members, R-S, Post 1997

Folder 15: Record of Members, T-Z, Post 1997

Folder 16: Letters of Dismission, 1909-1997

(Transfer Letters in Both Swedish and English)

Folder 17: Pastor's Copy of Marriage Licenses from Polk County, Minnesota, 1945-1947

Item 1: James LaChance and Dorothy Peterson, 7 August 1945
Item 2: Howard Glen and Donna Hotvedt, 31 December 1945
Item 3: Harvey Tripp and Angeline Kucera, 26 June 1946
Item 4: Cleve Costley ans Doris Swenson, 24 July 1946
Item 5: Edgar Nelson and Alma Olson, 27 January 1947
Item 6: Harold Johnson and Fillie Carter, 22 April 1947: (Clerk's Receipt for Return of Marriage Certificate; No License Included)
Item 7: Merrianm Erickson and Eunice Babcock, 28 June 1947

Folder 18: Membership Review, 1978-1980

Folder 19: Membership Transfers, 1980

Folder 20: Records of Marriages, Baptisms, and Funerals, 1980

Box 1

Folder 10: Statistics Regarding Worship Attendance, 1981-2001

Box 5

Folder 5: Church Directories, 1975, 1977, 1991, 1997
Folder 6: Church Directories, undated
Folder 7: List of Church Members, 1991
Folder 8: Guestbook, 1955-1956
Folder 9: Confirmation Class Lists, 1898-1947

Box 9

Folder 17: Legal Document Regarding Severin and Maria Gustafson, 16 April 1917: (In Swedish. The document regards the estate of an unnamed and deceased son of the Gustafsons. In the presence of the pastor from Augustana, Severin transfers his share of the estate, as well as power of attorney, to his son, Nils, who lives in Sweden.)
Folder 18: Peter Lindgren Correspondence, 17 February 1992: (In Swedish. The letter is from Peter Lindgren of Williaman, Minnesota. Lindgren asks to be removed from the church records as he has moved. He also donates $2.00 to Augustana.)

Box 10

Item 1: Membership Ledger, 1898-1920: Oversized

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