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 1: History

Box 1

Folder 5: 35th Anniversary Celebration, November 18, 1932
Folder 8: Aid Association For Lutherans Branch 9461 Scrapbook (Part 1)
Folder 9: Aid Association For Lutherans Branch 9461 Scrapbook (Part 2)

Box 2

Folder 9: 95th Anniversary and Building Dedication, 17 May 1992

Box 9

Folder 12: Church Bulletin for Ground Breaking, 25 July 1954
Folder 13: History of Augustana Lutheran Church, 1927: (In Swedish)

Series 2: Administrative

Box 1

Folder 1: Abstracts, Mortgages and Titles (Block 12, Lot 4)
Folder 2: Abstracts, Mortgages and Titles (Block 12, Lots 4 and 6)
Folder 3: Abstracts, Mortgages and Titles (Block 12, Lot 6)
Folder 4: Abstracts, Mortgages and Titles (Block 12, Lots 8, 10, and 12)
Folder 26: Board of Deacons Correspondence, 1944-1949
Folder 27: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Congregational Mission Profile, 2000-2001

Box 2

Folder 8: Bell and Bell Tower Construction, 1991
Folder 10: Certificate of Change of Corporate Name, Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church to Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church, 5 May 1945

Box 8

Folder 21: Abstracts, Mortgages and Titles (Block 21, Lots 2 and 4)
Folder 22: Abstracts, Mortgages and Titles (Block I, Lots 9 and 11)
Folder 23: Institutional User's Daily Record, General Ration Order 5, 1944 - 1945
Folder 24: Correspondence Regarding New Organ, 1920
Folder 25: Correspondence from Pastor Paul Hegstrom (Messian Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kansas City, Missouri) to Pastor Gerald Johnson, Augustana, 15 August 1947: (Regarding Hegstrom accepting a call to be a Pastor at Augustana)
Folder 26: Correspondence Regarding a New Church Building, 1953-1954
Folder 27: Pastoral Reports, 1931-1944
Folder 28: Memorial Fund Committee, 1974-1984
Folder 29: Church Rules for Weddings, undated

Series 3: Annual Reports

Box 1

Folder 11: Annual Reports, 1933-1944
Folder 12: Annual Reports, 1945-1949
Folder 13: Annual Reports, 1950
Folder 14: Annual Reports, 1951
Folder 15: Annual Reports, 1952
Folder 16: Annual Reports, 1953
Folder 17: Annual Reports, 1954
Folder 18: Annual Reports, 1955
Folder 19: Annual Reports, 1956
Folder 20: Annual Reports, 1957
Folder 21: Annual Reports, 1958, 1968-1969, 1975-1977
Folder 22: Annual Reports, 1979-1987
Folder 23: Annual Reports, 1982-1989, 1993-1996
Folder 24: Annual Reports, 2000-2001
Folder 25: Annual Reports, 2007-2008

Series 4: Agendas and Meeting Minutes

Box 1

Folder 7: Annual Meeting Agendas and Minutes, 1912-1948

Box 2

Folder 11: Church Board, 1911-12: (In Swedish)
Folder 12: Church Board, 1929-1936
Folder 13: Church Board, 1937-1938
Folder 14: Church Board, 1939
Folder 15: Church Board, 1945-1961
Folder 16: Church Board, 1965-1979
Folder 17: Board of Deacons, 1947-1949
Folder 18: Board of Deacons, 1950-1961
Folder 19: Board of Deacons, 1960-1963
Folder 20: Board of Trustees, 1954-1965

Box 5

Folder 10: Church Council, 1965
Folder 11: Church Council, 1980
Folder 12: Church Council, 1981
Folder 13: Church Council, 1982
Folder 14: Church Council, 1983
Folder 15: Church Council, 1984
Folder 16: Church Council, 1985
Folder 17: Church Council, 1986
Folder 18: Church Council, 1987
Folder 19: Church Council, 1988
Folder 20: Church Council, 1989
Folder 21: Church Council, 1990
Folder 22: Church Council, 1991
Folder 23: Church Council, 1992
Folder 24: Church Council, 1993
Folder 25: Church Council, 1994
Folder 26: Church Council, 1995
Folder 27: Church Council, 1996
Folder 28: Church Council, 1997
Folder 29: Church Council, 1998
Folder 30: Church Council, 1999

Box 6

Folder 1: Church Council, 2000
Folder 2: Church Council, January - May 2001
Folder 3: Church Council, June - December 2001
Folder 4: Church Council, 2002
Folder 5: Church Council, 2003
Folder 6: Church Council, 2004

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

Series 6: Organizations

Box 1

Folder 6: Altar Guild Records, 1973-1982

Box 2

Folder 1: Ladies Circle #2 Meeting Minutes, 1936, 1939 and 1942
Folder 2: Ladies Circle #2 Meeting Minutes, 1944-1949
Folder 3: Ladies Circle #2 Meeting Minutes, 1954-1955
Folder 4: Ladies Circle #6 Meeting Minutes, 1946-1957
Folder 5: Lutheran Brotherhood, 1945-1946 and 1954
Folder 6: Women’s Guild Rosters and Meeting Minutes, 1951-1953
Folder 7: Women’s Guild Rosters and Meeting Minutes, 1954-1955, undated

Box 6

Folder 7: Ladies Aid, 1905 - 1913: (In Swedish)
Folder 8: Ladies Aid, 1914-1924: (Partially in Swedish)
Folder 9: Ladies Aid, 1929 - 1931
Folder 10: Ladies Aid, 1936 - 1945
Folder 11: Ladies Aid, 1946 - 1948
Folder 12: Ladies Aid, 50th Anniversary, 2 June 1948
Folder 13: Ladies Aid, 1949 - 1959
Folder 14: Ladies Aid Scrapbook, 1959 - 1961
Folder 15: Ladies Aid, 1960 - 1963
Folder 16: Ladies Aid, 1963 - 1966
Folder 17: Ladies Aid, 1967 - 1972
Folder 18: Luther League, 1926 - 1931
Folder 19: Lutheran League of Swedish Churches, 1913 - 1915
Folder 20: Mens Club, 1932 - 1957

Box 9

Folder 14: Young People's Society, 1898-1912, undated: (In both English and Swedish)
Folder 15: Women's Missionary Society, 1940-1948, undated
Folder 16: Ruth Circle, 1966-1970

Series 7: Publications

Box 1

Folder 28: "Welcome to Augustana Lutheran" Brochure, circa 1960

Box 9

Folder 1: The Messenger, 1983-1987
Folder 2: The Messenger, 1988-1991
Folder 3: The Messenger, 1993
Folder 4: The Messenger, 1994
Folder 5: The Messenger, 1995
Folder 6: The Messenger, 1996
Folder 7: The Messenger, 1997
Folder 8: The Messenger, 1998-1999
Folder 9: The Messenger, 2000-2001
Folder 10: The Messenger, 2002-2003
Folder 11: The Messenger, 2004

Series 8: Church Bulletins

Box 2

Folder 21: Church Bulletins, 1967

Box 3

Folder 1: Church Bulletins, 1968
Folder 2: Church Bulletins, 1969
Folder 3: Church Bulletins, 1970
Folder 4: Church Bulletins, 1971
Folder 5: Church Bulletins, 1972
Folder 6: Church Bulletins, 1973
Folder 7: Church Bulletins, 1974
Folder 8: Church Bulletins, 1975
Folder 9: Church Bulletins, 1976
Folder 10: Church Bulletins, 1977
Folder 11: Church Bulletins, 1978
Folder 12: Church Bulletins, 1979
Folder 13: Church Bulletins, 1980
Folder 14: Church Bulletins, 1981
Folder 15: Church Bulletins, 1982
Folder 16: Church Bulletins, 1983
Folder 17: Church Bulletins, 1984
Folder 18: Church Bulletins, 1985
Folder 19: Church Bulletins, 1986
Folder 20: Church Bulletins, 1987

Box 4

Folder 1: Church Bulletins, 1988
Folder 2: Church Bulletins, 1989
Folder 3: Church Bulletins, 1990
Folder 4: Church Bulletins, 1991
Folder 5: Church Bulletins, 1992
Folder 6: Church Bulletins, 1993
Folder 7: Church Bulletins, 1994
Folder 8: Church Bulletins, 1995
Folder 9: Church Bulletins, January - June 1996
Folder 10: July - December 1996
Folder 11: Church Bulletins, 1997
Folder 12: Church Bulletins, 1998
Folder 13: Church Bulletins, 1999
Folder 14: Church Bulletins, 2000
Folder 15: Church Bulletins, 2001
Folder 16: Church Bulletins, January - September 2002
Folder 17: Church Bulletins, October - December 2002

Box 5

Folder 1: Church Bulletins, January - July 2003
Folder 2: Church Bulletins, August - December 2003
Folder 3: Church Bulletins, 2004
Folder 4: Church Bulletins, undated

Department of Special Collections
Digital Finding Aids