History

The Beginning of Our Church 1870

I give credit to some of this history I am writing to the Folks who helped write the 75th Anniversary Book. God Bless their memory.

At this milestone of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church, we pause for a backward look to those pioneers, who labored faithfully and sacrificed much, as builders of the firm foundation of our church of today.

In the year 1870, a group of Danish immigrants arrived here and began building their new homes near the present site of Cushing. As they came by boat, and then wagons pulled by oxen from Madison, WI they had hardship with the loss of a daughter who died and was buried on the way to Cushing. They also lost a child while on the boat and was buried at sea.

By fall of the same year, each family had its log house completed. These first settlers knew that an important factor in home building was their church, and hoped that in time they might also secure a church home. Until this could be realized, they joined the Danes and Norwegians of North Valley (then known as Section 10), and together they called Pastor from Grantsburg to come and preach the word of God in the various homes once a month. A good walking path was made between the two places, a distance of about eight miles.

That first fall, Jens Brenholt was accidently shot and was the first one to be buried on the hill which was later given by Mr. and Mrs. Nels Brenholt to the congregation for the first church and cemetery.

In 1879, the congregations of North Valley and Cushing divided, and in that year the first class confirmed at Cushing.

In the spring of 1881, their prayers were answered, and their work was rewarded, as the little log church was built on the cemetery.

We were not only with North Valley in our early years but as I read some history we were also with a small congregation in EL Salem. Our first parsonage was built south of Eureka Center, near the Harper school.

On November 10, 1887, at the annual meeting it was decided to become a member of the Synod, then known as the “Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church Association of America,” which had been formed just three years before. Also in that year our Log Church was dedicated, and first District meeting was held in the log church from November 29- December 1, 1887.

We have so much to be Thankful, the pioneers, the Builders, Pastors and the many miles they walked to bring the word of God to our ancestors.