Trinity Lutheran Church History

1885
A meeting was held in Ellison Bay on Sunday, February 12 at the school (now the J. H. Bergman home) to organize a church to be known as the Lutheran Trinity Congregation. Hans Olsen and Ole Olsen, descendants from Norway, and Andrew Wickman from Sweden were elected as trustees.

John Ellison of Sweden, who owned all of Ellison Bay, gave two acres of land to the Scandinavian Lutheran Congregation for a church and cemetery. The sum of $265 was appropriated towards the building of the church.

1886

Pastor John Olsen

The Lutheran Trinity Congregation met on January 3 at the schoolhouse with Pastor John Olsen of Ephraim acting as chairman and Hans Olsen as secretary. At this meeting it was decided to build a church during the summer of 1886, providing funds could be raised and it was the will of God. Also at this meeting, $45.50 was collected for the pastor's salary. In addition, he was allowed to take the hay from the cemetery. Pastor John Olsen served both the Trinity and Ephraim congregations.

A meeting was held on June 11 in the schoolhouse and 43 people, mostly the heads of families, joined the congregation.

1887
A meeting was held on March 27 and Abraham Landin was elected to be the secretary and treasurer. It was decided to get subscriptions ready so the congregation would know how much money was available to start to building a church. Construction began June 18, 1887; the foundation was 38 by 24 feet. Abraham Landin was delegated to buy the timbers. Several members – including John Ellison, Ole Olsen, Christian Severson and Nils Nilson – donated teams to haul the timber to the church location.

At a regular meeting on October 10, it was decided to raise the building and get it under cover. George Larson of Ephraim took the contract to build it for $210.

1888
The church was used for services even though it was not completed.

Trinity Church, Ellison Bay, circa 1888

1889
A meeting was held in January and it was decided that men would go out and get donations for the building of the church; families that wanted to belong to the church would be asked to pay $5. Only $39 was collected for the pastor's salary, so the farmers helped out by giving him farm produce from their farms.

1889
Hans Aronson was sent out to get more subscriptions to try to finish the church building.

1890
A meeting was held and it was decided to start a Sunday School. Ole Olsen was elected to be the teacher. Only $169 was collected for the pastor's salary, so the congregation was asked to help to get more money. At this time 12 ladies decided to unite and do missionary work in and out of the church. This was the start of the Trinity Ladies Aid.

1891
A meeting was held and the members voted to take up a collection four times a year with this money to go to the church. Also, the cost of burial was set at $1 for adults and 75¢ for children.

1892
Pastor John Olsen resigned as pastor in January. Ole Olsen agreed to take charge until the church got another pastor.

1893
A meeting was held on May 27 and it was decided to have a picnic at the church; the church would furnish coffee, sugar and tea and the congregation would bring bread, butter, cookies and cakes. Also, a free will offering would be taken to buy chairs for the church.

Pastor N.H. Kolding presided at the December meeting.

1894
A missionary pastor, Johan Carlstat, presided at the April meeting. Also, Pastors Fryman and Weibel presided during this year.

1895
Pastor G. Juhlin presided at the July 22 meeting. A motion was made and carried that the men should pay $3 and women $2 three times a year to belong to the church. Also, the church decided to affiliate with the Lutheran Augustana Evangelical Synod. Abraham Landin would draft the Church Constitution (It was written in Swedish; he was the secretary). The name of the church became "The Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation."

1896
Pastor Juhlin left and Pastor A. Kinel came that same year. He presided at the meeting where it was decided to build a stall for the pastor's horse. The size was to be 14 X 12 X 8 feet high. The pastor's salary that year was $122.36.

1897
New officers were elected as usual for one-, two-, or three-year terms. Also, $1.86 was paid out to purchase three Bibles for the confirmands.

1898
Pastor Kinel left and Pastor Kluxdahl came. He presided at the meeting when it was decided to buy English song books for the Sunday School.

1899
Abraham Landin resigned as secretary and A. A. Anderson served as acting secretary.

1900
A meeting was held on January 4, and it was decided to sever relations with the Augustana Synod and just be a Free Church. The foreman would write up a new constitution (it was written in Norwegian).

1901
A regular meeting was held with Pastor Reinertson as our pastor. Esaias Olsen was elected secretary.

1902
At the annual meeting Pastor Fomes was the temporary pastor; Pastor J. H. Lawrence was then the acting pastor.

1903
In January, Pastor A. T. Juvland was elected as pastor.

1904
At the annual meeting it was decided to establish a Lutheran Parochial School at Abraham Landin's home (later Floy Fandrei's home, and now the home of Brent and Camilla Hitzeman and their children). Pastor Juvland's annual salary was $150.

1905
At a meeting, it was decided to put in a furnace to heat the church.

1906
The annual church meeting was held. The janitor's salary was raised to $10 a year.

1907
At the annual meeting there was a discussion on whether or not to add on to the church.

Confirmation Class 1907

1909
At the annual meeting, a committee was organized to see about the remodeling of the church.

1910
The congregation decided to have a student assist Pastor Juvland during June, July and August.

1911
The annual meeting was held and it was decided that the annual church membership charge would be $5 for a family, $2 for a confirmed boy and $1 for a confirmed girl. This money was to go towards the pastor's salary.

Confirmation Class early in the Twentieth Century

1912
At the annual church meeting, it was decided to join the United Church, a forerunner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Pastor Juvland was called to be the pastor with a salary of $400 a year.

1914
Pastor Juvland resigned. A motion was made and carried to buy the parsonage from Pastor Juvland for $800. The Ladies Aid would pay for it.

1915
The annual meeting was held with Pastor Fjelsgaard opening the meeting with scripture and prayer as usual. Motion was made and carried to scrub the church at least six times a year.

Trinity Church, Ellison Bay, circa 1915

1916
Pastor Mason presided at the January 8 meeting. A motion was made and carried to pay the pastor's salary monthly, if possible. The building committee met with the congregation and it was decided to remodel the church.

1917
At the annual meeting January 1, a motion was made and carried to have Norwegian services once a month. Services were conducted in Norwegian when a Norwegian pastor presided and in Swedish when the presiding pastor was Swedish.

The church records were recorded in Norwegian until 1886. From 1886 to 1898 they were written in Swedish. From 1898 to 1912 they were recorded in Norwegian. They have since been written in English. The chief recorder in Norwegian was Hans Olson; Abraham Landin. was the chief recorder in Swedish.

1918
A meeting was held on January 5 and a motion was made and carried to pay pastor $50 a month for the coming year.

1920
A new church constitution was written in Norwegian. The church was called the "Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church."

Trinity Church (Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church), Ellison Bay, circa 1920

1920-1921
The church was again enlarged and remodeled to meet the needs of a growing congregation.

1922
The pastor's salary was raised to $1,000 a year at the January meeting. Pastor Mason left the congregation later that year.

Trinity Church, Ellison Bay, circa 1930

1929-1935
During C. O. Anderson's pastorate here, a building fund was started as the need for more space became apparent and the congregation envisioned building a new church. (In 1930 a new constitution was adopted and written in English).

Trinity Church, Ellison Bay Choir, circa 1938

1944-1957
In 1944 the building fund had grown to only $990. A special appeal in 1945 raised the amount to $2,636, and by 1950, a total of $24,937 was reached. In 1954 the Engebretson estate of $7,355 was added to the building fund. In 1955, with $37,492 in the fund, work was started on the new sanctuary. Ground breaking took place on April 10, 1955 and the corner stone was laid October 2, 1955. Early in 1957 the congregation moved into the new church, holding services in the basement. On Good Friday worship was finally held upstairs in the main sanctuary.

1960
The congregation celebrated the 75th anniversary of the church in Ellison Bay. Recent additions included the bell tower given in memory of Mr. and Mrs. John Beard, Sr., a folding door in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Reinhart Pfeil, and new service books and hymnals.

Laying the cornerstone of Trinity, October 2, 1955

Trinity Lutheran Church 1960

Pastors that served Trinty Lutheran Church

1885-1892		John Olson
1893-1894		N. H. Kolding
1894-1895		M. Fyrman
1895-1896		G. Juhlin
1896-1898		A. Kinel
1898-1900		Gudmond Kluxdahl
1900-1902		Rev. Reinertson
1902-1914		A. T. Juvland
1914-1916		Rev. Fjelsgaard
1916-1922		H. M. Mason
summer		Rev. Bongsto
1923-1928		Ole Belsaas
1929-1935		C. O. Anderson
1935-1939		George Gustafson
summer 1939		C. Carlson
Interim Pastor		A. T. Juvland
1939-1941		I. P. Paulson
1942-1944		E. T. Anderson
1945-1950		O. R. Carsten Smeby
1950-1956		R. A. Olson
Interim Paster		Luther Jacobson

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