News
Willow City church celebrates 125 years
Scott Wagar
06/12/2012
Willow City’s First Lutheran Church finds itself in a unique position this month, because it is one of very few churches in all of Bottineau County that will be 125 years old.
The church was first organized in 1887 when the Norwegian immigrants of Willow City made the decision to establish a church. Rev. John U. Pederson of the Norwegian-Danish Synod of Minot was assigned to Willow City and served the Norwegian Lutherans in their homes.
On June 24, 1888, Pederson organized the church’s congregation with Ole T. Hagen, Fred Olson, Nelson Lindeli, John Sanderson, Ole Hanson, Ole Anderson, Peder M. Storstad, Charles Engebretson, Hans Anderson, O. Kallebak, H. Libak, Mrs. Labrud, Henry Kittleson, Mrs. Ingeborg Mortenson, Ole Linn and Austin Sanderson as its chartered members.
As a chartered congregation, its members called Rev. Bernard L. Hagboe of Rugby as its first pastor. At this time, services were no longer conducted in the members’ homes, but moved to the Willow City school house. After the Presbyterian Church was constructed, the First Lutheran Church held its services in that ministerial building.
In 1890, the church became part of the United Lutheran Church synod. Eight years later, Rev. N.J. Ellstad, home mission superintendent of the United Lutheran Church Synod, came to Willow City on an inspection tour and made the decision to re-organize the church. On Nov. 20, 1898, a constitution was adopted, officers were elected and record books were purchased. (Those record books are still used in the church today.)
The women of the First Lutheran Church organized a Ladies Aid group in 1898 and have served the church in many community and missionary projects.
The church members made the decision to construct its own church in 1900, which was completed by July of that year, with the first church service being held on July 15.
In the introduction years of the church, all services were held in the Norwegian language, but as years went by, and the towns people of Willow City began adopting the English language, the transition was made to having services in English.
Although the English language was implemented, the church members kept the name Norwegian Lutheran until after World War II when the parish members re-named the church the First Lutheran Church of Willow City in 1947.
The church was first constructed near the outskirts of town, but in 1930 it was decided to move the church to its present day property to be closer to the downtown section, and heart, of Willow City.
As the church was being prepared to be moved, a basement was constructed on the new property to make more room for the parish members. With the basement completed, the church was moved in 1931 to its new location.
Two years later, the church experienced a tragic event when it experienced a fire. Fortunately for the congregation, the Willow City Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire quickly and save the church.
Another misfortune came to the church in 1940 when its basement was flooded due to a number of heavy rains that summer season. The basement was so severely damaged the church had to be raised16-inches off the ground to set new footings and pour a new cement floor. By raising the church almost a foot and a half, the parish resolved any future flooding problems.
One more calamity came to the First Lutheran Church in the summer of 2000 when it was struck by lightning, causing another fire. The fire was so damaging the church’s steeple was removed completely, and its church bell was relocated to the church’s front lawn.
Over the years, the First Lutheran Church has become point parishes with a variety of churches in Willow City and other communities, which include Barton, Dunseith, Norwich, Towner and Upham.
Today, the church is a three point parish and includes the First Lutheran Church of Willow City, Zion of Towner and New Hope Lutheran of Upham. Rev. Linda Wimmer is the congregation’s pastor.