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Gowrie church marks 150th

Sesquicentennial celebrations to honor legacy of founders

-Messenger photo by Kriss Nelson
Not only will Zion Lutheran Church in Gowrie be celebrating 150 years, but 2021 will also mark the 90th anniversary of the dedication of the current building.

GOWRIE — At a time when areas of rural Webster County were just being settled, a group of pioneers had a vision to start a congregation. That church has now been in existence for 150 years.

The congregation of Zion Lutheran Church of Gowrie has officially begun the sesquicentennial celebrations when it kicked off with a celebratory service on Jan. 24 to recognize the anniversary of the charter that was signed on Jan. 21, 1871.

The Rev. Jim Davis has been at the pulpit at Zion Lutheran Church for 20 years and said he and the rest of the congregation are excited to embrace all that comes with a sesquicentennial anniversary.

“For them, the reason we are celebrating the sesquicentennial, first of all, is the reason we are here are the people that started it 150 years ago, and then all of the people that have been part of it since then,” he said. “A big part of it is to remember and say thank you to the people who left us with what we have and to remember the values they had in the way they lived. It’s important to say thank you for what we’ve been given and to remember the values and the work it took to do that and to also look ahead to 150 years from now.”

Although it is unknown what the next 150 years will bring, Davis said they are setting the foundation for the church to carry on for some time.

-Messenger photo by Kriss Nelson
The Rev. Jim Davis has been serving Zion Lutheran Church for 20 years.

One way is through the Zion Benevolence Fund. The fund, Davis said, is set up for 5% of the funding every year to go to help people in need. A capital fund also has been established, and a percentage of that is used for building repairs.

“We have set up these two funds to look into the future,” he said. “There is a cost to take care of the building and we want to build a fund to take care of people, too. That is one of the things we can do to build for the future and hopefully leave something behind for them and inspire them to say what can we do for the next generation?”

Davis said although their numbers continue to decline — much like other rural congregations — it is the people that keep Zion Lutheran Church thriving.

“We have some really good people that work really hard in the church and the community that try to be positive and caring of others, that give of themselves and their money,” he said.

Zion Lutheran Church is also built on multi-generations of family members.

-Messenger photo by Kriss Nelson
The large rose window shines light in the balcony of Zion Lutheran Church.

Pete Carlon, church member and president of the sesquicentennial planning committee, comes from one of those families.

“There is a lot of family heritage in the church,” said Carlon, who said he is the fourth generation of his family to attend Zion.

In fact, Carlon’s ties go a little further than most at Zion Lutheran Church, as the very first services were held on his family’s farm.

History of Zion

Lutheran Church

-Messenger photo by Kriss Nelson
The stained glass windows adorning the front of the sanctuary are shown inside Zion Lutheran Church in Gowrie.

In documents obtained by the church, the beginnings of what eventually became Zion Lutheran Church in Gowrie began three years prior to the charter date of Jan. 21, 1871.

“Pastor C.J. Malberg was pastor of an already established Dayton congregation, and was perhaps the first ordained minister to make contact with the new settlement, who came here under great handicaps to conduct services in homes and schoolhouses as often as possible to hold worship services and prayer meetings in the Mr. and Mrs. Jonas P. Liljegren home. They were the first settlers in southern Webster County in Lost Grove Township.”

Malberg’s wife accompanied him to his first visit to the Liljegren home and later shared this story of that adventure.

“In the fall of 1868, the members of the Dayton congregation gave their pastor (Malberg) a horse making it possible for him to call upon newly arrived friends of Lutheran faith throughout the rural area. He then went to an auction and purchased a spring wagon, so that I too, could join him in making these visits.

“Among the first of these ventures we undertook was a trip in the westerly direction, to see if we could locate the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jonas Liljegren. They had settled near a little creek some six miles farther out than anyone else in the prairie which lay between Dayton and what is now Gowrie.

-Messenger photo by Kriss Nelson
Zion Lutheran Church was founded 150 years ago. The current building is 90 years old and work is being done to place the building on the National Register of Historic Places.

“After we had driven five or six miles, we found that we could see only the sky and a sea of grass. Mile after mile we traveled and continued searching. Not as much as a bird crossed the sky — not an animal of any kind did we see — but only occasionally a large snake could be spotted leisurely lying on the turf sunning himself.

“When at last we caught a glimpse of the Liljegren cabin and made our way there we found ourselves warmly welcomed.

“The pastor’s initial greeting however was, ‘You have gone altogether too far away from civilization, Jonas,’ but Liljegren was of another opinion. ‘Too far said he. No. Certainly not. We shall soon have a congregation here, and then we will call Pastor Malberg here to ourselves.'”

“It was not very long after that first visit that the pastor reconsidered his opinion of Liljegren’s vision in making this prediction which seemed so unreasonable at the time. One house after another was built in all surrounding directions — parents, brothers and sisters, cousins and many others purchased land and built homes for themselves in this rich and beautiful locality. Within two years the railroad passed through this community and the station Gowrie began to develop and became visible in the distance.”

Services continued to be held at their home until the August Danielson schoolhouse was built.

On Jan. 21, 1871, a meeting was held at the schoolhouse, with 21 people reported to have attended the organizational meeting. Those 21 people became charter members of the congregation.

Records also state they had been well prepared for the mass meeting at the schoolhouse.

“The absence of a pastor in this important assembly was, no doubt, the result of unavoidable circumstances. It is heartening to know that there were laymen capable and willing to assume leadership in the organization of a congregation, a fact that presaged the important part to be played by laymen throughout our history.”

In addition to Malberg, other pastors that were a part of the early years of the development of Zion Lutheran Church included Rev. John Telleen and Rev. O.J. Siljestrom.

In 1880, the first church and parsonage were built in Gowrie. That structure was used until it was demolished and replaced with the current building, which was dedicated on April 19, 1931.

“It’s amazing to think in the thick of the Depression is tearing it down and building a new one,” said Davis. “I look at them and think their faith must have been really important to them.”

It is estimated it would take $12 million to build that sort of structure today.

“Not only did they leave us a beautiful facility, but a very good legacy of people that service and work hard in the community and work beyond the church to care for people,” he said. “Then you look at the history of those 21 charter members that started a congregation out there on the prairie.”

Davis said they are currently working to get the church placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The process is expected to take up to 18 months.

Celebratory services

The sesquicentennial committee has planned several celebrations for the year.

A celebratory service is planned for April 18 to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the current church’s dedication.

A special service will be held Memorial Day weekend. This service will be a chance to recognize and honor the charter/founding members by decorating their graves with a special wreath.

On the Fourth of July, a special service is planned for former members in town celebrating the holiday, along with a confirmation class reunion.

Sunday, Sept. 5, is the date planned for the formal 150th anniversary celebration service.

This fall, there are plans to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the church’s establishment of the Countryside Ministry Program, as well as to honor all military veterans from the congregation.

All former living pastors, interim pastors, interns and sons and daughters of the congregation have been invited to participate in these services.

To help commemorate the sesquicentennial anniversary, a wide selection of memorabilia is for sale. A remembrance memory book with photos of the members is also planned.

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