Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/482

 408 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY This summer — 1909 — a beautiful and high-grade pipe organ was bought and placed in the church, and dedicated by Dr. C. A. Mellby the 18th of July. As Urland forms a call together with Vang, the parsonage is a joint property. The following pastors have served k the congre- gation: Revs. B. J. Muus, M. O. Bockman. Th. Aug. Hanson, J. N. Kildahl, N. Osfstedahl, C. A. Mellby and A. Hauge, the pres- ent pastor. The church maintains parochial schools in several districts. It has three auxiliaries. The present membership is over 600. It belongs to the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America. The present trustees are P. J. Otterness, 0. E. Ohnstad. R. O. Underdahl, J. E. Flom, and S. Charleson, trustee- at-large and treasurer; secretary, I. D. Hustvedt, who has also been the parochial teacher and organist in the congregation for more than thirty years. Gol's Congregation is located in Kenyon township, and the Reverend Simonson is pastor. See Kenyon. Moland Congregation includes both Goodhue and Rice county people. The Reverend Simonson is pastor. See Kenyon town- ship. Kenyon Congregation has a flourishing village congregation. The Reverend Simonson is pastor. See Kenyon village. Hoff Congregation erected a church in Belvidere township in 1867. The Reverend Mellby is pastor. See Belvidere township. Rev. B. J. Muus, the venerable old patriarch of the Norwegian churches of the county, was born in Norway, March 15, 1832. He graduated from Christiania University in 1854, and a few years afterward immigrated to Minnesota. In 1859 he came to Goodhue county and took charge of all the Norwegian Lutheran congrega- tions at that time organized in Minnesota, including the congre- gation of Holden. He was the first minister of the established church of Norway to locate here, and for some years had sole charge of the congregations in eight counties in Wisconsin and Minnesota. His work resulted in the formation of new parishes, until his district included seven congregations, as follows: Holden congregation, in Wanamingo; Dale, in Cherry Grove; Urland. in Leon: Yang's, in Holden; Gol and Halgre in Kenyon, and Moland, on the county line. All these congregations, except Moland. owned fine church buildings, and in taking charge of the congregations Rev. Muus was aided by two assistants. Over twenty parochial schools were also conducted in connection with these churches. Under the care of Pastor Muus these congrega- tions grew and prospered, and in the course of time many secured pastors of their own, one after another. Reverend Muus retained charge of the Holden congregation until a short time before his death, in Norway, May 25, 1900. He served as president of the