Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/483

 EISTOEY OF GOODHUE COUNTY L09 Minnesota Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church, as president of St. Olaf's school, at Northfield, and for many years occupied a high place of honor and respect in the counsels of the church with which he affiliated. In 1876, when the Nor- wegian synod was divided into three districts, Mr. Muus was elected president of the one emhracing Minnesota and the states to the west. He was the founder and first president of St. Olaf college, at Northfield. In his latter years he differed with his synod on doctrinal questions, and was finally expelled, but was, in spite of this, respected for his learning and high character. Prof. F. A. Schmidt, D. D., is professor of theology at the United Lutheran Seminary at St. Anthony Park. He is one of the best known Lutheran scholars in the northwest. He was born in Leutenberg, Rudolstadt, Germany, January 3, 1837, and came to America in 1841, after the death of his parents. After spending six years in the parochial schools in St. Louis, he en- tered college, and graduated in 1853. He studied theology three years, served a congregation in Eden, N. Y., and later another at Baltimore, Md. After two years he was called as professor in the first Norwegian high school in America, now knoAvn as Luther College, in Decorah, Iowa. This was in 1861. Later he taught theology five years at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and then removed to Madison, Wis., teaching there eleven years in the Norwegian Theological Seminary. "When the United Norwegian Lutheran church was formed in 1890, he was transferred from Northfield, whither he had gone in 1886 to teach in the seminary of the Anti-Missourians, to Minneapolis, where he is still teach- ing, although he is now seventy-two years of age. In 1883 he re- ceived the D. D. degree in recognition of his honorable services. His wife, Mrs. Schmidt, formerly Caroline Allwardt, is still liv- ing. On Tuesday, December 8, 1908, the aged couple celebrated their golden wedding. Mrs. F. A. Schmidt was born in Mecklen- burgh-Sehwerin, Germany, October 11, 1812, and came to Chat- tanooga county, New York, when she was eight years old. She 'was married to Dr. F. A. Schmidt fifty-one years ago at Olean. N. Y. Dr. and Mrs. Schmidt have a number of sons and daugh- ters, among whom is Prof. E. W. Schmidt, of the Red Wing Seminary. The Norwegian Synod has three churches in this county — Trinity, at Red Wing; Little Cannon, in Holden, and the Zum- brota church. The Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Church, of Red Wing, at one time known as the First Norwegian Evangelical Church, of Red Wing, belongs to the Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The first Lutheran sermon in the Norwegian language was preached in Red Wing in 1858 by Rev.