Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 16, 1986)
H H K - I h r tlrp p n rr ( . a r r lt r I imrs. llr p p n rr. Oregon \\rd ix -s d a v . \|>ril 16. |*/H6 Valby celebrates 100th anniversary " L if t high the c ro u . the love of Christ proclaim ," the nearly 300 members ami Iriemls o f Valhy Lutheran Church sang these familiar words to the i>pcmng hymn at last Sunday's llllt h anniversary service They continued to lift high the cross m irroring the service o f the Valby (Shepherd's (fell in Swedish) con gregation for the past It*) years fhe Rev M ilton Ncsvig. vice president emeritus o f Tacoma, W ashington's Pacific Lutheran University and archivist for the North Pacific District described Valhy in the morning's sermon as a beacon among the wheal fields where many had made contact with each other and with God over the past century The church, he said, has had a profound effect on many Nessig and the current pastor o f the church, the Rev Kick Even son were assisted with the worship ser vice by four former pastors at the congregation Rev R udolph Mensch. Res Mark Johnson. Rev John Maav and Rev Ken Robinson Valby congregation was lormed A pril IR. IHHft and served by itinerant pastors until IV55 when Hope Lutheran Church formed in Hcppncr and the two congregations called a fulltime pastor, the Res M erlin Zicr to serve the church Members of Valby met in homes un til five acres was donated and the building went up Mission pastors came by train to A lk a la i (A rlin g to n ) and by bui khoard to Little Sweden (north o f lone), the grandson o f one early minister explained how pastors came to Valby Paul Lews, descended from the Trocdvm family at Little Sweden, said that pastors would he met at the train and brought to the Morgan area where they would con duct a worship service Saturday evening for the Trnrdsons. I undells. Swansons, and others o f the urea, and then early the next morning so meonc would hitch up the huckhoard and lake him on to Valby. stopping at Petersons for breakfast before the service. The congregation met for a while at the Rocky Bluff School in Jenkins Cemetery, over the hill from the cur rent location of the church The K inky B lull school was later mov cd to the church grounds and modified to become the current social hall Lhe celebration could not fi.1VP been complete without awards A V i(*) donation from Aid Association for Lutherans was presented to Valby by Hcrmiston A A L represen tative Tom Nichols Otilia Hunt. HR years young and a former member of Hope congregation, was the oldest person present Lhe youngest in at tendance was Kevin Drake, infant son of Doug and C'ar'ey Drake o f Hcppncr Receiving the award for the per son having come the farthest, the Rev Mensch said that although he retired when he moved from the Hcppncr-Valby church he has never forgot the church because it was so uplifting in his own life Many others who moved uwav must have rem embered the C hurch also because Bergstroms and Petersons and others who had left the area were seen, introducing themselves to members of their extended families who remained in the area The Rev Ken Robinson announc ed that the Valby congregation had always been "the apple of my eye." and agreed with an earlier dcscrip lion by the Rev John Maas that the congregation could be compared to a nurturing mother who gave birth to fledgling pastors by encouraging seminarians to discover the style ol their own ministry expecting that he "baptize the babies, bury the dead, preach tin Sunday and do whatever else he wanted." lhe Rev Mark Johnson confess ed that he was a "c ity boy " until he came to Morrow County His first day at V alby . I k - said, every dirt rivid " lo o k e d the s a m e ." and he w ondered at the sanity o f parishoners who invited him to go waterskiing after the service Rapid ly the congregation became part o f the Johnsons extended Christian family and he and his family are cur rently serving another rural parish lhe Res John Maas shared a storv ol the history about the altar in (I k - Church On the lOllth anniver vary, it was a good replica o f Swedish litu rg ica l architecture When the church was first built, he s u h I. the altar had five steps up to the pulpit The summer weather in eastern Oregon being warmer than that in Sweden. "s»*mer or later they figured they'd lose a pastor." he said, so three parishoners cut the altar down to its present two steps Discovering (he change, another panshoner allowed that it might be all right, "b u t how's the little woman going to see the preacher ’ " he asked After that the couple Idom attended services ■ ■ anmversar. celebrations, the ■ I M aas co m m cn icd m F fo o d things that the Church has done and disregard the c o n tio y ^^, that contributed to the church's growth In addition to the many pastors who have served the church. Jane- Raw I ins remembered the Women'» Missionary Society that provided much to many early members o l the church through fellowship, and ac lions in their own lives Crus Pctcrvin recalled that before the social hall was added to the church, meals were served in the church building Planks protecting the church's glass windows from vandalism, he said were brought in side and laid across the pews to form tables lor serving the food The grand party that the church with about HO confirmed members spent many months planning sue seeded in proclaiming the lose of Christ |usl as the Church has done for the last KM) years The Rev Ncsvig challenged the Church to renew its dedication " to teach new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. and be sure of this that I am with you always, even to the end of the World " (Matthew 28:20) The day's offering. SI .27S 22 was donated lo iio o d Shepherd I utheran Church in Roardman. (he area s newest Lutheran congregation Photos from top Right-the front entrance to the Valby Church building Left-the altar in the sanctuary The Rev Ken Robinson (left) and the Rev Rudolph Minseh Irv Rauch (left) visits with the Rev John Maas Right-the Rev Mark Johnson and Steve Brownfield iom in sinqinq a hymn Members and friends of valby Women of Valby serve anniversary cake ATTENTION Men & Women Over 18 Morrow County Search & Rescue now taking applications. Apply ot Sherriff s Office or with any member. Meetings are at 7 p.m., third Tues., of every month ot the old bus shop. Fee/ Free To Cornel _ Norris Dooney, Captain Good Buys On USED CHAINSAWS Jonsereds 630 »175 Stihl 045 §tihl Q4J »275 . 175 Jonsereds Super 630 gebuU' »250 ^ A GREEN FEED __________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------* \ Have your Air Conditioning serviced & repaired here. 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