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
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A
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