Title: Ezekiel Lutheran Church (River Falls, Wis.) Records
Inclusive Dates: 1890-1997

Creator:

• Ezekiel Lutheran Church (River Falls, Wis.)

Call Number: River Falls Mss Y

Quantity: 7.6 c.f. (14 archives boxes, 18 volumes)

Repository:

Housed at the University Archives and Area Research Center, Chalmer Davee Library, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, ; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-River Falls, Chalmer Davee Library / River Falls Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:

Records of a church founded in 1890. The records consist of papers of the Women's Missionary Federation, Hudson Circuit; and congregation records including correspondence and business papers, minutes, financial records, bulletins, sermons, records of marriages, baptisms, and confirmations, 1901-1930, and records of several church-sponsored. There are also histories of some of these groups as well as photographs of church buildings, pastors, and older members of the congregation. Also included are pictorial church directories from 1993 and 1997. The records concerned with the Women's Missionary Federation, Hudson Circuit, include correspondence and business papers, minutes of the board, minutes of the annual conventions, and folders relating to church and ladies aid history for thirty of the churches in the Hudson Circuit. Records also document committee work that went into planning and implementing centennial celebrations in 1990.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-rf000y

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As Norwegian Lutheran settlers began to populate the rural districts surrounding River Falls, Wisconsin, the Lutheran Church continued to send circuit riders, such as Claus Lauritz Clausen and Marcus Thorson, into the area. Reverend Thorson was instrumental in organizing the Lutheran Ladies Aid in 1881, a society which preceded the organizing of the Ezekiel Lutheran Church by nine years.

In 1890, the Ezekiel Lutheran Church was organized and the Reverend P. K. Mellang was called as the first regular pastor, a post he held for two years. He was succeeded by the Reverend N. L. Blomholm, who served the congregation from 1892 through 1923. In 1895, the Ezekiel Lutheran Church purchased the old River Falls Catholic church property, renovated the building, and moved it to a new location. A new church building was consecrated in November, 1926, just after English services were started under the pastor, the Reverend Arthur L. Rustad.

The Ezekiel Lutheran Church Records consist of records of the congregation; and records of the Women's Missionary Federation, Hudson Circuit, which was organized in April, 1925, for the purpose of carrying on general missionary work in foreign countries, as well as supporting foreign seminary students studying in the United States.

The congregation records include correspondence and business papers, minutes of the board of trustees, membership lists, sermons, bulletins, financial records, records of marriages, baptisms, and confirmations, and minutes and financial accounts for such church-sponsored groups as the Luther League, Lutheran Mission Circle, Ezekiel Lutheran Church Ladies Aid, the Kinnickinnic Lutheran Ladies Aid, Lutheran Daughters of the Reformation, and numerous other groups, many no longer in existence. There are also histories of some of these groups as well as numerous photographs of church buildings, pastors, and members of the congregation. Box 14 contains records related to the church's centennial in 1990 when numerous special worship and music events were organized in celebration.

The records concerned with the Women's Missionary Federation, Hudson Circuit, include correspondence and business papers, 1925-1953; minutes of the board of the Hudson Circuit, 1955-1960; minutes of the annual conventions, 1957-1960; and numerous folders relating to church and ladies aid history for most of the churches in the Hudson Circuit. These individual church histories are arranged alphabetically by the name of the church.

Acquisition Information

Presented by the Church, 1964, 1991, by Alise Jensen, 1980-1987, the Reverend Jule F. Berndt, 1991, Cheryl Hoffman, 1997, and Kay Montgomery, 1997. Accession Number: M64-226, M80-492, M80-510, M80-513, M81-542, M81-543, M82-139, M87-233

Processing Information

Processed by Jack T. Ericson, May 5, 1965; additions processed by Tom Conrad and Sue Steinwall, 1987, and by Stephanie Zeman, 1991 and 1997.

	Series: Congregation Records
	Subseries: Correspondence and Business Papers
Box   1 Folder   1	General, 1935-1963
Box   13 Folder   1	Annual Reports, 1975-1979
Box   10 Folder   1-12	Bulletins, 1926-27, 1945-46, 1948-1954, 1956-1960, 1980-81
Box   1 Folder   2	Constitution of the Ezekiel Lutheran Church
	Histories, etc.
Box   11 Folder   2	Heritage Night: “90 Years of Faith” Program, 1980
Box   11 Folder   3	Correspondence re Ezekiel Lutheran History, 1980
Box   11 Folder   4	“History of Ezekiel Lutheran Church, 1890-1980”
Box   11 Volume   50	Historical album, compiled in 1985
	Membership lists
Box   7 Volume   23	Unidentified membership list
Box   10 Folder   14	Lists, 1947, 1950
Box   1 Folder   9	Lists, 1947 and 1953
Box   10 Folder   14	Lists, 1947, 1950
Box   11 Volume   51-52	Mother-Daughter Banquets and Teas: Programs, 1934-35, 1949-1960, 1969-1973, 1981
Box   13 Folder   4	“Parish News,” 1966-1972
Box   11 Folder   1	Programs, 1945, 1946, 1949, 1950
Box   10 Folder   17	Sermons, 1940-1990, undated
	Subseries: Minutes of the Board of Trustees	⇧
Box   5 Volume   1	1939-1949
Box   5 Volume   2	1949-1955
	Subseries: Financial Records	⇧
Box   1 Folder   3	Financial statements, 1924-1956
	Treasurer's Records
Volume   25	1922-1930
Volume   26	1929-1930
Box   8 Volume   27	1929-1933
Box   8 Volume   28	1930-1931
Box   8 Volume   29	1931-1932
Box   8 Volume   30	1932-1933
Box   8 Volume   31	1933-1934
Box   8 Volume   32	1935-1936
Volume   33	1936-1937
Volume   34	1937-1938
Volume   35	1938-1939
Volume   36	1939-1940
Volume   37	1940-1941
Volume   38	1941-1942
Box   8 Volume   39	1941-1942
Volume   40	1942-1943
Volume   41	1943-1944
Volume   42	1944-1945
Volume   43	1945-1946
Volume   44	1946-1947
Volume   45	1947-1948
Volume   46	1948-1949
Volume   47	1955-1956
Volume   48	1957
Box   9 Volume   49	1962-1963
	Subseries: Records related to Sacraments	⇧
Volume   24	Minister's record of marriages, baptisms, and confirmations, 1901-1930
Box   10 Folder   13	Confirmation class rosters, 1902-1980
Box   1 Folder   13	Obituaries of church members
	Subseries: Church Groups	⇧
Box   5 Volume   6	American Lutheran Church Women: Minutes, 1960-1961 Note: Volume also contains minutes of the Ladies Aid, 1952-1959; listed below.
Box   6 Volume   9	Circle 7: Minutes, membership list, and financial records, 1957-1962
	Circle 8
Box   6 Volume   10	Minutes and membership list, 1949-1957
Box   6 Volume   11	Treasurer's accounts, 1949-1957
Box   6 Volume   13	Dorcas Society: Treasurer's accounts, 1911-1916
	Ezekiel Lutheran Brotherhood
Box   10 Folder   15	Minute book, 1946-1952
Box   10 Folder   16	Certificate of membership, 1959; Correspondence, , 1948-1951; membership lists, , undated
	Junior Mission Circle
Box   1 Folder   6	History
Box   6 Volume   14	History
Box   7 Volume   15	Treasurer's accounts, 1937-1949
Box   1 Folder   7	Kinnickinnic Ladies Aid: History
	Ladies Aid
Box   1 Folder   8	History
Box   12 Folder   1	Constitution/Treasurer's Book, 1890-1905 (Volume 53)
Box   5 Volume   3	Minutes, 1890-1927
Box   5 Volume   4	Minutes, 1928-1937
Box   5 Volume   5	Minutes, 1938-1952
Box   5 Volume   6	Minutes, 1952-1959 Note: Volume also contains minutes of the American Lutheran Church Women, 1960-1961; listed above
Box   6 Volume   7	Treasurer's accounts, 1906-1935
Box   6 Volume   8	Treasurer's accounts and membership lists, 1936-1952
	Luther League
Box   7 Volume   18	Minutes, 1946-1949
Box   7 Volume   19	Minutes, 1950-1952
Box   7 Volume   20	Minutes and membership list, 1956-1958
	Lutheran Daughters of the Reformation
Box   12 Folder   2	1929-1937
Box   12 Folder   3	1946-1948; undated
	Lutheran Mission Circle
Box   7 Volume   16	Minutes and membership lists, 1947-1949
Box   1 Folder   4	History of the Ezekiel Lutheran Church Mission Circle
Box   1 Folder   5	History of the First Lutheran Missionary Circle, River Falls
Box   1 Folder   10	Lutheran Student Pastors Association: Minutes, 1926-1935
Box   7 Volume   22	Lutheran Student's Association: Minutes and history, 1938-1949
Box   7 Volume   17	Young Peoples Lutheran League: Minutes, 1921-1926
Box   7 Volume   21	Young Peoples Society: Minutes and membership list, 1915-1919
	Subseries: Photographs	⇧
Box   2 Folder   1	Photographs and clippings re Ezekiel Lutheran Church
Box   2 Folder   2	Photographs re Ladies Aid of the Ezekiel Lutheran Church
Box   13 Folder   2	Confirmation Class Photographs, 1966-1968, 1971
Box   13 Folder   3	Confirmation Class Photographs, 1972-73, 1975, undated
Box   13 Folder   5	Pictorial church directories, 1993 and 1997
	Subseries: Miscellany	⇧
Box   1 Folder   11	Miscellaneous printed matter
Box   1 Folder   12	Miscellaneous unsorted clippings
	Subseries: Centennial Related Papers, 1990	⇧
Box   14 Folder   1	Centennial Committee, 1987-1990
Box   14 Folder   2	Joan Hyland's Master File, 1987-1990
Box   14 Folder   3	Centennial Worship and Music Committee, 1989-1990
	Centennial Service
Box   14 Folder   4	Festival Worship, 1990 January 7
Box   14 Folder   5	Kathryn Moen Recital, 1990 February 18
Box   14 Folder   6	Trudy Finden, Harpist, and Bell Choir, 1990 April 8
Box   14 Folder   7	Margaret L. Hammer, 1990 May 13
Box   14 Folder   8	Choir Ring and Sing/Choir Reunion, 1990 May 20
Box   14 Folder   9	Worship in the Park (Historical), 1990 July 17
Box   14 Folder   10	Confirmation Reunion, 1990 July 22
Box   14 Folder   11	Ray Christenson, 1990 August 19
Box   14 Folder   12	Thanksgiving and Cornerstone Ceremony, 1990 December 30
Box   14 Folder   13	Church Directory, 1989
Box   14 Folder   14	Church History, 1890-1980
	Series: Women's Missionary Federation, Hudson Circuit	⇧
	Subseries: Records of the Hudson Circuit
	Convention Records
Box   3 Folder   1	Convention programs, 1926-1960
Box   3 Folder   3	Minutes of the annual conventions, 1957-1960
Box   2 Folder   3	Correspondence and business papers, 1925-1953
	Histories
Box   3 Folder   6	History and photographs of the Hudson Circuit
Box   3 Folder   7	Historian's reports, 1943-1960
Box   3 Folder   8	History project information
Box   3 Folder   2	Minutes of the Board, 1955-1960
Box   3 Folder   5	Minutes of the Worker's Conference, 1950-1959
Box   6 Volume   12	Treasurer's accounts of the Mission Box secretary of the Women's Missionary Federation, 1925-1958
	Subseries: Individual Church Histories	⇧
Box   3 Folder   9	Baldwin Lutheran Church, Baldwin, Wis.
Box   3 Folder   10	Bethany Lutheran Church and the West Immanuel Lutheran Church, Star Prairie, Wis.
Box   3 Folder   11	Bethany Lutheran Church, Grantsburg, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   1	Bethel Lutheran Church, Hudson, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   2	Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Ellsworth, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   3	Deronda Lutheran Church, Deronda, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   4	East Immanuel Lutheran Church, Deer Park, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   5	Eidsvold Lutheran Church, Esdaile, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   6	English Lutheran Church, Ellsworth, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   7	Ezekiel Lutheran Church, River Falls, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   8	First Lutheran Church, New Richmond, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   9	Gilman Lutheran Church, Spring Valley, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   10	Laketown Lutheran Church, Cushing, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   11	Little Falls, Lutheran Church, Little Falls, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   12	Mann Valley Lutheran Church, Hudson, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   13	North Rush River Lutheran Church, Baldwin, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   14	North Valley Lutheran Church, Centuria, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   15	Our Savior's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Baldwin, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   16	Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Beldenville, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   17	Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Glenwood City, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   18	Rush River Lutheran Church, River Falls, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   19	Saint John's Lutheran Church, Spring Valley, Wis.
Box   4 Folder   20	Saint Peter's Lutheran Church, Dresser, Wis.
Box   5 Folder   1	South Rush River Lutheran Church, Beldenville, Wis.
Box   5 Folder   2	Spring Lake Lutheran Church, Spring Valley, Wis.
Box   5 Folder   3	Trinity Lutheran Church, Boyceville, Wis.
Box   5 Folder   4	Wilson Evangelical Lutheran Church, Wilson, Wis.
Box   5 Folder   5	Zion Lutheran Church, Woodville, Wis.
Box   5 Folder   6	Zion Lutheran Church of Bone Lake, Clam Falls, Wis.