Wyndmere Lutheran Church History

The following is a brief history of local churches, most of which eventually became part of the Wyndmere Lutheran Parish which is at present (2005) a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This history was gathered to help consolidate the records of the churches. As these records were read and collated, it was very interesting to read them. At times it was difficult to determine exact information; spellings of the same names varried from one generation to anothers. It is our hope these records will aid in the preservation of the old records and in the search for genealogical information.

Wyndmere Lutheran congregation was organized in 1904. Worship was held in various homes, the Methodist Church, and other places in the town of Wyndmere, such as City Hall. By 1914, a church ahd been built and still serves the congregation today.

In 1898 when Rev. Engerholm became the resident pastor, the congregation in the Silver Prairie area decided to form smaller congregations because of fistances to travel. As a result seven separate charges were extablished. Viking, Silver Prairie, Stearns, Dovre (Normanna), Homestead, Gol Aal, and Lillie Norway. (Silver Prairie was an extensive area lying between what is now McLeod to the west, Barrie to the north, Colfax to the east and Wyndmere to the south or as the original record states "24 miles from NW to SE and same distance from NE to SW.")

Viking church was built in 1899 in the township after which it was named. Viking congregation still holds services in this church.

Silver Prairie Church was built in 1907 in Freeman township. In 1920, the church was destroyed in a wind storm. It was not rebuilt. Servies were then held in Freeman school houses. The congregation, in 1944, merged with Nordmanna Lutheran to form United Lutheran.

Stearns Lutheran congregation was organized by Mathieson school in 1896. In 1902 a church building was acquired. The congrgation disbanded in 1936 for lack of a pastor and declinging membership.

Dovre Church was built in 1903 by Sheyenne township. In 1911, the church burned down during a priarie fire. In 1922, the congregation built a new church, Nordmanna. In 1944 they merged with Silver Prairie, and the Nordmanna church was moved to its present site in Freeman township. They formed United Lutheran which, in 1964, merged with Gol Aal to become Grace Lutheran Church.

Homestead Lutheran congregation was organized in 1907, and the church was built in Homestead Township in 1908. This church was destroyed by a windstorm in 1937 and the next year a new church was started. By 1971, the membership had dwindlied and the church closed its doors.

Gol Aal congregation was organized in 1888 and the church was built in 1920 in Garborg Township. This church building waws destroyed in a wind storm in 1928 and rebuilt the next year. This church still serves Grace Lutheran of the Wyndmere Lutheran Parish. Grace is the result of a merger of Untied Lutheran of rural McLeod and Gol Aa.

Grace Lutheran and Viking Lutheran and Untied Free Lutheran are the only churches of Silver Prairie to servive to the present day.

Lillie Norway was organized in 1888 with an adress of McLeod, ND, but it is not known if a church was built or how long the congregation existed.