The following appeared in The Rose History in 1911.
Rock County Village of Hills continued from 7-09-20 edition of the Star Herald.
The Churches — Hills has three active church organizations, the Immanuel Norwegian Evangelical Union (Synod), the United Norwegian Lutheran and the Trinity Norwegian Lutheran Free. For many years the Presbyterian society also maintained an organization, and the church building of that society still stands.
The Immanuel Norwegian Evangelical Union church of Hills antedates the town by several years. The original organization is the oldest of the Norwegian Lutheran churches in Rock county, having been organized at the home of Ole P. Steen, in Clinton township, on July 10, 1872.14 Rev. Elof Olson was the first pastor of the congregation and assisted in the organization. He was succeeded by O. Sando (1873-1878), C. A. Naeseth (1878-1882), A. Thurmo (1882-1894), and J. H. Lunde (1894-1911), who also served all the other synod churches in the county. The church was incorporated October 11, 1881. Services were held at the homes of the members until 1886.
During the summer of 1884 a church edifice was started on the site where was later built the town of Hills. When it was nearing completion it was struck by the terrible cyclone of July 21, 1884, and entirely destroyed, causing a loss of $1800. One of the carpenters at work on the building was killed and another seriously injured. At a meeting on July 26, 1885, it was decided to erect another church edifice on the same site. The new building was completed late in December, 1885, at a cost of $2,600. An addition was made in 1900, making the total value of the building about $4000. A parsonage was completed in November, 1902, at a cost of $3500. The Immanuel church of Hills is one of the strongest, as well as oldest, in Rock county. The congregation of this church and the one at Beaver Creek numbers at the present time about 525.
The United Norwegian Lutheran church of Hills is also one of the pioneer religious societies of Rock county. It was organized as a Norwegian Lutheran church in July, 1878, under the direction of Rev. H. Z. Hvid, and on May 5, 1879, the congregation allied itself with the United Norwegian Lutheran society. The first officers of the society were Ole Sandbo, secretary; Paul O. Sandbo, C. C. Moe and Joseph Jacobson, trustees; John Nelson, treasurer; A. Gunderson and Erick Evenson, elders; Ole. O. Blegen, deacon.
The first regular pastor of the church was Rev. J. C. Jacobson, who accepted the call on September 24, 1878.15 He was succeeded October 25, 1880, by Rev. H. Wang, who served until 1890. Rev. Theodore Fossum took the pastorate at that time and served fourteen years. He was succeeded by Rev. C. S. Salveson, who served six years. The present pastor, Rev. H. O. Bjorlie, took charge of the church in 1910. One of the early day buildings of Hills was the brick church of this denomination, erected in 1891 at a cost of $3000 and dedicated in the fall of 1892.
The Trinity Norwegian Lutheran Free church of Hills is a comparatively new organization, but one of considerable strength. The Lutheran Free faction withdrew from the United church in 1903, and Rev. K. J. Wang accepted the call as pastor. In October of the same year it was decided to erect a church edifice. C. C. Moe, Chris Sandbo and Charles Nelson were appointed a committee to solicit funds and John Nelson, L. O. Kolsrud, C. F. Skovgaard, Thomas Johnson and Olaf Skyberg were named the building committee. A church costing $6000 was erected and dedicated September 25, 1904.
The only English-speaking church that ever maintained an organization in Hills was the Presbyterian, which was organized in the nineties. Under the pastorate of Rev. W. F. Finch, a church building costing $2000 was put up in 1897, and it was dedicated June 5, 1898, by Rev. R. N. Adams, D. D. For several years the organization was quite prosperous, but for the last five years of its existence was poorly supported. In 1908 it had not a resident member, but services were held until the next year, when service was discontinued.
14The voting members who signed the constitution were Ole P. Steen, Sven Sanderson, Ole Rud, Asle Skattum, Peder Tuff, Christopher Berge, Anders Anderson, Thore Schulzen, John Steen, Christian Clemetsen, Hans Olsen, Ole Finkelsen, Goodman Anderson and John Nelson.
15Rev. Jacobson’s salary was fixed at $125 in cash, and he was also to be the recipient of a certain number of free will offerings every year; in addition each member of the congregation was expected to assist the pastor with one day’s plowing and to furnish him with one bushel of oats every year. For this remuneration the pastor agreed to conduct at least thirteen preaching services during the year.
The story of the village of Hills will continue in the July 16 edition of the Star Herald.
Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, 312 E. Main Street, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.