History of Old East Paint Creek Church

“Just a little country church atop the ridge between the valleys of Paint Creek and Village Creek”....

An early meeting, occurring in the fall of 1850, addressed the need for a Christian school and a place to worship with the arrival of these first Norwegian settlers to the Paint Creek area. The first recorded meeting was January 06, 1851. In March 1851 a meeting took place to organize a school district with Ole Larson as the first school teacher. Known as the Dalby schoolhouse, it was built and in use by November 1851. It was used for Church services, as well. The May 1852 record shows the first installment payment on 80 acres of land which had been placed in a land warrant for the congregation.

The first services were held July 1851 at the home of Thomas Anderson {aka Gronna}. Pastor C. L. Clausen, who was then located at Rock Prairie, WI, conducted these services. He traveled throughout Wisconsin and Iowa performing baptisms and marriages. The next pastor to visit Paint Creek was Pastor Nils Brandt. He traveled between Rock Prairie, WI and Paint Creek, Iowa from 1851 through 1853. The congregation sent a Letter of Call to Norway requesting a permanent pastor. The Rev. Ulrik Velhelm Koren answered the call arriving to preach New Year’s Day, 1854. A meeting in July 1855 determined the need to build a church which was taken into use prior to June 1857. Pastor Koren served until May 1862 when he returned to Norway. On February 05, 1859, it was decided to build a parsonage, however, it was not needed until July 1862 when Pastor O. J. Hjort arrived with his family.

Rev. Ove Jacob Hjort graduated from the Seminary at St. Louis, Missouri and became the first resident Pastor for the congregation in July 1862. The congregation had grown and divided into two churches, East and West. The cornerstone for the current ‘rock’ church, Old East Paint Creek, is dated May 24, 1869 and was dedicated August 24, 1870 with an estimated 1400 to 1500 people present. Pastor O. J. Hjort served until his death December 14, 1879 and is buried in OEPC Cemetery with his 1st wife, Christiane Elizabeth and 2nd wife, Henriette. An assistant Pastor, C. C. Stolz, served until Rev. H. A. Hartmann accepted the call in September 1880. Pastor Hartmann returned to Norway in 1895 where he served until his death in 1925. His first wife, Aagot, is buried at OEPC Cemetery.

Predestination controversy raged among the Norwegian Lutherans during 1880 and the Paint Creek congregations were not spared. A small minority broke away from the original two churches organizing their own congregations in 1887 having refused to become part of the Evangelical Church. They are known as the East and West Synod Lutheran churches.

To distinguish between the two original churches the prefix word ‘Old’ was added to the names
‘Old East Paint Creek and Old West Paint Creek Churches’

The Ladie’s Aid Society, “Kvindeforening,” of Old East Paint Creek was organized at the parsonage on January 15, 1886 by Mrs. Aagot Hartmann and Miss Tonning.

The next Pastor to serve the Old East and Old West congregations was Pastor C. J. M. Gronlid in May 1895. He served for 25 years until May 1921. He is buried in OEPC Cemetery. Pastor Joseph E. Lee served as an assistant from 1918-1920. Pastor A. P. Lea was called and began his work in 1920 resigning in the spring of 1941. He died in September 1950 and is buried at OEPC Cemetery.

A Letter of call was sent to Pastor Elmo O. Baalson and he was installed on February 08, 1942 serving until 1975. Pastor Paul H. Tobiason served from 1975 until 1983. Reverends April Urling Larson, Judd Larson, and Gary Bachman served the congregation between 1983-1994. August 01, 1994, Pastor Kenneth Kimball answered the call and is the current Pastor.

A number of members of the congregation entered the ministry:
Wilhelm Magnus Herman Peterson, Kaspar Gl Faegre, Christopher Pederson, Ellef Olson, Oluf Hanson Smeby, Marcus K. Hartmann, Hartvig K. Narum, Hjalmer O. Gronlid, Isaak R. Gronlid, Tennis H. Megordon, the first pastor to be ordained at Old East Paint Creek was Clarence Baalson, and David Sorenson