My Great Grandfather Isak helped to build a church in 1886 near French Lake Minnesota. Years later it was moved to be part of a Historical Village in Annandale Minnesota. Last summer on one of our trips to Minneapolis to the U of MN Clinics we went one day early and took the time to stop for a quick visit.
A photo of the Church near French Lake, Minnesota
A photo of the church being moved.
Photos of the church as it stands today.
Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church Built in 1886. The red number 2 signifies the number of the building as they sit at the Historical Village.
I was delighted to finally be able to see this church! It had been on my list of things to do for a long time.
Far Side
What a wonderful thing to be a part of your family history.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting for you to be able to see piece of your history. I am so happy for you.
ReplyDeleteI love being able to cross off genealogical items from my list.
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat little church!
ReplyDeleteThose windows are so neat. The first farm house we lived in had windows that were similar.
The church is inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThe picture of the church on the truck brought back memories for me. I spent the first 7 years of my life in a town before the entire town was moved on trucks! It was a small mining town in upstate NY called Tahawus. They moved all the houses and most businesses to the next town (Newcomb) and made a little community adjacent to it. The mine is no more and it is classified as a ghost town now. It was a pretty amazing undertaking back in the 60s!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful story, Connie. I'm glad your great grandfather's hard work still stands & is appreciated. ~Andrea xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteA SMALL CONGRETATION FOR SURE. I REMEMBER GOIN TO ANNANAL AS A BOY BECAS MY DAD HAD A COUSIN WHO LIVED THERE.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful Connie. I'm glad you were able to visit and see the results of you great-grandfather's work in person. It's a beautiful church and I can just imagine people walking in the doors and the love that was shared there. Thanks for showing these to us.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and love,
Betsy
The interesting part of your post, to me, was that your great grandfather was involved and you have photos. My relatives from the Island where I grew up built ships, there were old school houses and churches they taught in and pastored but there are no pictures. I have no idea what any of my ancestors looked like because no one apparently owned a camera or were interested in leaving traces of their lives behind. I took pictures myself of my grandparents on my mother's side because I won my first ever camera selling magazines for the school. I loved photography from that day on.💖
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to be able to see such an amazing link with your ancestors. Doing so must have been a precious time for you.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful is that!?! It's a beautiful simple church. I love those. In fact I would find it hard to go to a "modern" church...it just wouldn't feel the same. I'm so glad you got to visit it.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that a terrific tale! You must be so happy to see it!
ReplyDeleteMy great grand father ( or great great grandfather...I forget which one) built the Lutheran Church in Dorr, Michigan. Dorr Michigan used to be a small town and I was related ( in some way or another) to almost everyone in town! But now it is a metropolis with lots of people... Genthers and Arnts are no longer the only names in town. The church still stands! And is used by the Lutherans and most of My cousins there. It looks just like the one in your picture.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful to have a family history connection to a special place.
ReplyDeleteLovely that you could visit the church your great grandfather helped build. It's a neat little church.
ReplyDeleteThat's cool to see something that your Grandpa worked on.
ReplyDeleteWe have a "family" church, too. When the church "folded", distant family members purchased it. My dad's side has a very organized family reunion/genealogy/historical group. We all call ourselves cousins and are even incorporated as a 501C3. The church and grounds are part of the organization. The original family farm house across the street, now operated as a bed and breakfast, is privately owned by one of the cousins.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that the church your Great Grandfather built is being preserved in a learning environment. I remember when they used to move houses and buildings quite often. Of course they built them to last back then!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great thing to check off your list! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool that you got to see it! And that it's now a part of a historical setting where it will be taken care of.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful church.
ReplyDeleteIt’s nice to have photos of this part of your family history and wonderful it is being taken care of. I didn’t know that there was a Finnish denomination of the Lutheran Church. When I was growing up our town had a German Lutheran Church and an Norwegian Lutheran Church and ours still had a Norwegian service on Christmas Eve for many years. Sunday was English. Thank goodness!
ReplyDeleteI dearly love old churches like that one. Glad you got to see it.
ReplyDeleteThat's a wonderful piece of history, not only for the community but your family and you personally. Very nice!
ReplyDeleteThat's really great your family was involved in building it, and I'm glad you finally got to go visit it.
ReplyDeletevery interesting post, I am happy you were able to visit the church!
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