Thoughts on Sunday

 Why do the back pews fill first...one Pastor told us that people are afraid to be too close to God...the next Sunday a bunch of us started sitting in the front pews.  There is safety in numbers...we sat in those front pews a number of years.

The alter cloth was a bit messy...I thought about straightening it...I did not.  Sometimes life is not perfect.   Jesus lead a perfect life for all of us sinners and gave his life for us. 

I was an experience for me to visit this old church that my Great Grandfather built back in 1886.  The church is in Annandale Minnesota in a Historical Park.

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Church and Family

 The Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church that my Great Grandfather helped to build has a bit of sad history.

Rev and Mrs William Lahtinen and their 2 year old daughter.

They arrived in Finland and the child became ill and died, the parents buried the child in Finland and returned home to America via the Titanic.  They perished when the ship hit an iceberg and sank....April 1912.

I sat in a pew and thought about all the people that must have knelt at this communion rail over the years.  If you sit there long enough on a warm summer day you can almost hear the shuffling of mens feet approaching, softer footsteps following, small children talking and a shhhh from a parent.  Then it is silent again and you embrace the quiet for a moment praying before leaving the church. 

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Six kinds of tin

 Six different kinds of tin were used in the church my Great Grandfather Isaac built. 

Did I photograph all six types?

Four types are on the wall.

Two types on the ceiling. 

I was taken with the ceiling....it is elegant in a simple way...the ceiling light fixtures reminded me of the lights we had in the old schoolhouse when I was in fifth and sixth grades. 

I also wondered if the pale shade of blue on the walls was the original color.

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Church History

History

The Crow Wing Apostolic Lutheran Church of French Lake (also known as the Riverside Church) was decided to be built at the annual meeting of the Cokato Apostolic Lutheran church on January 6, 1885, as an annex to the Cokato congregation.  The reason for this decision was that many families had moved into the French Lake and Albion area, necessitating a meeting house nearer home than the Cokato church.  Transportation being horse and buggy in those days.

A special meeting was held at French Lake September 26, 1885, how to raise the necessary funds.  It was decided to send out collectors to each member of both the French Lake and Cokato areas.

Nels Nelson donated 1/2 acre of land for the church site, and at that same meeting a committee of three men ( Jacob Ojanpera, Esaias Kostani and Matti Mukkala) were designated to arrange for the laying of the foundation of the church building.  The construction work was done mainly by the French Lake congregation.  The church was completed in 1887.

Those performing ministerial duties were the same for the Cokato church, namely; Isak Barberg, Caleb and Jacob Wuollet and William Lahtinen, until his death in the sinking of the Titanic.  Various other men have served both the French Lake and Cokato congregations since that time.

The church was actively used until the 1950’s when it was decided to discontinue using it, due to better model of transportation, which made possible for all remaining members to attend the Cokato church.  

Charter Members listed include my Great Grandfather Isaac Yliniemi.

Another bit of history; My cousin Geraldine had surgery this past week and praise God she made it through the surgery and is doing well. 

She wrote: It was a LEFT POSTERIOR COMMUNICATING ARTERY ANEURYSM Dr. Copelad [at Abbott Northwestern ] says it was a very high risk brain aneurysm due to the size and location and the fact that I'm almost 100% Finish in Heritage. The treatment was ENDOVASCULAR EMBOLIZATION This treats the aneurysm from the inside of the blood vessels and is minimally invasive.

This may be hereditary on the Yliniemi side.

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The wood stove and a special pew

 The Finnish Apostolic Church was heated with a wood stove.  I imagine that someone who lived near to the church went over and started a fire in the stove well before church started.  I am not certain about this church but many churches held limited services during the winter months...having  a proper church service once a month if the weather permitted. 

 

This backward facing pew was for women with small children so they could be nearest to the wood stove. 

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Floors and pews

 The floors in The Finnish Apostolic Church are simple pine planks. 

They were laid on the diagonal.

The pews have short seats...the kind where you have to sit up and pay attention and not fall asleep. Not too many windows inside to spark daydreaming whilst sitting quietly. 

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Church with a History

 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. 

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