From: Magdalen Dale
Sent: Saturday, September 7, 2024 12:13 PM
To: office@peacelutheranofpigeonfalls.org
Subject: date the church was built?
Hello-
My great grandfather, John Ingvald Dale, was born in Pigeon Falls in 1880. I'm wondering if it's possible that he was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church.
Can you tell me when the church was built?
Thank you for considering this request.
Sincerely,
Magdalen Dale
From: <office@peacelutheranofpigeonfalls.org>
Date: Mon, Sep 23, 2024 at 11:33 AM
Subject: RE: date the church was built?
To: Magdalen Dale
Date: Mon, Sep 23, 2024 at 11:33 AM
Subject: RE: date the church was built?
To: Magdalen Dale
Hello Magdalen!
The church records we have start in 1885. Attached is some photos and church history that I thought you might enjoy. If I can be of any further assistance please let me know.
Peace,
Kristina Hanson, Secretary
Peace Lutheran of Pigeon Falls
From: Magdalen Dale
Date: Mon, Sep 23, 2024 at 1:51 PM
Subject: Re: date the church was built?
To: <office@peacelutheranofpigeonfalls.org>
Miigwech Kristina!
My dad, Richard Dale, recalls-- "During the war years, the Wanamingo creamery closed leaving my Grandpa Dale (John), now in his middle fifties without work and dependent on his adult children. There was no severance, social security, or pension. The children banded together and bought their parents a small (10-40 acres?) farmstead on the out-skirts of Forest Lake. Grandma Dale raised chickens and would walk daily to a store in Forest Lake where she sold her eggs. John always had a cow at that time for milk and annually raised a calf. A job was finally found at Elk River where Grandpa was an engineer for the boilers at the power plant for a few years before retiring. Your Grandma Dale lived with John and Lilly during the war when my Dad was away serving in the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas and Louisiana. It was during this time that your Grandma Dale became very close to my Dad's sister Mildred, whose husband was away in the Army, as Mildred would come to the farm often to help her parents, tend gardens, and can vegetables. Kirk, my Dad's brother's wife, was also often present as her husband was away serving in the Navy and their Forest Lake home was within view of the farm. Huge "Dale family" communal gardens were grown at the Forest Lake Farm during the late depression, war years, and during the immediate post-war years. I was born in 1946. During the late 40's and early 50's my folks lived in Minneapolis and we often went to the "farm" on weekends for family gatherings and to work the gardens. Two of my uncles, Charles and Philip, together ran a commercial strawberry plantation on the farm for several years during that period. It was a great time for me as a young boy as there were always cousins my own age to play with, open spaces to explore, animals, a barn to play in, and the garden and strawberry field activity. Who knows what influences this time had on my future. These were formative years for me--and happy memories."
The parents of my great grandfather (John Ingvald Dale) were Bendix and Guina Ostensen. They were both born in Norway in 1851, so would have been 27 in 1878 when the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Pigeon Falls was organized by Scandinavian pioneers. I don't know if they had come to Pigeon Falls yet, but likely A. Ostenson, who was listed as being at that first meeting, was a relative of ours. It's possible, I guess, that John Ingvald Dale, born in Pigeon Falls in 1880, would have been baptized by Rev. C. J. Helsem in their or a neighbor's home or in the Olds schoolhouse (presently occupied by the Paul Skadahl family). From the church history that you shared, I can assume that any mention of his baptism would have been recorded in Norwegian, now faded, and hard to read or translate. I wonder if I had family who attended church in Pigeon Falls after the church was constructed in 1888.
In 1906, John married a local one-room school house teacher, Lilly Overby, perhaps in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Pigeon Falls.
John attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison where he studied Dairy Science and went on to become a buttermaker at a large creamery in Wanamingo, Minnesota.
I'm not sure of the order of these events, but plan to do a little digging to see if I can find a marriage record and/or education records.
John was highly respected in his profession and judged "butter" entered for competition at the Minnesota State Fair for many years. He and Lilly raised a large family in Wanamingo--11 kids (eight survived to become adults). My dad's dad, Stanford William, was second eldest.
My dad, Richard Dale, recalls-- "During the war years, the Wanamingo creamery closed leaving my Grandpa Dale (John), now in his middle fifties without work and dependent on his adult children. There was no severance, social security, or pension. The children banded together and bought their parents a small (10-40 acres?) farmstead on the out-skirts of Forest Lake. Grandma Dale raised chickens and would walk daily to a store in Forest Lake where she sold her eggs. John always had a cow at that time for milk and annually raised a calf. A job was finally found at Elk River where Grandpa was an engineer for the boilers at the power plant for a few years before retiring. Your Grandma Dale lived with John and Lilly during the war when my Dad was away serving in the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas and Louisiana. It was during this time that your Grandma Dale became very close to my Dad's sister Mildred, whose husband was away in the Army, as Mildred would come to the farm often to help her parents, tend gardens, and can vegetables. Kirk, my Dad's brother's wife, was also often present as her husband was away serving in the Navy and their Forest Lake home was within view of the farm. Huge "Dale family" communal gardens were grown at the Forest Lake Farm during the late depression, war years, and during the immediate post-war years. I was born in 1946. During the late 40's and early 50's my folks lived in Minneapolis and we often went to the "farm" on weekends for family gatherings and to work the gardens. Two of my uncles, Charles and Philip, together ran a commercial strawberry plantation on the farm for several years during that period. It was a great time for me as a young boy as there were always cousins my own age to play with, open spaces to explore, animals, a barn to play in, and the garden and strawberry field activity. Who knows what influences this time had on my future. These were formative years for me--and happy memories."
My parents, Rick and Janet Dale, are the founders of Highland Valley Farm in Bayfield, Wisconsin, where I was born and raised. My brother Jon runs our family farm now. My wife works for the Red Cliff tribal farm and I work for Northland College. We live inland between Bayfield and Cornucopia and our kids attend school in Bayfield.
Recently, I've been interested in following my roots back to the driftless area. We brought our kids to LaCrosse over spring break. This summer I returned with a friend to attend the Great River Folk Festival. Leaving LaCrosse, we set our GPS to Pigeon Falls. What beautiful country! We drove through Blair where my great grandmather, Lilly Overby, was born. I didn't realize this was her birth town until looking at records later. Next time we will stop here too. We did stop in Pigeon Falls and found our way to the church and cemetery. I wandered and wondered about the significant events in my ancestor's lives that might have happened there.
Miigwech for replying to my reach out. We aren't neighbors currently, but it's fun to think about how our ancestors might have been.
Love,
Magdalen Dale
