Sunday, January 14, 2018

Sunday Service: Wilhelmina Lutheran Church

Here is another church we stopped at last weekend. It is similar in size and shape of many other Lutheran Churches I have come across on my back road travels. What is different about this church is that it still holds regular Sunday Services. The section at the back of the church, which I thought was a parsonage, is the kitchen and Sunday School area.

As with many prairie pioneer settlements, it was made up of Scandinavian people who left their home countries in search of new opportunities in the Canadian West. This area was first settled by Swedish families by the names of Staboe and Lunde, who came here via Minnesota. The area was then called the Lundemo District. The Lunde family encouraged friends from Sweden to make the trip to Canada and so on. Within a few short years the area was settled.

The Wilhelmina Church was built in 1908. It is nice to see it still going strong 110 years later.

A beautiful Church

The Pasonage



This house is very close to the church, maybe whoever lived here attended Wilhelmina Church.



References: http://www.wilhelminachurch.ca/

26 comments:

  1. I always hate to see the old churches closed. There's so much need for them in this heathen world. Some are in the wrong place anymore I guess, though.

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    1. Hi Gorges, there are so many country churches that have closed or only do the occasional service. I can't comment on how urban area churches are fairing, as I really have no idea. It was nice to see this one still doing weekly services.

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  2. There is a soft quality to the first two photos. Beautiful!

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  3. Nice to see an old prairie church that is still being actively used!

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  4. I bet the house once belonged to the pastor there. I hear that did and does happen still

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    1. Hi Adam, I though that too. The parsonage was at another church nearby.

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    1. Thanks William, maybe I will go back and see the inside one day.

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  6. The church looks well cared for its age and the snow really adds to the beauty of it.

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    1. Thanks Bill, nice to see a church in such great shape!

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  7. Those tiny round windows and the steeple with it's walk-around-the-bell area add a nice touch. I'll bet more than a few kids over the years have begged their parents to take them up to the top of the bell tower for a look around. Sounds pretty exciting! My paternal grandparents were from Sweden.

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    1. Hi Michael, I would love to see the view from up there!

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    2. This comment was in my email but did not show on the blog for some reason so I wanted to share it:

      From Tracy Anderson: You're right Michael - they still ask to go up and see the view from up there, and ringing the bell is fun too! Wilhelmina actually sits on the highest point of land on the interprovincial pipeline between Edmonton and Lake Superior. Before the trees grew so big you could see it for miles!

      There is a lovely peace about the building and people often comment about it when they come. All are welcome for Sunday services at 10:00 and there is always visiting and coffee!

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    3. Thank you for your comment Tracy! That is a neat piece of information! I love learning interesting things like that. Perhaps I will be over that way on a Sunday.

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  8. You're right Michael - they still ask to go up and see the view from up there, and ringing the bell is fun too! Wilhelmina actually sits on the highest point of land on the interprovincial pipeline between Edmonton and Lake Superior. Before the trees grew so big you could see it for miles!

    There is a lovely peace about the building and people often comment about it when they come. All are welcome for Sunday services at 10:00 and there is always visiting and coffee!

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  9. I am the Pastor of the church. It is indeed a beautiful church. What is even more appealing is God's spirit is alive and inviting. Please join us if you are in the area. Service starts at 10. God bless you all.

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    1. Thank you for the comment Pastor. I enjoy seeing the spirit alive and well as I travel around Alberta. I think we need it more than ever these days.

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  10. Hi Jenn :) What a majestic looking church!! :) The photo is great on a bed of snow like that. Hi to Ron & Cheryl for keeping it up! :)

    That house though...poor thing.

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    1. Hi Rain! It's a beauty, I love how even though a lot of the pioneer churches I see are similar in shape they are all still unique. Neat to have the Pastor read my blog!!

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  11. It's a beautiful old church, and very impressive that it's still in use. I like it whenever we get the opportunity to go tour an old church. A few years ago we got to tour a church in Summerville, SC that been there since the 1700s. The priest even wore period clothes and told everyone the history of the church. It was a great experience. Great pictures!

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    1. Hi Danielle! 1700's! Wow there is nothing that old in Canada lol! There are so many country churches here but rare to find one pre 1900.

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    2. In this part of Canada I should say, Eastern Canada is older.

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  12. 110 years Jenn, that's impressive, it's a pretty church, obviously very well loved.

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    1. Thanks PDP, 100+ years is old in this part of Canada. Does Perth have interesting old buildings?

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