Our History

Just a few years before West Moe was founded (1858)-government troops cut a trail for a stage coach road through the wilderness of what later became the Osakis, Alexandria, Garfield, Brandon, and Evansville heading west road. At that time there were only a handful of white settlers in Douglas County. Those early settlers had to walk to St. Cloud for provisions like flour, salt—and if you were a Norwegian- you had to walk to St. Cloud for coffee. The railroad had not been built yet through Douglas County, Alexandria wasn’t a town, it was just a military fort.

By 1862, the stage coach came through occasionally, and one day it brought news to the fort in Alexandria of the Sioux uprising at Yellow Medicine. The settlers were warned to flee for their lives. Most of the local residents went to Sauk Centre or St. Cloud, never to return. For the next few years, the government was busy with the Civil War and Sioux uprising. Opening new areas for settlers for settlement was not a priority.

By 1866, the Civil War had ended, the Indian uprising was over, and this part of the state was opened for homesteading. Settlers began arriving in Douglas County.

It was at this time that West Moe was founded. Originally called “Our Saviors Congregation of Holmes City”, the church served Norwegian settlers in Douglas, Pope, and Grant counties. The congregation’s first meeting was held in the home of Andreas Urness in Urness Township.

Sixty-seven people from Douglas, Grant and Pope counties were listed as charter members of the congregation. Some of those who have been involved at West Moe since the very beginning include the Foslien, Hanson, Syverson, Barsness, Burkey, Olson, Sletto, Botner and Holte families.

Occasional services were held in homes or school houses for nine years. These services were conducted by traveling missionary pastors. Congregational meeting were held four or five times each year. They were well attended, even though many members had to travel a great distance on foot. Most of them walked, and a few came by horse and buggy.

The congregation bought a 94 acre tract of land, where they built the first parsonage in 1874. The present parsonage was built in 1919 at a cost approximately $6000.00. The church and cemetery were plotted out on the hill in the south east corner of that 94 acre parcel.

Having purchased land, the pioneers were eager to build their church. A committee went out looking for donations. They worked hard, but in spite of their perseverance, money was scarce. These were the years of the grasshopper plague and massive crop failures.

In 1872, the name was changed to Moe Congregation, after a district in Norway from which many of the settles came. The township changed its name from Atkinsville for the same reason and same time.

The church building on this site was started in 1876. The following spring, in 1877, they could use the church for meetings, but it was not yet finished enough to be used during cold weather for a few more years. The church was completed and dedicated in 1889. In the early days, men and boys sat on the right hand side of the aisle, while the women and girls sat on the left side.

By 1900, the far corners of the parish had branched off, organizing churches of their own closer to their homes. By the time West Moe celebrated its 70th anniversary in 1937, the territory it originally covered had a total of 11 Norwegian Lutheran Churches, which had branched off from the Moe congregation.

Tin was placed on the walls and ceiling of the church in 1907. About that same time the pipe organ was purchased and installed in 1913. The stained glass windows were added between 1920 and 1926. These are memorial windows—commemorating early pastors, church members, and some of those who served in World War 1. On the windows you will see World War inscribed. When they were placed in church, no one expected anything of that magnitude to ever happen again. Not only was there another World War to follow in less than 30 years later, but one of West Moe’s own, Earl Sletto, was one of the many that lost lives when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941.

The transition from the Norwegian language to English at West Moe took well over 70 years. Norwegian was the sole language used in services for close to 50 years. All written records were kept in Norwegian until 1934. At the West Moe’s 90th Anniversary in 1957, there was two services; one in Norwegian and one in English.

In the early 1930s, the church felt the depression. Annual membership dues, for the Ladies Aid was dropped from 25 cents to 15 cents per member in 1934. The Ladies Aid had much of their money in the bank when the bank closed its doors after the crash of 1929.

The Ladies Aid of West Moe was formed in 1888. It was organized and formed by 20 pioneer women. In those early days, the Ladies Aid served as a major force uniting the community with its various activities.

This quote was found in West Moe’s 90th Anniversary booklet and still is appropriate to this day. “We look forward to thanksgiving and anticipation to the years ahead, and to the promise of God’s presence among us, and His blessing upon us, as we work and pray together.”

This church has been richly blessed. Surely, the presence of God is in this place.