Bell - Norway Lutheran Church Bell - Sherman, SD
Posted by: 
beta59
N 43° 43.917 W 096° 35.382
14T E 694114 N 4844925
An historic bell in a country cemetery near Sherman and Garretson, South Dakota.
Waymark Code: WMAC1R
Location: South Dakota, United States
Date Posted: 12/21/2010
Views: 6
This bell stands as a testament to the enduring perseverance of a pioneer culture in an agrarian environment. The congregation, known as the Norway Lutheran Congregation, was formed in 1874. In 1990, after struggling to assemble the funds and resources necessary to construct a place of worship and the new place of worship was dedicated.
It was that same year that smaller groups from neighboring communities grouped together. The villages of Norway, Willow Creek, and Baltic formed the Norway Congregation. In 1921 the congregation of Pallisade joined and then again in 1958 the Zion Lutheran congregation consolidated with the Norway Lutheran Congregation. A final merger in 1965 brought the Sherman Congregants together.
In 1971, a fire ravaged the building, destroying everything except a few artifacts and this bell that had called people to worship is placed here to the memory of the men and women who endured the dangers and the hardships of pioneer life and still found the time and money to build churches for themselves and for those who should follow them. We are grateful for their rich heritage.
Now, only the bell, some grave markers, and the fading memories of some of the dispersed congregants endure to tell the story of this hearty group of settlers.
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