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1879
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Church began with 45 members on April 15th. Building was 45X24. We joined the Augustana Synod and were served by a traveling pastor. Nels Ludington, a lumber company owner, gave us the parcel of land for the original church on the same corner we are on today.
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1884
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Sunday School started
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1889
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Senior Choir started, first resident pastor, Ladies Aid organized
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1890
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115 adults and 230 children
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1891
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2nd church built. Seated 300, 175 foot tower guided ships into the harbor
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1894
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At Christmas, members were asked to donate chickens(live) and other food to the pastor’s family
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1899
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79 baptisms, anyone not attending regularly was dropped from the membership
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1900
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8 week summer school, electric lights in church and parsonage
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1905
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Chapel (now Christ the King) built for Sunday School and Society meetings
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1906
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430 confirmed, 246 children, C. Albert Lund became pastor (until 1944). Dues was 6.25 for men and 3.25 for women.100 saloons in town. Members were all of the laboring class.
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1909
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First issue of Bethany Echo, plans made for a new church, members were to give 3 days pay, loan from Augustana College
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1911
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Sold meals in a tent at the UP State Fair. People brought food from their gardens and cooked for the carnival workers and visitors. This continued until 1942.
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1912
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Thousands watched the big steeple pulled down on the 2nd church. December 25 the new church was used for the first time. Windows cost $975 and the total building cost was $39,000
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1919
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Every other Sunday evening was in English
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1921
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First minutes in English
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1922
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Parsonage built for $18,000
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1924
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Tower chimes in honor of soldiers in World War l
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1929
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English voted the official language
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1932
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Children’s Choir started
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1935
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One of the first concrete sidewalks in town, fireproof vault
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1939
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Men and Women dartball began
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1942
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Service flag in sanctuary for World War 2, 52 men, l woman, 2 died
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1944
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Dr.Lund retired because of illness. Had 30 calls to other church, 1412 baptisms, 1204 confirmations, 1143 new members, 599 married, 661 funerals
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1945
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New pastor made changes slowly because people had only had one pastor and did not want changes made, conducted Swedish and English services on WDBC, Sunday School adopted, a Finnish orphan, office moved from parsonage sunporch to church basement, some Sunday School classes in parsonage basement, many repairs and improvement to the church, parish worker hired who was also the organist
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1948
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1948 Prince of Sweden in Escanaba, visited Bethany
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1950
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1400 members
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1953
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New organ, Lunds brought a Displaced Person family to Escanaba, Cherub Choir started
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1954
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75th anniversary, different events every day of the week
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1956
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Started worship at the chapel (Christ the King), bought property on 8th avenue to build a new chapel, bought houses on lst avenue so could build an educational building which was dedicated in 1958
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1958
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Sunday School and choirs met Saturday mornings instead of Sunday Lutheran Church Women started with 14 circles for 145 women
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1963
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Became the Lutheran Church in America instead of Augustana, hired a Director of Parish Activities, Youth Worker, and Calling Pastor, church sanctuary gutted and completely redone
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1967
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Bought more homes on lst avenue to build the retirement center, senior club started
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1973
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First 9th grade trip to Chicago
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1975
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Church committees started, people came from many places to copy our Christian Ed and Children’s Choir programs, ecumenical services began, new grand piano, started having services that did not follow the regular liturgy
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1976
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Bell Choirs started
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1977
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Ark Pre-School started
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1979
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Centennial celebration with a different event each month
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1980
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Painted sanctuary same color to avoid arguments
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1981
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Green hymnal, soup suppers started in Lent
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1991
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Pictorial directory, more banners, more non-green book services, office renovation, entered the computer age in our offices, Maundy Thursday enactment
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1992
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Released Easter balloons and had a congregational picture taken, artificial Christmas Trees,
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1993
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Elevator addition and basement renovations
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1999
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Addition to Educational Building and new offices
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