Ceresco, Nebraska USA Churches

The Evangelical Covenant Church

Originally the Covenant church was called the Swedish Mission Church, and the congregation was formed on January 1, 1906, when a group of Swedish citizens  met at the Herman Nyquist home to discuss plans for a place where they could worship.  A committee was appointed as Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer.  The old Presbyterian church building, now a remodeled home at 604 South 2nd Street, in Ceresco, was rented for $3.00 a month and services were held there until fall.  Rev. P.F. Monstrom was the original pastor.   On April 10, 1906, twenty-two people became charter members of the Church.  A new Church was built in the fall of 1906 at the cost of $4,363.52, and a parsonage in 1912 at the cost of $2,623.67.  The Church was remodeled and renovated several times throughout the  years. On May 6, 1973, the Congregation broke ground for a new building at an  approximate cost of  $200,000 with a loan from Covenant properties.  The old structure was used until the new church could be occupied.    The first  service  was  held on February 17, 1974 in the new  building.  The dismantling of the  old Church  was completed that fall.  The Cross in the front of  the new sanctuary was made from the art glass of the old Church. In September,1981, the 75th anniversary of the Church was celebrated with former  pastors attending.  Since the  beginning of the Church in 1906, fifty-nine  classes had been confirmed, the first in the Swedish language.  The class of 1922 was the first to be confirmed in the English language.    In 1978 Pastor Paul Spjut and his family desired to buy their home, so the parsonage was sold in 1978.  The present Reverend of the congregation is the talented speaker, Pastor Harry Walles.  The church has been a means of salvation to many souls and a beacon of light in the community.

Immanuel Lutheran Church

Ceresco's Immanuel Lutheran Church was formed 82 years ago.  The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church had outgrown its facility in rural Swedeburg and in 1913 decided to split its membership into two buildings, a new church in Ceresco and a new facility for the remaining parishioners in Swedeburg, now Grace Lutheran Church.  The Ceresco church was built by its new parishioners under the supervision of Otto Landstrom, contractor.  The basement was dug by horse-drawn scrapers; and bricks, sand, and gravel were brought in by railroad cars and hauled by team and wagon to the site.   After the old Swedeburg church was torn down, its lumber was used to frame up the Ceresco building.  The cornerstone was laid in Ceresco in 1915 and the building was completed in 1916.  It was not until January, 1919 that people attending the Ceresco church decided to petition the Swedeburg congregation for permission to organize a separate congregation in Ceresco.  The petition asked for letters of dismissal for 21 members,and that the property there be transferred to the new congregation.   Separation was granted January 16, 1919, and other Lutherans from the Valparaiso and Davey areas joined the former Swedeburg members.  The Ceresco congregation was named "Immanuel-God With Us."  Rev. C.O. Gulleen, then the pastor at Swedeburg, was called as vice pastor to serve until Rev. C.O. Granlund, to be ordained that June, would arrive in August,1919.  A new parsonage was also completed that year and the congregation was received into the Nebraska Conference of the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Immanuel is one of the youngest congregations in the conference and the first whose minutes were recorded in the English language from its organization.     During the first year, Swedish was used at the Sunday morning worship service and English at the evening service.  Swedish was discontinued in 1926.   All people who joined the church in the first year of its operation were considered the charter members.  The membership at that time numbered 75 communicant members and 45 children.  In 1920 a new Reuter organ was purchased at the cost of $3,000.   Mrs. Elmer Eliason was the first organist.  After serving four years, Rev. C.O. Granlund was replaced by Rev A.H. Peterson, who served the congregation for the next 26 years.  Since 1963, the congregation has been part of the Lutheran Church in America following the merger that year of the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church, the American Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the United Lutheran Church.  An addition was built on this church in 1996 that includes several   restrooms, a kitchen, and a reception hall.   The recent pastor at the Immanuel Lutheran Church is Fred Meuter.

United Methodist Church

The United Methodist Church of Ceresco was started when a group of citizens organized a Sunday School with a leader that was in charge of the classes every week.  The first meetings were held in the homes of different families with children participating in the classes.  Circuit Riders and ministers who visited these small Sunday Schools about once a month would serve the people on their circuit.  Later, Sunday School was held in the little schoolhouse which was located on 5th and Main Street in Ceresco.  A minister by the name of Irb conducted services there.  Also Sunday School  and church services were held upstairs in the Chandler Hall in Ceresco.  A church was built in 1887 at 217 W. Spruce and dedicated November 20, 1887, by W.G. Miller D.D., the Presiding Elder of the Lincoln District. The building cost $1,800.  D.Y. Black was the first pastor of the church. The lots which made up the old church property, and the lots to the west were purchased from the Western Townlot Company.  Mr. Rouse was the contractor and George Boyce, the carpenter.  The plastering was done by Addison Meese.  The old church was one of the first public buildings in Ceresco.  It was located on the south side of Spruce Street between Second and Third Streets.  The church prospered initially, then endured some lean years.  In 1894, this church shared in common with the whole country the disasters and discouragements which came with the panics, riots, strikes, droughts, and crop failures.  Many homes were destitute, but men did not lose their faith in God.  By 1899, the town of Ceresco and the church had suffered greatly since some of its people had moved.  A revival during the winter resulted in the conversion of a large number of people.  In 1900, by mutual consent, the Ceresco and Davey Methodist Churches were united with Rev. J.W. Seabrook as their pastor.   The debt on the Ceresco church was paid and the building was painted.  During 1901 and 1902 the first Methodist parsonage was built.  Milton Lowell, assisted by his son, Will Lowell, erected the building on the property adjoining the church on the west.  The Rev. and Mrs. A.S. Buell were the first residents. Years of  faithful service by the devoted members kept the church from closing its doors during the years prior to 1906.  Ladies of the church met and organized a Ladies Aid Society with Mrs. Rose Loder as the first president.  In 1909-1911, while the Rev. M.C. Smith was pastor, the ground was excavated beneath the church building and a furnace was installed.   In 1921, with the Rev. M.M. Wolff as pastor, the church was raised, a basement was built, and a pastor's study added at a cost of $2,500.  The new basement and cornerstone were dedicated Nov. 27, 1921 by  Dr. J.F. Boeye, District Superintendent of the Lincoln District.  In 1924, with a chancel and classrooms were added for $2,000.  A.W. Ahrendts was pastor.  Rev. Raymond Sandsted came in January of 1938 and served until November, 1940.  It was during this time that the merger of the Methodist churches took place, and the word "Episcopal" was dropped from the name.  The residence of the late Hugo Carlson at 176 S. Second Street was purchased for a parsonage in the summer of 1943 at  a cost of $2,700.   The Rev. and Mrs. Moles were the first occupants.  The old parsonage was sold to Walter Smith.  Rev. James K. Irwin assumed his duties in July, 1945.  In 1946 the church basement was further enlarged, remodeled, and a new furnace installed at the cost of $3,600.  During the pastorate of the Rev. Robert Linder the new Baldwin organ was purchased.  The Rev. Laverne Thomas arrived in 1956 and during his ministry the memorial stain glass windows were installed.  The new church at 2nd and Park Streets was built during the ministry of Rev. Richard Ludden.  It was consecrated April 30, 1967 by Dr. Richard Carolyn, Lincoln District Superintendent.  The Rev. John Toley was assigned to begin his pastorate July 1, 1968 with the merging of the Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist Churches into the United Methodist Church.  A united effort was put forth during the fall and winter of 1974-75 and the debt on the new church was paid, and the mortgage was burned at a special service November 17, 1975.  The building was dedicated by Bishop Don W. Holter.  In June, 1982, the Rev. Jay Schmidt came to serve the Ceresco church and its people.  The recent pastor of this church is Dayne Zachrison.

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