Apostolic Lutheran Church in Franklin, Renville County, Minnesota

 

The church has not been in use for at least about twenty years. During the last years of congregational activity, John Paana, a preacher of the Apostolic Lutheran Church (kirkkokunta), visited there about once a month. A local resident is trying to take care of it.

It was decided to build the church at the congregational meeting on December 29, 1879. For the church, John Sikainen, the chairman of the congregation, decided to donate an acre of land. The first Finnish settlers arrived in the area in the years 1865 - 1866. They were Mikko Heikka, Matti Niemi and Petter Lahti. Most of the Finnish settlers moved to the region between 1870 - 1878 and 1878 - 1879. Almost all were Lestadians. The best known is certainly Lotta Jokela, the daughter of Lars Levi Laestadius, who moved to the area with her husband Mikko in the summer of 1881. Lotta is buried in a cemetery founded by the congregation.

Although the construction of the church was decided as early as December 1879, it was still delayed. The idea was to build a church for all Finns in the area, both Laestadians and non-Laestadians. However, this caused controversy and the church project was at a standstill for a long time. The project was finally launched in the spring of 1885. Supplies were collected for the construction of the church and construction was scheduled to begin in the summer. A letter dated late January 1886 states that the Apostolic Lutheran Church was completed. The same letter mentions about 300 immigrants with a Finnish background living in the region.

Some of Franklin’s first settlers later moved to the Cokato area and South Dakota. Their descendants have, of course, spread throughout the United States. Here is a list of the first Finnish families there:

Matti Niemi (later Johnston, 1818/1820 - 1891)

Petter Lahti (1834 - 1911)

Johan Savela (1836 - 1913)

Abram Jussila (treasure of the congr.)

Anders Koivuniemi (later Anderson. 1833 - 1912)

Abram Bugema (1850 - 1919)

Matthias Bugema (1822 - 1892)

Abram Haara

Olof Niemi (later Johnson, 1835 - 1918)

Isak Koski.

Johan P. Marttala (1837 - 1910, local pracher, minister of the Ap.Luth. congr.)

Michel Heikka (vice-chairm. of the congr.)

Sakari Törmälä (later Erickson, 1st minister of the Ap.Luth.congr., 1840 - 1928)

Alarik Olson (1836 - 1906)

Benjamin Holm (1834 - 1904)

Isak Sakari

Johan Oscar Naartijärvi (later Isaacson, 1851 - 1938), local preacher and minister of the Ap.Luth.congr.)

Johan Kuusisalo

Wilhelm Gabrielson (secretary of the congr.)

Johan Juntti

Isak Selvälä

Johan Luukinen (1841 -, member of the congregation board, moved later to Menagha)

Isak Kallio.

Johan Sikainen (1st chairman of the Ap.Luth, congr. , preacher, moved to Fredrick, South Dakota, 1840 - 1885)

Johan Friska (member of the congregation board)

Antti Rovainen (1835 - 1877)