OCR Text |
Show 1 MISSION DAKOTA-MANITOB- A THOMPSON , i FLIN FLON I l SASKATCHEWAN I ONTARIO S I KIN0RA WINNIPEG BRANDON I CANADA 9 MANITOBA ALIKOKAN I THIEF MINOT t RIVER FmUS DEVILS LAKE NORTH DAKOTA MONTANA W- - uniiiniiimninwa 5fe.v BEMEDJI GRAND F0RKS MINNESOTA I ,, t BISMAR- FARGO K- Elders listen to frozen snow crunch as they proselyte on street in Flin Flon, Manitoba. JAMESTOWN SOUTH DAKOTA Opportunities FERGUS FALLS1 . WATERTOWN ALEXANDRIA A m HURON WINNEBAGO percent during the past few months. Sev-erfamilies drive more than 50 miles to attend their meetings. There are several dependent branches e in the district, presided over by missionaries. Consideration is being given to the organization of more dependent branches to eliminate some of the travel. An example of the type of people helping the worK in the distnet is Kent McKinnon, a returned missionary Brother McKinnon, now in the Air Force, lives at Fortuna, N. D , with his wife and two daughters. The nearest branch is Williston, more than 62 miles away. Brother and Sister McKinnon could see the need for more members of the church in the area. They introduced a young couple they had met at Kecsler Air Force Base, to the missionaries from the Williston Branch. The couple was impressed with the spint and example of the McKinnons, and wanted to know more about their beliefs. The couple accepted the teachings of the missionaries and were baptized on Oct. 6, 1973. New the McKinnons have round trip to company for the church. Pres. Bishop pointed out one indication of the church growtn m the mission. On Oct. 14, 1973, beginning at 10 a.m. Pres. Bishop dedicated three chapels in the Lower Missouri District in Nebraska. The chapels were those of the Macy, Walthill and Winnebago branches. At the Walthill dedication, Lawrence Cook, chairman of the Omaha Tribe, expressed to his people how important the gospel is m our lives. Edward Dudley, presiding elder at the Red Lake, Minn., Branch, has some difficulties at the small Lamamte branch. Besides the usual duties of overseeing the running of the branch. Brother Dudley has to hitchhike eight miles every time he goes from his - home to the branch, because he has no other means of transportation. A typical branch in the Dakota-Manitob- a Mission is the Erandon Branch in Brandon, western Manitoba. al full-tim- e Brandon is a city of 36,000, and the chapei was built in 1965, and attendance at sacrament meeting varies between 50 and 60 members. Branch Pres. W. LaMar Palmer said that all departments of the branch are functioning and running smoothly. The Teacher Development classes, under Continued on page 13 48 MACY Map by Deseret News Artist Richard Carter shows boundaries of Dokota-Manito- ba Mission. YEARS IN BRANCH PRESIDENCY Period of Time Full of Blessings The chapel was dedicated in November, 1925 with Pres. Allred officiating at the dedicatory services, and regular weekly meetings are still being held in the building. During this same visit, Trcs. Allred set apart the first branch presidency in Bergland. They were Peter John Olson as president, Lars Olof Olson, first counselor, and Godfrey Olson, second counselor, and Peter Olof Halverson, clerk. The branch grew to about 100 members. BERGLAND, CANADA Last leased Branch ince of a tale. Oct. 7, Godfrey Olson was reas president of the Bergland of the church here in tne provOntario, Canada, and therein iies When he was released from the branch presidency, it marked the end of 48 years that he had served in the presidency of the small branch. He served 38 years as president, and 10 years as second counselor. It all started back in 1907 when a group of Swedish immigrants moved from Minnesota to Bergland. ?..e group consisted of 14 members of the church, and they had no contact with the church until 1924, when Elder Arthur C. Whiting and Elder Alvin D. Wilson left Port Arthur, now known as Thunder Bay, in search of these members reported to be living somewhere in Ontario. Mission Pres. Joseph F. Quinney had received a request from church headquarters in Salt Lake City that these members be located if possible. - The two elders anived in Bergland in 1924 after traveling about 300 miles by train and foot. In October of the same year the same missionaries were sent bark, and baptized seven. The following summer, other Pres. Godfrey Olson, left, gives tips to Pres. Leonard J. Rencher. missionaries came, and talk got started about building a chapel. Pres. John G. Allred, the new mission president, and church headquarters gave the go ahead and work started. . Godfrey Olson donated an acre of land, and the framework material for the building. Members provided the labor, and the church supplied the finishing In 1935, the mission president, W. W. Richards, reorganized the branch presidency, setting Godfrey Olson apart as the branch president. His counselors were Albert S. Olson and William L. Broman, with John W. Gross as clerk. From that time until Oct 7, 1973, Pres. Olson served as branch president, sometimes alone. Leonard J Rencher was set apart as the new branch How does Pres. Olson feel about serving 48 years in the branch presidency? This was a period of time full of blessings that money cant buy. - Among these blessings are baptizing my wife, taking her aqd cur eight children to the temple to be sealed as a family, having ah eight of these children marry in the temple and active in. the church, and one son serve a mission in Sweden," said Pres. Olson, WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 2, 1974.$ CHURCH -- 7 |