The first Estonian church in the United States still exists, but barely
Eestlased Kanadas | 01 Oct 2004 | Adu RaudkiviEWR
Filmaker Bill Rebane, who first told me this interesting story of the Estonian church, sent me a copy of an article in the Wausau (Wisconsin) Daily Herald's Sunday Issue from June 16, 1991, by a Mary Jo Kewley. The person interviewed was Ann Kolka, born in 1907, at that time still living in Merrill, Wisconsin. This was her story.
In the 1900's some Estonians emigrated to the United States, to get away from the oppressive Germanic Barons who ruled Estonia at the time, and for whom the Estonians were forced to work. Well over a hundred settled in Bloomville, near Gleason, in Lincoln County in the State of Wisconsin ( about half way up Wisconsin from Chicago ), where they were able to get land of their own, and take up farming .
By May 31, 1914 they had built themselves a church and held their first service. Since they didn't speak English and tended to be clannish, the need for a church was considerable.The people raised funds to build the church by selling grave lots for five dollars each, the Tutts family (Ann Kolka's parents ) contributed the organ and Sears Roebuck donated to the purchase of a church bell.
The Pastor, whose name was Hans Rebane, would come once a year from New York to give his sermon. The people would give him four dollars each every time he came and Kolka and her parents would travel twelve miles by horse and carriage to get there. The people would sing from hymnals brought over from Estonia and sit in two rows of pews, women on one side and men on the other.
During the great depression many left the farm and went to the city to look for work.
" The second generation all went to the city because there was no future on the farm. I was the only one of the girls who stayed, and the only one that (who) married an Estonian boy. " Kolka is quoted in the Wausau Daily Herald.
Many more left the church, going to other churches in the area.
Just before the fiftieth anniversary the church on Estonian Church Road was vandalized, but only slightly. The congregation fixed up the damage in time for the anniversary celebrations which brought Estonians from all around the USA. Shortly after the celebrations, however, the church was vandalized again, this time everything was either stolen or destroyed. After that the congregation just boarded up the church rather than inviting more damage.
In 1970 the congregation's handful of remaining members decided to leave the church boarded up, hoping that in the future something can be done to resurrect the first Estonian built Lutheran Church in the U.S. . " Something has to be done to keep sanctity of the seven gravesites as well, " said Archbishop Udo Petersoo, who as head of the Bishopry is now in charge (or as landlord ) of the church.
Anyone with ideas - or financial aid to give towards the renovation of the church and property should contact Archbishop Udo Petersoo at 416-923-5172 or by mail at 383 Jarvis St. Toronto, ON, M5B 2C7.
Hopefully more to come...
Eestlased Kanadas
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