Church History: Naming Sundahl

Joan Thompson Huso's great grandfather, Ingebrigt Locken and his brother Jon Mehle were charter members of Sundahl church. 

Above:  Sunndalsora Church in Norway. It has been rebuilt after being destroyed by wind and fire. Pictured in the foreground are Joan Thompson Huso  and her mother Anez Locken Thompson with their cousin from Norway between them.

The Locken family lived in the Sunndal valley in Norway and left for America in 1880. Locken was a prominent farm in Sunndal. Sunndal was noted for it’s salmon fishing. Later Sunndalsora  became an aluminum manufacturing plant. Marit Nerdal left Norway in 1877.

 Sundahl Church was named in respect of the homeland they left in Norway. It is a beautiful valley close to the northwest coastline. 

Mr. and Mrs. Ingebrigt (Marit Nerdal) Locken were one of the original charter members of the congregation and story goes that Ingebrigt brought the first load of rocks to build the foundation. Other charter members were Mr. and Mrs. Iver Swenson, Mr. and Mrs. Ole Olson, Mr. S.S. Aas, and Miss Maren Aas. These pioneers were looking for some place to establish a home to rear their families and to bring their children up in the "Faith" of their fathers. According to the history from 1935, these families gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Iver Swenson, a sod one room house, to start their first church services.

Joan Thompson Huso, currently an organist and choir director at Sundahl Lutheran Church, stands on the land her ancestors left in Norway.

Joan’s great aunt Annie Locken Walquist was the first child to be born and baptized in 1885 when Sundahl church was started. Six  families met in various homes: Iver Swenson, Ole Olson, Ingebrit Locken, John Mehle, S.S. Aase. In 1896 -97, Thomas Brakke and Sam Lee were appointed to solicit money for purpose of building a house to worship. In 1906 the new church was dedicated but a new committee of N.A. Kloster, Thorbjorn Huso, and Ingebrigt Locken was formed to raise money for a parsonage for which they paid $2200. A second parsonage was bought for $2400 by the Ladies Aid in 1931 as the first parsonage was a little small. At the 50^th anniversary of the church, only living charter member was Marit Locken, Joan’s great grandmother.

Ingebrigt's brother lived in the Aneta area for 20 years and helped organize Sundahl Church, then returned to Norway. This photo of his grave in Norway was taken by Joan in 2006.

Photos submitted by Joan Thompson Huso