Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church
By Norma Johnson

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Photos: Left = The Church; Right = Parochial School Picnic in 1910 at Hustad Farm

The Buffalo Lake Congregation was formally organized on June 20, 1897. The thirty-one men and women present at the meeting adopted a constitution and elected officers. John A. Peterson, Knute A. Egholmen and Ole Kliftgaard were elected trustees. L. C. Halseth was elected secretary and A. Lotsberg was elected treasurer. Pastor Strand, the first minister, served two years. His successor was Rev. C. M. Peterson.

On August 14, 1898, John A. Peterson donated two acres of land for the church and the cemetery. Several years elapsed before definite steps were taken to build a church, but on July 23, 1903, the congregation elected a building committee. The committee consisted of C. O. Hanson, Knute Egholmen and Henry Lobben. They were given the authority to make plans for the building of the church in the summer of 1904. The Ladies Aid furnished the funds for the church and the men donated their time and labor. In the meantime church services were held in the Hustad School.

Some of the early members were Knute Egholmen, Andrew Lotsberg, Hans Aastrom, Charley Aastrom, John Peterson, Fred Rasmussen and John Johnson.

Otto Halseth and Arne Kliftgard were the first to be confirmed. This was in 1898. The first confirmation in the church was held on September 4, 1904. The members confirmed were Rasmus Rasmussen, Alma Lotsberg, Sophie Lobben, Alma Espelien, Christian Kliftgard and John Lotsberg.

Mrs. Anna Aastrom was the first president of the Ladies Aid. It was organized in 1898 under the leadership of Rev. O. N. Peterson.

Throughout the years the church has been affiliated with The Norwegian Synod, Norwegian Lutheran Church of America, Evangelical Lutheran Church, The American Lutheran Church and at present with the Association of Free Lutheran Churches. The pastor, Rev. Howard Kjos, serves three other churches, Hope, Saron and Tabor. He and his family reside in the parsonage in Roslyn, SD.