St. Pauls Lutheran Church (South Walnut) Palo Alto County, Iowa

Country churches thrived before cars and good roads became the rule, and before the farms started to get larger and fewer families lived in the area. St. Paul's Lutheran Church in the southern part of Walnut Township, Palo Alto County, was no different. Commonly called South Walnut Church, it closed in January of 1962. The building still stands and is still cared for, along with the cemetery across the road, and they still have a Memorial Day celebration there.

St. Paul's was a Lutheran Church, but more significantly, it's congregation was predominantly Danish immigrants and their descendants. Lost Island Lutheran Church was only a few miles to the west, but until St. Paul's closed, it was Norwegian. I sometimes joke that I grew up in an area with great cultural differences, having both Danes and Norwegians. Lost Island Church has survived to this day, and is one of few country churches still operating I suppose.

St. Paul's is important to me for several reasons. Both, my stepfather's family (Appels) and my wife's family (Larsens) went there. In fact, my wife, Irene, was the last child baptized there. And the church and cemetery were up the hill from the farm I grew up on. Not a day passed when I didn't see the church on the hill.

The following photos are all from the collection of Elliott and Norma Larsen.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church and Cemetery

Painting around 1958

Painting Crew around 1958

Cheryl Henningsen

Esther Suss

Thanksgiving

Verle Johnson & Marvin Larsen

Pastor H. Irving Petersen and wife with Irene Larsen, last baptism

Last Service January 1962

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Family History Notes and Photos by Bob Mesenbrink

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