Bethel Lutheran Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of the official marker for Bethel Lutheran Church, out in Jones County, Texas. Now settle in, because this one's got roots that go deep, and a story that keeps on giving. It begins, as so many good Texas stories do, with a banker and a big idea.

S. M. Swenson, a banker who in the 1850s underwrote Swedish migration to Texas, owned ranch land in this part of the state.

And it's right on that land where Bethel Lutheran Church stands today. The Ericksdahl community grew up around it, founded in 1905 by Swedes who had previously been living near Austin. They came north, they put down stakes, and they got to work.

In February of 1905, visiting pastors L. J. Sundquist and J.

A. Stamline held the very first church service, right there in the N. M.

Segerstrom home. Not a grand sanctuary, not a steeple in sight. Just people, and faith, and someone's living room.

Then on January 25, 1906, the congregation made it official. They organized. And the charter members, now pay attention because this community shows up by name, included Elias Bjorn, the J.

P. Hokanson family, Algot Johnson, the John Lunn family, Oscar Magnuson, Theodore Pearson, John Peterson, the Segerstrom family, the C. G.

Seth family, Eric Seth, the A. J. Swenson family, and Mr. and Mrs.

Bud Swenson. That's a community, right there in a list of names. The first sanctuary went up in 1907.

Then came the resident pastors, one after another: the Reverend Theodore Seashore, serving from 1908 to 1912, followed by the Reverend Eric Swanson from 1912 to 1913, and then the Reverend Carl Henderson from 1914 to 1919. But the name that really stops the clock is what came next. Dr.

Hugo B. Haterius took the pulpit in 1919, and he stayed. He stayed, and stayed, and served as pastor all the way through 1968.

During that span, he served 27 years as president of the Texas Conference of the Augustana Lutheran Church of America. Twenty-seven years as president. That is a man who showed up.

And while Dr. Haterius was tending to souls, the community around that church was building a whole world. The marker keeps a kind of civic diary, and it's a good one.

First school, first brass band, both in 1908. A local telephone company organized in 1917. The construction of the Swede dam, 1922 to 1924.

The first cotton gin in 1924. And then, on church property itself, the opening of a local oil field, with three producing wells, operating from 1938 to 1965. Oil wells.

On church land. That's Ericksdahl for you. Since 1968, the Reverend Stanley D.

Jurgenson has carried on as pastor. One congregation, one piece of ranch land, one community, stretching from a banker's vision in the 1850s all the way to oil wells in the twentieth century. That little church in Jones County has seen just about everything, and it kept right on standing.

What the marker says

Situated on ranch land of family of S. M. Swenson, banker who in 1850s underwrote Swedish migration to Texas. Church forms center for Ericksdahl community, founded 1905 by Swedes formerly living near Austin. Visiting pastors L. J. Sundquist and J. A. Stamline held first church service in the N. M. Segerstrom home in February 1905; congregation organized January 25, 1906. Charter members: Elias Bjorn, the J. P. Hokanson Family, Algot Johnson, John Lunn family, Oscar Magnuson, Theodore Pearson, John Peterson, the Segerstrom family, C. G. Seth family, Eric Seth, A. J. Swenson family, Mr. and Mrs. Bud Swenson. The first sanctuary was built in 1907. First resident pastors: the Rev. Theodore Seashore (1908-12), the Rev. Eric Swanson (1912-13), the Rev. Carl Henderson (1914-19). Dr. Hugo B. Haterius (pastor 1919-68) served 27 years as president of the Texas Conference of the Augustana Lutheran Church of America. As focus for community, church has recorded such lay events as opening of first school and formation of brass band, 1908; organization of local telephone company, 1917; construction of "Swede" dam, 1922-24; the first cotton gin, 1924; opening of local oil field (with 3 producing wells, 1938-65, on church property). Pastor since 1968: the Rev. Stanley D. Jurgenson. (1971)