SALEM SERVICE AUGUST 11, 2019

Clare Johnson rang the Grimsrud bell to open the morning service.

I wasn't going to do another blog post until the end of the month but that changed after this past weekend when we had the now annual worship service at Salem Lutheran Church just two miles north of our farm.  This little country church was closed in 1963 and members voted to join Trinity Lutheran in Torquay, just eight miles away.

In 1998 a decision was made to preserve this building that was deteriorating with a leaky roof and much damage to the inside. Letters were sent out to former members and friends of Salem asking for support if they were interested in saving this building.  The answer was Yes as people responded with monetary gifts that would cover the cost of necessary repairs.  

An Anniversary Celebration was held in 1999, seventy years after this church was built to replace the original Salem that had been struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1929.  That means that the church is now 90 years old.  I hope to be around to celebrate the 100th anniversary, or that the younger generation will keep the tradition going. Services have been held in some years but we want to get back to a yearly one.  The second Sunday in August seems a good time although in 2018 it happened to be the hottest day of the year!  Next year we'll plan for service on August 9.

Mice damaged the pump organ so now
my accordion accompanies the singing.

This year August 11 was the second Sunday so we planned a service for that day.  The eleventh was Howard Johnson's birthday as well as my mother's -  Hulda Haaland Erickson who was born in 1919, one hundred years ago.  I wanted to do something special in her memory and also Howard's.  When my sister Sandra at Frontier,SK learned that Salem service was on August 11 she said: "I'm coming". 

 We decided to serve lunch after the service in memory of Mom and Howard and the planning began. The lunch menu contained open face buns with egg salad, ham or Norwegian brown cheese (from Jason's Grocery in Crosby), flatbread, Hardanger lefse, krumkake, sandbakkels, a fruit tray, and rømmegrøt.  (Thanks to Vickie for making coffee at Trinity and sending it to Salem in carafes and to Sandra for making the lefse and rømmegrøt and to Sandra and Jodi for serving)

We had over an inch of rain on Saturday and the forecast didn't look like picnic weather so we served lunch indoors.  Thanks to Ron Fonstad and Alan for hauling out two tables from Trinity for serving. Special thanks to Keith Hanson who keeps the grass neatly trimmed and to his helpers last week, Jordan and Landon Marcotte. Also to Janice, Patti, and Gail for cleaning the interior, even vacuuming the rug!

Sandra wore her Norsk bunad, which was appropriate as both Mom and Howard were 100% Norwegian heritage.  (My siblings and I have "tainted blood" as our great-grandmother, Mathilda Munter Stenson, was Swedish! Actually, we are very proud of our Swedish background too.  My brother Alan has done a lot of reading and research about our great-grandfather, Johan Munter, a soldier in the US Civil War.)

When Sandra asked me what I was planning to wear, I told her "my Salem dress".  I had to explain that it was the dress I first wore to son Kirk's wedding to Shauna Fornwald that took place at Salem on April 8, 2000.  I still love that dress so can wear it at least once a year and I also wore it to grandson Carter Johnson's grad in May!

 

Thirty-nine people were at Salem on Sunday morning.  The pioneers who established this congregation would have been pleased to see members from these early families represented - Fonstads, Grimsruds, Johnsons, Tenolds, Vinges, and Ulledalens. 

Melvin Fonstad from Richmond BC came from farthest away. International guests were Kevin and Lorna (Enget) Carlson from Powers Lake, ND.  Other visitors came from Regina, Milestone, Weyburn, Estevan, and Torquay.

In the afternoon our family gathered at the farm for a time of visiting, golfing for the guys in Crosby, and of course eating again -beef on a bun, salads, corn on the cob, homemade ice cream, and Sandra's rhubarb cream pie.  (She has a table at Frontier Farmer's Market every Friday)

Greg is showing that he "won the heavy-weight belt" for
having the long drive on the last hole.

Little did we know that people would be gathering again at Salem on the following Friday, this time at the cemetery.  Jeff Marcotte, the 43-year-old son of Patti (Mossing) and Brian Marcotte had battled brain cancer for four and a half years.  On Tuesday, August 13 his battle was over and he died at their farm home near Outram, surrounded by his loving family -  his wife Stacy (nee Coughlan), fourteen-year-old twin sons Jordan and Landon, and eleven-year-old daughter Alyssa.

A time of memory sharing at the Hall Funeral Services Chapel took place on Thursday evening with an open mike for people to share memories of Jeff.  The celebration of life was held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Estevan with a reception following in the social hall.  Jeff was laid to rest beside his maternal grandparents, Norman and Carol (Fonstad) Mossing.  

It is so sad to lose this young husband, father, and farmer, who was awarded Farm Family of the Year this past spring and had so much to live for. But the Bible verse from Psalm 23:6 on the bulletin cover reminds us that this was not the end of Jeff's life, but a new beginning.  "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."  Blessed be the memories of dear Jeff.  He was just a year older than our Todd.

Pictures and more family information can be found at Hall Funeral Services, Estevan online https://www.hallfuneralservices.ca/memorials/jeffrey-marcotte/3947294/index.php

Click on the above address and a blue box will appear. Click on the blue box and it will take you to Hall Funeral Service

Below is a link to the Farm Family of the Year award for Jeff and Stacy and family.  Again, click below, then on the blue box.

https://www.estevanmercury.ca/news/business-energy/marcotte-family-recognized-for-love-of-farming-and-dedication-to-the-community-1.23771100

Thank you for following my blog.  Please remember the Marcotte,  Mossing and Coughlan families in your prayers as they mourn and adjust to life without their precious Jeff. 

Please let me know about any errors or omissions that I have made.