BIOGRAPHIES: Rev. J. E. NORD, Rice Lake, Barron County, WI ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, or the legal representative of the contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Vic Gulickson 30 April 2001 ==================================================================== Rev. J. E. Nord, retired, was born at Skareide, in Nordfjord, Norway, Dec. 14, 1852, and is the youngest of the four children born to Erick and Gunhild Nord, the former of whom died at the age of 88 and the latter at the age of 95 years. An ancestor, Erick Nord, was a member of the Constitutional Assembly at Eidsvold, in 1814, when Norway was declared independent, and a signer of the constitution. The subject of this sketch attended school until he was fourteen years of age, and then became a teacher. He wished to come to America in early youth, but the American Civil War was then raging, and his parents objected to his venturing to a country torn with fraternal strife. Accordingly he delayed until 1873, when he made the trip safely, and located at Torch Lake, Antrim County, Mich. In the fall of the following year he was admitted to the Augsburg Seminary, Minneapolis, Minn., where he studied six years, spending his vacations in teaching church schools. He was graduated in May, 1880, and was ordained at Palestine, in Storey County, Iowa, in June of that year. His first charge was at Liberty Pole, Vernon County, Wis., where he served three congregations. His work there attracted attention, and on Dec. 30, 1882, he was called to take charge of the extensive work centering at Rice Lake. He came here May 20, 1883, and has thus been a useful citizen for nearly forty years. His field extended from Ashland to Chetek, from Rhinelander to Amery, a territory now served by fourteen different pastors of his denomination. For thirty-six and a half years he gave the best that was in him of service and devotion, spending his life, his health and his energy in the cause of truth. He served permanently twelve congregations and temporarily twenty-one congregations, making thirty-three in all, in addition to fourteen stations, the total communicants being 5,035. He organized sixteen congregations, held 5,361 services, had 7,240 sessions with confirmation classes, visited 1,552 sick persons, baptized 2,030, confirmed 1,092, presided at 383 weddings, and buried 575 persons. For eighteen years he was president and visitor of the Rice Lake District, and for several years visitor for the Eau Claire District. His permanent congregations were at Rice Lake, Barron, Chetek, Freeman, Franklin, Fountain, Faaberg, Aker, Zion, Concordia, Stanfold and Hayward. His temporary congregations were at: Sparta, La Crosse, Bostwick Valley, Blair, French Creek, Houston, Luny Valley, Long Lake, Weyerhauser, Glen Flora, Ladysmith, Catawba, Hawkins, Knox Mills, Ashland, Chippewa Falls, Stanley, Elk Creek, North La Crosse, Rocky Ridge, Cedar Lake, Haugen and Spooner, all in Wisconsin except Luny Valley and Houston. His stations were at Bad Ax, Ridgway, Kickapoo, New Lisbon, Camp Douglas, Cameron, town of Clinton, town of Stanfold, Vance Creek, Jewett Mills, Amory, Shell Lake, Drummond, Seeley and Smith Lake. He was a pastor of untiring energy, a minister of his people, who lived their lives with them in happiness and sorrow, baptized, catechised and confirmed their children, wedded their young people, joined in church festivities, watched by beds of sorrow, consoled the doubtful and grieving, admonished the wayward, upheld the righteous and buried the dead. In his studio he was a profound student and thinker, weighing all problems with much care, and in his pulpit he was a straightforward speaker who spoke the Word as it had revealed itself to him without fear or favor of man. With stern justice and an insistence on austerity of conduct, he mingled a kindly and affectionate understanding of human weaknesses, and he was, all in all, a real father of his people. In 1916 increasing years caused him to turn the pastoral work over to others, but he still supplies pulpits on special occasions, and he has never lost his interest in his people, and they still call him pastor, though other men are now nobly taking up the work that he has officially laid down. Pastor Nord has made two trips to the old country. The first was in 1879, just before he was ordained, when he still had a boyish longing to see the land of his birth and childhood. The second was in the height of his career, in 1890, when his health has been broken by the untiring effort and hard work incident to a pioneer pastor's life, combined with the long, slow drives that he found it necessary to take through the cold and snow of winter months in a new and sparsely settled country. Through all his years of toil and labor, he has been assisted by his noble wife, who has proved a sympathetic Christian helpmate, mother and friend, and who has shared all his work. She is truly one of those of whom it may be said, "And her children shall rise up and call her blessed." Pastor Nord was married June 21, 1880, to Caroline Larson, who was born in Norway, Dec. 28, 1857, daughter of Christian and Bertha (Kildahl) Larson, who came to America in 1868 and settled in Baker County, Minn., where she was reared and educated. Mr. and Mrs. Nord have ten children: Hulda, Enok Krysostomus, Gunnar Betuel, Johannes Kleofas, Ragna, Lieutenant Samuel Kornelius, Gudrun Lydia, Dagny Aagaate, Olaf Arnold and Harald. Hulda was born April 5, 1881, married Albert Jorstad, of Cameron, and has one child, Agnes. Enok Krysostomus was born Sept. 27, 1882, and is in the real estate and insurance business at Rice Lake. Gunnar Betuel was born Sept. 6, 1884, lives in Warren, Minn., married Bertha Larson, and has six children, Caroline, Erling, Arnold, Alzada, Harold and Oscar. Johannes Kleofas was born Jan. 11, 1887, graduated from the University of Wisconsin, married Marie Spei, and is a high school teacher at Hastings, Minn. He has one child, Shirley. Ragna was born April 17, 1889, and is superintendent in charge of the Hydro-Therapeutic Department in the Deaconess Lutheran Hospital in Chicago, 111. Lieutenant Samuel Kornelius gave his life in the World War. Gudrun Lydia was born May 27, 1896, and is the wife of William Honebrink, of Sauk Rapids, Minn. Dagny Aagaate was born March 8, 1896, and is the wife of August Erdmann, of St. Paul. Olaf Arnold was born Dec. 8, 1897, and lives in Warren, Minn. Harald was born July 20, 1905, and is doing well in the public schools. --Taken from: History of Barron Co., Wisconsin, H. C. Cooper, Jr., & Co., 1922, pp. 188-189.