Sunday, January 22, 2006

Reflections of Bethany Lutheran Church

01/22/2006

Katharine Dahlman’s Reflections of Bethany Lutheran Church as told by her daughter, Jennie K. (Dahlman) Hanson

Katharine Marie Tveit was born in Floodwood, MN in 1918 and came to live in Cromwell in August of 1939.  She had been a Bible School Teacher in Cromwell at Bethany in 1936 or so with over 60 pupils for only one teacher; her!

Katharine met Wallace Dahlman at the age of 17 at the Bethany Lutheran Church at a Luther League New Year’s Eve Party.  They were playing a game where you had to see how many peanuts you could carry on a knife from one place to another.  Wally was kind of shy and really didn’t think too much about him.

They only dated a few times, but would write letters back and forth.

Then in November of 1938, he asked me to marry him.  She didn’t know for sure if she wanted to marry him, but it turned out ok.

Wally and Katharine were married on August 16, 1939 in Floodwood, but after moving to Cromwell, went to Bethany Lutheran Church all the rest of her life.

I remember my dad and mom taking us to church and Sunday School.  Mom would draw us cute farm animals and such to help keep us quiet in church.  We loved to see what she could draw next.

She also had a beautiful singing voice and spent many years in the choir.

Mom would tell about the times that a young single Pastor named John McDermid would complain about the behavior of the children in the church. I’m sure I was one of those naughty little kids. He said his children would never be allowed to act like that.  Then he married and had children of his own and I’m sure he had to eat those words.

Mom was famous for her Cardamom bread and Lemon Meringue Pies and people would just love to have a piece of her pie. She would often bring them for the bazaar.  She was even making a lemon pie for the church bazaar when she had her stroke on November 22, 2004.  The pie was just browning in the oven when she was found on the floor.

My sister, Margaret, would often say that Mom would probably die with something in the oven for the church.  And she almost did.

There were many times when we could come home from school and she would have made a pan of bars, a pie, or a cake and us kids would have liked a piece of it, but mom would not let us, because it was for the church.  Once my sister said, “Mom, why can’t you bake something just for us!” She did plenty of that though, too.

When mom started painting the picture of the old church she was in her 80’s.  She had so much difficulty doing it.  She would paint and repaint it several times and almost had to give up.  Then, she prayed that God would guide her hands and help her complete the painting and He did.  When I first saw the finished painting, I was in awe.  I couldn’t believe how great it looked and then Mom gave all the credit to God.  She said she could have never painted it without God’s help.  It now hangs over the fireplace at the new church on Hwy 210.  It is her legacy to all the future generations of Bethany Church and the whole community.

My memories of my mother and the church are very fond ones.  She was the most important person in our lives as far as the church was concerned.  Her most treasured advice to me was when I had promised to do something I better do it, or not promise to do anything.  I have tried to live up to this advice and I know she did.

Mom was so proud of the new church.  Her plan was almost followed to a tee. I’m sure a lot of you never knew that she was the one who drew up the plans for the new church.]

Mom died on April 30, 2004 and her funeral was held at the new church on May 5, 2004.  It was her wish that the church must move on, grow and change and never become a holy shrine, but a place where everyone can worship and serve the Lord.  She would have loved being at the 100th Anniversary Celebration, but maybe she is here along with all the countless others who have gone before to their final reward in Heaven.

ORANGE KISS ME CAKE

01/22/2006

ORANGE KISS ME CAKE
6 oz. Can of orange juice concentrate
1 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp. Salt
2 Eggs
1 Cup Raisins
2 Cups Flour
1 Tsp. Soda
1/2 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Milk
1/3 Cup Walnuts (Optional)
Combine all except save out 1/2 of the orange juice.
Mix and bake at 350 degrees in a 9 x 13 pan, 40 minutes.
Make sugar nut topping and pour over warm cake.

SUGAR NUT TOPPING
1/2 can of Orange Juice
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Walnuts (Optional)

I got this recipe from Elizabeth Hanson shortly
after Bob and I were married in 1970, she made it for many
years before that, so it is a pretty old recipe.