This past week, First Lutheran Church celebrated their 75+ year old members. It was so much fun reminiscing and hearing their stories from First Lutheran Church. Here is one memory from Gertrude Larson from a visit with Pastor David Strom:

Gert and her husband Ed became members after WW2 around the year 1947. Chris Preus was pastor at FLC at the time. There was such a positive atmosphere in post war Fergus Falls. Men having returned from the war were grateful to be able to get married and start a family, in addition to pursuing and building a career for themselves. The immediate post war membership into the 1950’s saw a significant rise in membership. Many baptisms and the Sunday School was filled to over flowing. Ed, Gert’s late husband, was serving on one of the church boards as plans were made to build the Education Wing, brought about by the sudden influx of young families of returning war veterans.

According to "Blessed...to be a blessing", in 1947, there were 300 students enrolled in Sunday School. By 1965, that number had grown to 688 students!