Rev. Tvedt was Hartington area’s first Lutheran resident pastor

HARTINGTON — Pastor Nels G. Tvedt, the first resident pastor in Northeast Nebraska, had many trials and tribulations. He came to this area in 1875 as an assistant to Pastor Emil Christensen, who was located at Gayville, S.D.

He was born July 21, 1845, in Vany Valres, Norway. He was baptized in an old Stave church in Hurum, Norway. He came to America in 1854. He was the first person confirmed in the Bergen Congregation in Glenroe, Minn.

He earned his bachelor of arts degree from Luther College in 1872 and his bachelor’s degree in Theology from Concordia Seminary in 1875. In the summer, he was ordained at Spring Prairie, Wis., and came to South Dakota in December 1875.

On Feb. 4, 1879, Rev. Tvedt and Lena Nelson of Maskell were married in Gayville by Rev. Emil Christensen.

The couple lived in Gayville a few months until a four-room house was built on a 40-acre farm which he had bought for $1.40 an acre in the Paragon vicinity, two miles north and five miles east of Hartington.

Ten children were born to this union — four died as infants, one following whooping cough when five years of age. A son, Elmer, died of diabetes at 17 and a son, Neal, died of tuberculosis at the age of 34.

Another son, Carl, was able to attend Trinity Lutheran Church’s 100th anniversary in 1973.

Another tragedy for the Tvedt family occurred July 4, 1901, when their home burned. Rev. Tvedt had just inherited $1,000, which he had not placed in a bank. Also, $70 belonging to a daughter was hidden in a clock. There were suspicions that the fire had been set to conceal the theft of the money.

According to their son, Carl, the family lived in a buggy shed until the new home was built by Will Israelson.

A few years later, this place was sold and the family moved to a small farm in the Sunny Lea community, about five miles further east.

They resided there until 1908 when Rev. Tvedt retired and they boy of whooping cough, and a little girl of malaria. A second son died of typhoid and pneumonia moved to Maskell.

The members of his three congregations —