The church and adjacent cemetery - or churchyard - are located just north of 105th St., halfway between 464th (Oddin) Ave. to the west and I-29 (Hwy. 81) to the east.

"There are many old Swedish churches in the northern part of eastern South Dakota. If you have time, go for a drive and discover places where Swedish congregations toiled to build their churches. If you do you will find that friendly people will come your way and tell you in their own words how their forefathers came here from Sweden and established their communities. Here are a few suggestions:

New Effington

The rural Walla Lutheran Church was organized in 1894 as the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Walla Church. The congregation built its sanctuary, where it still worships, in 1902. The church is located two miles northeast of Walla. Early pastor K. G. William Dahl, who later founded Bethphage Mission in Axtell, Nebraska, served the church from 1907 to 1909.

Claremont

In 1881 Swedish settlers, many of them from Chisago County, Minnesota, came to South Dakota to homestead land near Claremont. In 1884 they met in a home for the first service of what they named the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Church, now called the Augustana Lutheran Church. In 1899 they built a church under the supervision of William Carlson, a Swede from Center City, Minnesota. Church sources say that Carlson did a handstand on top of the tower the day the building was completed. Dedicated in 1900, it is a large wood-frame church with both Gothic-Revival and Classical-Revival features. It has twelve long, Gothic-arched, stained-glass windows. Hand-carved furnishings, including an elevated pulpit covered by a suspended hood, are features of the interior sanctuary. The church is located eight miles west and one-quarter mile south of Langford or four and one-half miles south of Claremont.

Rosholt

Congregants organized the rural St. Joseph Lutheran Church five miles southeast of town in 1894 and built its sanctuary in 1902. St. Joseph shared a pastor with the Walla Lutheran Church. Dahl was also a pastor at this church early in his career (1907-1909) and wrote a book based on his experiences in Rosholt and New Effington. Swedish was spoken in the services and Sunday school at St. Joseph until 1925.

White Rock

The Augustana Lutheran Church in White Rock in the extreme northeastern corner of the state, was founded in 1887. In recent years the same pastor has served the Walla, St. Joseph, and Augustana congregations."

(from the website "nordicway.com")

The book 100 Years of Precious Memories, (Walla Lutheran Church, New Effington, South Dakota, July 3, 1994) is a history of the Walla Lutheran Church.

Walla Lutheran Church
46532 105th St.
New Effington, SD 57255-6228
(605)537-4505


10372 462nd Ave.
New Effington, SD 57255-6228
email: [email protected]

Cemetery page created by this member. Please contact him for any additions, deletions, changes, editorial corrections, etc.