Showing 79 results

The Normanna Male Chorus of Tacoma formed on 15 October 1888 when a group of eight young businessmen in Parkland, Washington got together to begin a double quartet. They originally named the group Quartetten Luren, which was a common name in Norway for a quartet. “Luren” indicates the horn used by the Chalet girls in the mountains similar to the Alpine horn. The group’s purpose was to continue the tradition of male chorus singing of Norway, which is still an important cultural group in many Norwegian communities. As the chorus grew, the group moved to Normanna Hall in Tacoma, located at 15th and K Street, and adopted the name of the hall. On 27 October 1924, ten men signed the “Agreement to Form a Corporation of Musical Purposes.” One week later, they had their first official meeting as the Normanna Male Chorus.
The chorus is a member of the Pacific Coast Norwegian Singers Association which includes choruses from British Columbia, Oregon, California as well as four choruses in the State of Washington.
Every year since 1903 the association meets for its annual Sangerfest, in which the business of the association is transacted, and singers gather for a Grand Concert with more than 180 singers in attendance. In 1988, the Normanna Male Chorus celebrated the 100th Anniversary of its founding by holding the Sangerfest in Tacoma at the Pantages Theater.

The Norwegian Synod was formed by Norwegian Lutheran dedicated to theological orthodoxy and preserving the traditions and teachings of the Church of Norway. The synod was organized in 1953 by clergyman JWC Dietrichson. In 1857, the Synod decided to establish Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, which opened in 1861. In 1876, a seminary was established in Madison, Wisconsin. In 1917, the Norwegian Synod merged with the Hauge Synod and the United Church to form the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America. Thirteen out of 351 synod pastors objected to the merger. Those pastors formed the Norwegian Synod of the American Evangelical Lutheran Church. The first president of this new synod was Bjug Harstad. In 1958, as more congregations moved away from Norwegian language and traditions, the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America became the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

This congregation was organized as Salem Lutheran Church on July 17, 1960 with Donald G. Reese, pastor. It was started by the Board of American Missions of the American Lutheran Church. On December 4, 1960, the name was officially changed to Our Savior’s when the congregation was officially established by the synod. The church was dedicated on April 30, 1961. The church voted to leave the ELCA on June 26, 2011

On January 1, 1970, two congregations in the Burien area merged to form Our Savior’s. They were the House of Prayer Lutheran Church (ALC), and Bethel of Burien (an ALC congregation which had been established by the Lutheran Free Church). The two pastors served the merged congregation until August 1, 1970, when they left for other parishes and Reverend Robert Moylan became head pastor. During the four years that Moylan was pastor a building program was instituted. A first unit was erected and a few years later, a parish education unit was added. They voted to leave the ELCA on January 20, 2001.

Peace Lutheran Church was assembled first as a Lutheran Mission in Rainier, Oregon in 1954. The mission was initially named Rainier First Lutheran and was led first by Pastor Leroy E. Pillman and, beginning in 1957, Pastor James H. Goss. The congregation officially organized in 1958 under the name Peace Lutheran. Peace Lutheran had several visiting pastors until 1962 when they called Pastor Wilton H. Anderson, who they shared with Brownsmead congregation. In 1969, the church was disbanded due to low membership.

Tacoma Swedish-language weekly newspaper.
Publisher: Puget Sound Publishing Company, 1125 Tacoma Avenue,Tacoma , Washington

The Puget Sound Publishing Company, based in Tacoma, published the Norwegian newspaper, The Western Viking, and the Swedish newspaper, The Puget Sound Posten. The company sponsored "The Scandinavian Hour" radio program on Tacoma KVI. Another local newspaper, Vestkysten, was sold to the Puget Sound Publishing Company in 1931.

This congregation was founded by the Reverend S.J. Ristesund in 1939 as an independent congregation. Services were held in the Eagles Hall and six people were present for the first service. A bus was purchased to transport children to Sunday school. The group held groundbreaking for the church on June of 1941, and the first service there was held December 25, 1942. The first unit, a fellowship hall, was followed by the erection of the building, where the first service was held on October 26, 1944. The congregation voted to disband on April 30, 2006, and had their last service on June 25, 2006.

Names: Richards Film Service (1919), Richards Commercial Photo Service (1949)
Address: C of C Building

The Riverton Heights Lutheran Church was organized as a Mission of the American Lutheran Church on October 2, 1945. The Agreement of Association with the state of Washington was signed on October 17, 1945 by Pastor Phillip Rohrbacher, Jeanne Axtell, Kenneth Hove, Arthur Theimer, Gus Magnuson, M. E. Baker, and Malinda Spanier. The lot where the church was built was purchased for $1,350. The deed was dated October 30, 1945.

Church services, weddings, baptisms, funerals, and Sunday School were conducted in the basement of the Parsonage until the Chapel was dedicated on April 13, 1947. The Parsonage continued to serve portions of the Sunday School for several years. Ground breaking ceremonies for construction of the Parish Education Building were held on October 26, 1958. On April 24, 1960, the building was dedicated and has since fulfilled its multiple functions admirably. Recognizing our continuing need for additional facilities, a program for construction of a new Sanctuary and additional classrooms was begun in October 1966. Ground breaking took place on September 9, 1973. The new Sanctuary was dedicated on June 8, 1975.

During the church’s time many pastors served. Philip Rohrbacher, the founding pastor, served from 1945 to 1948. He was followed by Ernest Philippi from 1948 to 1952, Erich Knorr from 1952 to 1953 and February through June 1954, Vernon Kraxberger from 1953 to 1954, Leonard Kutz from 1954 to 1968, Richard Bersie from 1968 to 1995, Norma Borgford from 1995 to 1996, and Joyce Miller from 1996 to 1998, in which the church closed due to lack of funds.

• From the commemorative booklet from the church’s closing worship