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The early history of Zion Lutheran Church of Juliaetta, Idaho is closely connected with the history of Lutheran families of this vicinity. Florian Schaupfer came from Steirmarck, Austria, to Juliaetta in the fall of 1883 with his wife and two children. The first Lutheran services in this community were held in a log school house on the Florian Schaupfer Homestead. These first services were conducted by Reverend Zelle of the Missouri Synod, who came from Pendleton every six weeks. Reverend Anton Horn, Ohio Synod missionary in the Northwest, was the next to conduct services in the Florian Scharpfer home. He also started work in Cameron. Reverend H. Rieke was located in Genesee, Idaho, and organized the Cameron and Juliaetta congregations.

In 1904 the church was purchased at a cost of $400. In the summer of 1937 it was completely redecorated and other renovations were made. Fire destroyed the church in the early 1950’s, and a new structure was built 1956. After declining in numbers the congregation voted to dissolve July 1, 2012.

Johan Ulrik Xavier was born to Nils Paul and Amanda Magdalane Xavier on June 26, 1870 in Lyngen, Norway. The second son of a family of ten, he and his family immigrated to the United States three years after his birth in 1873. They became naturalized citizens of the United States in 1878.

Johan Ulrick was first educated in a rural elementary school for seven years but then moved on to Luther College Preparatory, where he studied from 1885 to 1888. He took his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1893 from Luther College, Iowa. He earned his Theological Degree from the Luther Seminary in Saint Paul in 1898. He completed his graduate work during the summer at both the University of Minnesota and the University of Washington, which ended when he achieved his Master of Arts Degree from the University of Washington on 1929. In 1953, Professor Xavier received his honorary Doctorate in Divinity from Pacific Lutheran College.

Dr. Xavier began teaching at the Lutheran Ladies Seminary in Red Wing Minnesota between 1900 and 1902. He quit when they would not give him the raise he asked for and he accepted the call from Pacific Lutheran Academy. He taught there until 1906, when he again quit because the school would not give him the raise he asked for. He spent the year teaching in a one room school house in Oak Knoll or Muck Creek. In 1908 he returned to Pacific Lutheran Academy and continued working until the school shut down for a few years in 1917. He earned his living at a number of odd jobs and eventually settled down to work at a wholesale grocers’ named Younglove. When the school re-opened in 1920, Dr. Xavier returned and because he was now the most senior member of the staff, he acted as president for the first year that Pacific Lutheran College was open. From 1921 to when he retired in 1942, Dr. Xavier taught a wide variety of classes as well as serving as the school’s librarian. He was an assistant pastor to his father in 1901 and to a number of other Lutheran pastors throughout his life. It is also reported that Dr. Xavier and his father worked together in publishing the Pacific Lutheran University Heralds for many years.

It was at Pacific Lutheran Academy that Dr. Xavier met his future wife, Signe Skattebol, who was a teacher and the women’s basketball coach. He proposed to her in 1910 and they married on December 27, 1912. They adopted their first child, Olaf Paul Xavier on July 24, 1919 and their second child, Barbara Ruth Xavier on May 17, 1922. Dr. Xavier died in 1963 in a Stanwood Retirement Home at the age of 93.

Eugene "Gene" Wiegman was born October 27, 1929 in Fort Wayne, Indiana His primary and secondary school education was in schools run by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod After serving in the Marine Corps, Wiegman attended Concordia College in River Forest, Illinois, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in social science and teacher education in 1953 In 1956, he earned a Master of Science Degree in school administration and in 1962 he eared a Doctor of Education from the University of Kansas

From 1954-1961 Wiegman was a teacher, coach and principal in Missouri Lutheran schools From 1961-65, He taught social science education and political science at Concordia Teacher's College in Seward, Nebraska From 1965-66, Wiegman worked as the administrative assistant to a Nebraska Congressman In 1966-67, he worked with land grant colleges in extension education programs for the U.S. Department of Agriculture In 1967, Weigman was appointed the dean of community education ad Federal City College, Washington, D.C.

Wiegman served as PLU's president from 1969-1974. After leaving PLU, he ran for office, served from 1977-1981 as the Washington State Commissioner of Employment Security, served as a lay pastor and was ordained as a Lutheran Pastor in 1987

Wiegman married Kathleen Wyatt on April 26, 1952 and together they have six children, Kathryn, Rose Marie, Mark, Jeanine, Gretchen and Matthew.

Wiegman died in July 2020.

The Washington Posten was first distributed as part of the Norwegian Constitution Day celebration in Seattle on May 17, 1889. The Norwegian-Danish publication was founded by Frank Oleson, an immigrant for Trondheim, Norway who worked as a postal clerk in Seattle. In an 1938 interview, Oleson recalled, "As a clerk at the post office, I discovered that many bundles of Decorah-Posten, Skandinaven, Budstikken, and other Norwegian-American newspapers were being sent to subscribers here. They were not only for people in Seattle, but many were addressed to post offices in the surrounding area for which Seattle served as a distribution point. This circumstance gave me and my brother Richard, who also worked in the post office, the idea of publishing a Norwegian newspaper in Seattle. I was at that time twenty-six years old and my brother two years younger. We had no experience whatsoever in the publishing business and even less experience in editorial work."

The Posten was edited by Gunnar Lund from 1905-1938, Ole L Ejde from 1938 to 1959, and Henning C Boe from 1959 to 1961. Beginning in 1890, the offices of the Washington Posten were located on Front Street (1st Avenue) near Blanchard Street. Several other spaces were used in the downtown area until the late 1910s when the headquarters were established in the Seaboard Building at the corner of 4th Avenue and Pike Street where it would remain until 1961. In 1959, Henning C Boe purchased the Posten. In order to expand the audience for the paper, he began including more English language content and, in 1961, changed the name to the Western Viking. The newspaper reached approximately 15,000 subscribers in the 1920s.

The Vasa Order of America was founded on September 18, 1896 in New Haven, Connecticut by Swedish immigrants on the principles of generosity, truth, and unity.

Pacific Northwest Lodge no. 13 was organized August 11, 1912 in Seattle, Washington by E.L Gissler from Connecticut. The nine local lodges represented were Nordstjarnan no. 145 of Spokane, Washington; Nobel no. 184 of Portland, Oregon; Norrskenet no. 189 of Hoquiam, Washington; Klippan no. 228 of Seattle, Washington; Forgat Mig Ej (later changed to Nornan no. 413) of Vancouver, B.C.; Trofast no. 231 of Everett, Washington; Norden no. 233 of Tacoma, Washington; Svea no. 234 of Bellingham, Washington; and Astor no. 215 of Astoria, Oregon. During that time District Lodge conventions were established as an annual event, but at the Spokane convention of 1920 it was changed in favor of a biennial affair in the interest of economy for both district and local lodges.

The Vasa Order of America is the largest Swedish-American cultural fraternal organization for families of Scandinavian descent in the United States of America. The order consists of 19 district lodges and several hundred local lodges throughout the U.S., Canada, and Sweden. The organization offers Scandinavian cultural and heritage programs, Swedish language study, children and youth clubs, scholarships and student loans, and many cultural activities for its members.

In 1918, three German-language Synods (General Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America, the General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the USA, and the United Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the South) merged to form the United Lutheran Church in America. These groups had worked together for some time prior to the merger, issuing a Common Service in 1888, forming a Home Mission Arbitration Commission in 1907, and removing doctrinal differences by constitutional amendment in 1911. The Evangelical Lutheran Zion Synod joined the ULCA in 1920, followed by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of North America in 1942. In 1962, the ULCA became part of the newly formed Lutheran Church in America.

The Pacific Synod of the United Lutheran Church in American included Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, and British Columbia.

Director of Photography Services, Pacific Lutheran University: 1995-2003

Trinity Lutheran College began in 1944 as the Lutheran Bible Institute of Seattle (LBIS). Based in Minneapolis, the Lutheran Bible Institute system established campuses in Seattle, WA (1944), Teaneck, New Jersey (1948), and Los Angeles, CA (1951). All three campuses eventually became independent. LBIS began operations out of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in downtown Seattle. In 1949, the Institute relocated to a campus on Greenwood Avenue in North Seattle. LBIS initially focused on one and two year education programs in biblical studies and youth ministry. Over time, educational offerings expanded and enrollment grew, necessitating another move in 1979. The Institute purchased land in Issaquah, WA, that had previously been the home of Providence Heights College, from the Sisters of Providence. In 1982, LBIS became accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and expanded their offerings to include bachelors programs in traditional liberal arts areas such as education, communication, and music. To reflect the Institute's broad offerings and accredited status, the name was changed to Trinity Lutheran College in 1999. The College moved again in 2008, this time to the Port Gardner Building in downtown Everett, WA. Program offerings included 10 majors and 17 minors for Bachelors students, along with Certificate and Associate programs. That same year, the Trinity Education Foundation was established to provide financial support for Trinity students. In 2016, the College announced that they would cease operations. The final class graduated in May of that year. The Trinity Education Foundation continues to operate, now providing scholarship operations for students pursuing educational opportunities at faith-based institutions.

The congregation was officially organized on August 25, 1919. In cooperation with Pacific Lutheran University, members of the congregation erected a church on the college campus in 1920, and worship was held there until 1936 when the congregation purchased the property of the Parkland Evangelical Lutheran Church. The structure (built in 1902) was razed, and the present sanctuary was built and dedicated on June 8, 1958. Trinity has helped to establish several churches in the area, including Christ the King in Midland, Christ Lutheran in Lakewood, Spanaway Lutheran, and Gethsemane Lutheran at South 76th.

On Palm Sunday of 1944 the first worship service of Trinity Lutheran Church of Kirkland, Washington, was held in the American Legion Hall with Pastor Charles Crouch leading the service. Not long afterwards the old funeral chapel and apartment was purchased and remodeled to serve as Trinity’s church building and parsonage. Trinity worshiped in this space until 1959. Pastor Justin Torgrimson arrived in 1948 and served Trinity until December 1951.

Upon Torgrimson's departure, Pastor Haaland and Pastor Hjelmeland helped Trinity through the transition time of calling their next settled pastor, Pastor Ernest Raaum, in June of 1952 Trinity. The church purchased a new property for $4,750.00 in 1953 to accommodate a growing congregation. The parsonage was completed in 1956. Pastor G.A. Almquist assisted Trinity in calling their next settled pastor, Pastor Chester Blake, who arrived in August 1958. The congregation consulted the Board of Home Missions for help in building its new church building. With their help and the help of the Church Extension Fund the groundbreaking began on March 15, 1959. On Thanksgiving Day of that year Trinity gathered for their first service on these grounds.

In 1960 Trinity became affiliated with the American Lutheran church through the merger of the Lutheran Free Church with the American Lutheran Church. In 1964, Pastor E. Melvin Bremer was called to serve the congregation. After Pastor Bremer’s service to the community of Trinity, Pastor W.J. Stakkestad was called in 1975. Pastor Stakkestad served Trinity until 1990. In his time of service Trinity opened a Christian Preschool (1979-1994) and added the north end addition and basement.

Pastor F. Philip Stain was called in 1991. In 1992 the NW addition was constructed, and in 1996 an interior restoration took place. The pews were restained, the cross area was restored and repainted, and lighting was reworked, and the partition wall was extended to the ceiling. In 1996 Trinity partnered with several other congregations from various faith traditions and created the Greater Kirkland Ecumenical Parish (GKEP). In 2005 Trinity rented its parsonage to a member of the congregation, and welcomed a Korean Seventh Day Adventist congregation to worship in the building on Fridays and Saturdays.

In 2009 the Northwest Washington Synod called Pastor Diana Bottin to a 3 year term call at Trinity. A congregational vote was taken on June 23, 2013, to hand over assets to Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, Kirkland (ELCA) for the development of a young adult ministry to develop in this place. The last worship service held in this building under the name of Trinity Lutheran church was on June 30, 2013.