Some History On Central Freeborn Lutheran Church... 

The Earliest Pioneers (From 1931 70th Anniversary Bulletin with some edits)

To the present, a complete and correct list of the very first pioneers of the Norwegians who settled in Freeborn County and became members of the Freeborn corrugation is perhaps impossible, for there is no record preserved of them. The very first ones to come and to take homestead in Bancroft Township where the brothers Lars and Christopher Mikkelson.  They came in the spring or early summer of ‘55 from near Dubuque IA and they brought their families up in the spring of ‘56 with them we're also Charley Peterson and Charles Olson.  A week or two later came Jon Hermundson and his wife Martha and son Herman, Guttorm and Anna Bottolfson and three children: Ingeborg, Lucy and Anna and Endre Bottolfson.    These came from Long Prairie, near Capron, Illinois.   Just about the same time came also the Morreim Brothers and settled near Manchester.    The Morreims were from Telemarken, Norway, and had lived about a year and a half in Goodhue County, Minnesota.   Ole P. Fossum relates that this same year, in 1856, came seven covered wagons bringing seven different families in one company, numbering thirty-one people:

Peder and Aase Fossom and their children, Ole, Ingeborg, Margrethe, Gunhild and Malene.

Ole and Thora Fossom and their children, Ole, Ingeborg, Svennung, Erik, and Hans.

Ole and Ingeborg Slette and son Peter.

Andres and Sigrid Evenson and daughter Sigrid.

Thor and Kari Strysse and daughter Ingeborg.

Ole and Martha Kittelson and children, Charley, Halvor and Sigrid.

Mari Slette and sons Narve and Halvor.

Other early settlers round about Manchester were:

Christian and Turi Jacobson,

Sjur and Anna Spilde,

Mads and Martha Olson,

Per Bothun and wife, Lucy,

Hans Kjønaas,

Ketil and Aslaug Bøen,

John and Aslaug Helgen,

Halvor Sigurdson and wife,

Lars and Ragnild Græsdalen,

William Dodge.

More Coming Soon...

The Central Congregation was organized in 1861. In 1888, each of the four “Freeborn” churches were incorporated separately, Central Freeborn, East Freeborn, North Freeborn & West Freeborn. West Freeborn left on their own at that time. East Freeborn went alone in 1960. For 40 years, Central and North Freeborn Lutheran Churches were a two-point parish until North Freeborn Church closed on July 9, 2000. Central Freeborn Lutheran Church remained alone until 2008 when they joined with East Freeborn Lutheran Church.