MINNESOTA’S DIVERSE LANDSCAPE inspires. From the vast prairie to the northwoods. From lakes to rivers. From hills to valleys. My home state, minus mountain ranges and ocean, is truly a beautiful place. We are so much more than cold and snow, as many non-residents equate with Minnesota.
Autumn, especially, showcases Minnesota’s natural beauty. This fall, Randy and I took many rural drives to immerse ourselves in the countryside and the season. We chose road trips over staying home and doing chores on the weekends. Our priorities change as we age. The work can wait. We recognize, too, the approach of winter. We felt an urgency, a need, to hit the road before the snow flies.
Often we choose a destination, this time Cannon Falls. But sometimes we simply head in a general direction, oversized Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer available to guide us. We prefer paper maps to GPS. This trip, we aimed east toward Goodhue County, driving through the picturesque Sogn Valley.
I love this rural region defined by farms and fields and winding gravel roads. Hills and river valleys and prairie intermingle and it’s all like poetry writing upon the land.
As a farmer’s daughter, I hold a fondness for aged barns, at one time the anchor of an agrarian life. I labored for years on my southwestern Minnesota childhood family dairy and crop farm, most of that time inside the barn. Or the silo.
Now, when I pass by barns weathering in abandonment, I feel overcome by sadness. I recognize that a way of life is vanishing. I understand and appreciate advances in agriculture while simultaneously grieving the loss of farm life as I knew it.
I worry about all the barns we are losing. They hold history. Stories. Memories. And they are falling in heaps of rotted wood.
But, on this drive through the Sogn Valley, we happened upon a small country church that uplifted my spirits. Country churches and adjoining cemeteries rate as another draw for me deep into rural Minnesota. They are historically, poetically, spiritually and artistically relevant.
Along 70th Street in Goodhue County, on a small plot of land ringed by a row of trees and set among cornfields, Eidsvold Norwegian Methodist Church rises. The last service was held here in 1949. Yet, the aged clapboard structure remains. Important to someone. And on this Friday morning in mid-October, appreciated by me.
PLEASE CHECK BACK tomorrow as I take you on a tour around, but not inside (it was locked), Eidsvold church.
© Copyright 2021 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Nice photos of beautiful SE Minnesota.
You are right…whenever we are out of town and tell people we are from Minnesota the first thing they say is… oh, it so cold there. I have to correct them. 😉
Thank you, Valerie.
I recall when we were traveling to and in Boston in 2016, whenever we said we were from Minnesota, the comment was “Oh, it’s so cold and snowy there.” I corrected them also.
Yes, Audrey – ” Our priorities change as we age. The work can wait.” Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures!
Jan, it’s wonderful to hear from you. It’s been awhile. Thank you for appreciating my images and words.
I love that picture of the church –what a find. Don’t you just love it when you discover something unexpected that lifts your heart?
Yes, I do. I’ll show you more of the church tomorrow.
Audrey your photos of this day are stunning. Beautiful pictures that touch the heart for you and me and those that grew up around the farms. Thank you for sharing these ❤
Jillian, thank you for your kind words, for appreciating rural as much as I do.
This is something I had access to being married to a Ring relative.
SHORT HISTORY OF THE
EIDSVOLD CHURCH AND OF THE RINGS
The first Ring Reunion that we held a worship service in the Eidsvold Norwegian Methodist Church was July 12, 1987. The church was organized in 1873 by Gulbrand Nilsen. He was born in 1823 and raised in Eidsvold, Norway (which is located near Oslo). His father was a
carpenter, thus he learned the trade. His faith in Jesus Christ was especially strengthened at the time of his confirmation. He married and with his family came to America in 1854.
Sorrow struck! A child died at sea. His wife and another child died of cholera in Wisconsin.
He remarried and with a son Martin and a daughter, Martina, moved to Leon Township.
Here, Martin died also of cholera. Martina grew to womanhood, strong in the faith of her father.
Gulbrand farmed and did carpentry often taking land for wages. He built the first Aspelund church for $1.25 a day from sunrise to sunset. Gulbrand needed help on the farm, so he paid the way for John Ring of Inderoy, Norway (about 80 miles North of Trondheim) to come to America in 1883 to work for him. John learned to love the only daughter, Martina and they were married, March 7, 1887. They had 4 sons: Joseph, Fletcher, George, & John and 5 daughters: Hilda, Anna Jacobson, Geneva Charlson, Frances and Hannah Brandvold.
As time went on more of John Ring’s family came to America often he paid their way and they would work for him. His parents were Ivor Ring born Feb. 14 1835; died Nov. 6, 1906.
Married March 15, 1861 to Hendrikka Verdahl born Oct. 1, 1839, died Aug. 3, 1906. They
had 7 sons: Ole (Chicago), John (Leon), Ludwig (Siston, N.D.), Andrew (Duluth), Rasmus (Duluth), Julius (Seattle) and Fred (Leon) and 3 daughters: Mary Benson (Leon), Hattie Wahlberg (Cannon Falls) and Anna Naeseth.
Hendrikka writes,
“In 1903, Rasmus was the last of 10 vigorous children to say Goodbye to us, never to be seen again in this world.” The last worship service was held at Martina Ring’s funeral
April 11, 1949.
The Ring Reunion is held every two years and the next one is set for Sunday, July 20, 2025. I do have a key to the church building if you are interested. I realize it is a few years since you were in the area, but just coming across this it was suggested I send what we had.
Kathy, thank you for sharing this family history, a story of faith, strength, love and sorrow. Is the church ever opened for services? I know that some historic churches are opened once a year for people to visit.
There will be two weddings there this fall.
we have a service along with our reunion and the next one is July 20, 2025 with a 10am service.
I do have a key if you are in the area and would like to see it.
Kathy, thanks for the additional info and for the offer to let me inside the church should I be in that area again exploring.