In 1890, my Norwegian grandparents founded the Beaver Creek Lutheran church near Fertile, Iowa. It stood amidst the farms, and the graveyard is home to their headstones.....Ole Dakken and his wife Signa and my grandparents, Lewis Dakin and his wife Millie.....the first baptism at the church was my grand-dad's sister in 1895. Recently the church was moved to Heritage Park in Forest City Iowa, where it stands today among other saved buildings. Yesterday, I visited it again. I had been there when it was near the family farm, but had never gone inside. In the narthex, an old, extremely simple signature quilt was hung on the wall, with this sign next to it. And right above the sign is my great-grandfather's name stitched into the quilt. I was really emotionally moved, and quite unexpectedly, too. I was also concerned that this wonderful evidence of the beginning of the church was hanging there, open to the weather as folks opened the door to come and go, and there was even a church supper announcement tacked into it!!!! I was a visitor from far away, but I had to remove those tacks!!! And so I did. I am such a busybody, but if I lived near to this church, I would have the quilt restored and put behind glass in acid free environment.....more photos on this subject will follow!
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