The congregation of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Watertown is in the midst of a year-long celebration honoring the church’s 150th anniversary. SUBMITTED PHOTO

It all started 150 years ago on the shores of Swede Lake just outside of Watertown. Twenty-three area families decided to start a church for the area’s pioneers of Swedish descent. The church took on the name Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Gotaholm Congregation Carver County, Minnesota.

Today the church is known as Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, located on Madison Street in Watertown, and is home to approximately 1,000 members.

Two families that are actively involved in the church - the Hendricks and Eklund families - are direct descendants of two charter members of the church

The church and its congregation have seen several pastors come and go, church buildings put up and economic and social issues that have tried the faith of its members, but through it all the church has remained a stronghold in the Watertown community.

A committee of 10 people has been meeting for nearly two years to organize and execute a year-long celebration to commemorate the church’s 150th anniversary.

Steve Hendricks, one of the committee’s members, said the decision to spread the celebration out over the year was because few churches have made it 150 years and that made it deserving of a huge event.

The year has been highlighted by including several visiting musical groups, guest speakers in the form of former pastors and those who grew up in the congregation who are now pastors and an ongoing fundraiser for Robin’s Nest Children’s Home in Jamaica.

But the event that has been most successful is a cemetery walk that was held in June. The walk included a tour of Trinity’s cemetery, a display of church artifacts and memorabilia and nine people from throughout the church’s history were depicted along the tour.

Hendricks said the idea for the cemetery walk was met with a bit of skepticism at first, but turned out to b a great event.

“The initial response was a bunch of blank stares,” Hendricks said.

John Eklund, who is also a member of the 150th celebration committee, said he believes the walk was such a success because a lot of people are interested in the old history of the church.

Much of the church’s history has centered on the pastors that have served the church and the work each helped spearhead during their tenure.

When the first church was built near Swede Lake, the congregation paid Daniel Justus $10 per acre for the plot of land the church stood on. The church itself was made of logs and measured 24 feet by 16 feet. That would be the only church that would be located at the Swede Lake site.

In 1870 the second church was built and it was decided to build it near the growing community of Watertown because the Swedish settlement had gradually extended in that direction.

After that, other churches would be built and the church would be completely rebuilt after it was destroyed by fire on June 7, 1948. It was shortly before the new church opened that the church’s named changed from Gotaholm to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. It was decided to change the name because the church was no longer just Swedish and its members wanted to invite in all nationalities within the community to worship at the church.

One pastor who ended up leaving his mark on the entire state was the Rev. Magnus LeVander. LeVander’s son, Harold, served at the governor of Minnesota from 1967 to 1971. Magnus LeVander is buried in the Trinity cemetery.

The largest event the committee has planned for the 150th celebration is still coming up. On Oct. 4 a homecoming banquet will be held at Watertown-Mayer High School, followed by a concert by Land of Lakes Choirboys that will be held in the new fine arts center at the high school.

The event, like all associated with the anniversary, is open to the public. Tickets are $20 and include the dinner and concert. For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the church office at (952) 955-1891.