DISCOVER HERITAGE ROUTE 23

In 1894 ten Norwegian farming families organized the Norwegian Lutheran Church, and began meeting in homes. Before automobiles, every Sunday the pastor traveled from Alpena to Ossineke by train to be picked up by a family with horse and buggy for conveyance to Spruce. He spent the night in Spruce and returned to Alpena on Monday. To raise money for construction of a church building, the women held coffee socials, box socials, sock knitting bees and garden produce sales. The men cut trees and milled the lumber. The church was designed by Erik Bukka. In 1900 the new church sanctuary was dedicated by Reverend Johnson. Kerosene lamps provided light for services where men and boys sat on one side and women and girls on the other.