SPICER - For more than 60 years the Bethany Lutheran Church of Long Lake has stood empty and silent, except for the quiet work of Leonard Isdahl.
For nearly two decades the 83-year-old Willmar man has been slowly restoring the small white country church, which sits on a slight rise overlooking a hay meadow, with Long Lake visible on the horizon.
Aside from song birds, distant cows mooing and the sound of Isdahl’s hammer and paint brush, it’s a quiet, quaint scene.
But at noon this Sunday, the church will be filled with music, laughter and vows of love when Isdahl walks his daughter, Shelly Blair, down the aisle for her wedding.
“It makes you feel good,” said Isdahl, who is quick to brush aside attention to the work he has done on the church.
But Isdahl is clearly moved by the thought that his daughter will be married in the church where he grew up and where he has spent untold hours over the last 18 years bringing the church back to life.
“His heart and soul has been put into this church,” said Blair, who is equally moved that her life is getting a new start by marrying her fiancée, Jim Hahn, in a church that has been renewed by her dad.
“There’s just a lot of love,” said Blair, 53. “It’ll be a happy day.”
According to historical information provided by the family, the church was built and dedicated in 1891 by Norwegian immigrants, who had spent 10 years raising enough money to build it.
The church, which was originally called Hauge’s Lutheran Bethany Church, was an offspring of the Nannestad Hauge congregation of Norway Lake that was established in 1879.
The church was last used in 1951 when the congregation merged with other area churches.
Since then the church building has been owned and maintained by the Bethany Loyalty Association, which holds annual anniversary events at the site.
It was “kept up,” but with limited resources and not a lot of young members in the association, the building “kind of fell behind a bit,” Isdahl said.
“I’m a little reluctant to say, but it needed paint bad,” said Isdahl, who had attended the church as a youth.
Isdahl spent his adult years in the Twin Cities and when he “moved home” to Kandiyohi County in 1996, he started fixing up the church of his childhood, which includes a cemetery where many of his ancestors are buried.
Along with help from others, including his wife Alice, Isdahl tackled big jobs and small jobs, including re-siding the entire exterior, removing the church bell from the steeple and installing it in the cemetery, re-glazing the large, arched windows, building a new front door, re-surfacing the front steps, installing a replica of the original altar painting that had been stolen, and painting everything inside from the wood plank floors to the high tin ceiling that’s ringed with decorative details.
“He’s just non-stop,” said Blair, who said if her dad isn’t home, he’s at the church working on another project. “It’s just been such a big part of his life for so many years.”
Isdahl waves off questions about how much of his own money or how many hours he’s invested in the church, which now has some of its original glow back.
“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “It looks a lot better.”
Blair said her dad, who is a Korean War veteran, is the family “rock” who always does the right thing.
“He is incredibly humble” she said. “He’s an amazing man.”
When Blair and Hahn decided to get married at the church, Blair’s dad and other family members, including an elderly aunt and uncle, put more finishing touches on the church, which has no electricity or running water.
But on Sunday, Blair said the church will be filled with flowers, family, friends and a lot of love.
Isdahl spent his adult years in the Twin Cities and when he “moved home” to Kandiyohi County in 1996, he started fixing up the church of his childhood, which includes a cemetery where many of his ancestors are buried.
Along with help from others, including his wife Alice, Isdahl tackled big jobs and small jobs, including re-siding the entire exterior, removing the church bell from the steeple and installing it in the cemetery, re-glazing the large, arched windows, building a new front door, re-surfacing the front steps, installing a replica of the original altar painting that had been stolen, and painting everything inside from the wood plank floors to the high tin ceiling that’s ringed with decorative details.
“He’s just non-stop,” said Blair, who said if her dad isn’t home, he’s at the church working on another project. “It’s just been such a big part of his life for so many years.”
Isdahl waves off questions about how much of his own money or how many hours he’s invested in the church, which now has some of its original glow back.
“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “It looks a lot better.”
Blair said her dad, who is a Korean War veteran, is the family “rock” who always does the right thing.
“He is incredibly humble” she said. “He’s an amazing man.”
When Blair and Hahn decided to get married at the church, Blair’s dad and other family members, including an elderly aunt and uncle, put more finishing touches on the church, which has no electricity or running water.
But on Sunday, Blair said the church will be filled with flowers, family, friends and a lot of love.
