Brief History of Underwood Lutheran Church
1916-Albert Bondo begins a Sunday School in the Underwood Mission Chapel
1927-Congregation officially forms. Pastor James Lund serves ULC on a shared basis with St Paul's Lutheran in Boomer. Congregation buys the Mission Chapel
1930-Congregation calls first resident pastor, Harold Jorgensen who serves until 1933
1944-Congregation calls Pastor Clifford Hanson who serves until 1949
1946-Congregation buys land where church and parsonage currently stand
1947-Basement of church is excavated. Congregation purchases Army Chapel from Lincoln, NE. Chapel is dismantled and reassembled in Underwood in its current location
1948-Construction of church completed and the building is dedicated
1949-Congregation calls Pastor Stinus Loft who serves until 1953
1954-Construction of parsonage completed next door to the church. Congregation calls Pastor Cleo Hansen who serves until 1957
1957-Congregation calls Pastor Anton Kirkegaard Jr who serves until 1962
1960-Congregation becomes a member of the newly formed American Lutheran Church body (ALC)
1961-Congregation pays off debt from the purchase and construction of the building
1962-Congregation calls Pastor Harold Baar who serves until 1965
1965-Congregation calls Pastor Victor Fiskerbeck who serves until 1969
1969-Congregation begins plans to expand the basement of the church to include an education wing. Congregation calls Pastor Dennis Orsen who serves until 1972
1972-Congregation calls Pastor Karl Hansen who serves until 1976. During this period the expansion of the education wing is completed and the parsonage is remodeled
1977-Congregation calls Pastor Don Deines who serves until 1980
1980-Congregation calls Pastor Gregory Bjornstad who serves until 1990
1987-Congregation becomes of member of the newly formed Evangelical Lutheran Church in America body (ELCA)
1990-Congregation calls Pastor Berhardt Fricke who serves until 1992
1992-Congregation calls Pastor David Bernhardt who serves until 2001
2000-Remodeling project expands the Narthex and creates new office space for the Pastor and Secretary
2002-Congregation contracts Pastor Eberhard Hering to serve on a part time basis as Pastor. He serves until 2013
2012-Pastor Hering indicates that he will retire in 2013. Call committee is formed and work begins with Western Iowa Synod office to call a full-time pastor
2013-Congregation calls Pastor Scott Dalen, a first-call Pastor and recent graduate of Luther Seminary in St Paul, MN. He begins in mid-summer. The Parsonage, which has been rented out for several years, is remodeled in preparation for Pastor Dalen and his family
2015-16 Landscaping work is done to update the outside of the building, including a new location/stand for ULC's original bell. The old free standing Church Sign is replaced with a new digital sign.
2017-Congretation votes in approval of expanding Program Staff for the congregation to include a part-time Faith Formation Coordinator
2018-Congregation hires Kim Madsen as Faith Formation Coordinator. She begins in June.
2020-As the world deals with the reality of COVID-19, ULC follows suit in an unprecedented building closure, moving worship into an online format during the period of ongoing social-distancing.
2022-Congregation approves a major remodeling project for the Parsonage. Work is completed in mid-2023.
1927-Congregation officially forms. Pastor James Lund serves ULC on a shared basis with St Paul's Lutheran in Boomer. Congregation buys the Mission Chapel
1930-Congregation calls first resident pastor, Harold Jorgensen who serves until 1933
1944-Congregation calls Pastor Clifford Hanson who serves until 1949
1946-Congregation buys land where church and parsonage currently stand
1947-Basement of church is excavated. Congregation purchases Army Chapel from Lincoln, NE. Chapel is dismantled and reassembled in Underwood in its current location
1948-Construction of church completed and the building is dedicated
1949-Congregation calls Pastor Stinus Loft who serves until 1953
1954-Construction of parsonage completed next door to the church. Congregation calls Pastor Cleo Hansen who serves until 1957
1957-Congregation calls Pastor Anton Kirkegaard Jr who serves until 1962
1960-Congregation becomes a member of the newly formed American Lutheran Church body (ALC)
1961-Congregation pays off debt from the purchase and construction of the building
1962-Congregation calls Pastor Harold Baar who serves until 1965
1965-Congregation calls Pastor Victor Fiskerbeck who serves until 1969
1969-Congregation begins plans to expand the basement of the church to include an education wing. Congregation calls Pastor Dennis Orsen who serves until 1972
1972-Congregation calls Pastor Karl Hansen who serves until 1976. During this period the expansion of the education wing is completed and the parsonage is remodeled
1977-Congregation calls Pastor Don Deines who serves until 1980
1980-Congregation calls Pastor Gregory Bjornstad who serves until 1990
1987-Congregation becomes of member of the newly formed Evangelical Lutheran Church in America body (ELCA)
1990-Congregation calls Pastor Berhardt Fricke who serves until 1992
1992-Congregation calls Pastor David Bernhardt who serves until 2001
2000-Remodeling project expands the Narthex and creates new office space for the Pastor and Secretary
2002-Congregation contracts Pastor Eberhard Hering to serve on a part time basis as Pastor. He serves until 2013
2012-Pastor Hering indicates that he will retire in 2013. Call committee is formed and work begins with Western Iowa Synod office to call a full-time pastor
2013-Congregation calls Pastor Scott Dalen, a first-call Pastor and recent graduate of Luther Seminary in St Paul, MN. He begins in mid-summer. The Parsonage, which has been rented out for several years, is remodeled in preparation for Pastor Dalen and his family
2015-16 Landscaping work is done to update the outside of the building, including a new location/stand for ULC's original bell. The old free standing Church Sign is replaced with a new digital sign.
2017-Congretation votes in approval of expanding Program Staff for the congregation to include a part-time Faith Formation Coordinator
2018-Congregation hires Kim Madsen as Faith Formation Coordinator. She begins in June.
2020-As the world deals with the reality of COVID-19, ULC follows suit in an unprecedented building closure, moving worship into an online format during the period of ongoing social-distancing.
2022-Congregation approves a major remodeling project for the Parsonage. Work is completed in mid-2023.
Underwood Lutheran Church
10 3rd Avenue, PO Box 9, Underwood, IA 51576
712-566-2257
10 3rd Avenue, PO Box 9, Underwood, IA 51576
712-566-2257
