Plumer Settlement
Oak Township, Mills County, Iowa
Salem Lutheran Church
1956 Restoration Letters
(Click or tap any “thumbnail image” below to view a PDF version of the actual document.)
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Badly in need of repair through neglect since 1933, and having been struck by lightning, restoration of Salem Lutheran Church was started in 1956. Church and cemetery boards were selected to supervise the restoration. Members, friends and relatives of the original congregation, and members of neighboring churches, contributed volunteer labor and funds. Links to the documents on this page contain letters sent by the board regarding the project.
A general meeting of friends and former members of Salem Lutheran Church had been held on June 11, 1956 to organize a plan for restoring and maintaining the church and property. The first letter (above, left) was sent on June 22, 1956 and reports the results of that meeting as well as defining the scope of work to be done on the project.
The second letter (above, middle) was sent on August 5, 1956 and provides a status report of all restoration and repair work performed to date, as well as listing the names of those who have worked on the project, and the amount of work remaining.
The third letter (above, right) was sent after completion of the 1956 restoration project and provides a report and accounting to all the people who had been so kind to help in financing and restoring the old, historic church. The letter went on to invite all to attend a remembrance service on Memorial Day and mentioned plans to conduct an annual service thereafter.