First English Lutheran Church (Fairmount, North Dakota)

Lutherans were among the earliest settlers in the Fairmount area. Pastor T. Hinck, Great Bend, North Dakota, surveyed the neighborhood in 1901 and began conducting services in the town hall. Pastor J. Koerber from Hankinson, North Dakota, continued after several months. First official statistics are from 1903. On April 4, 1904, the congregation was incorporated as "Saint Paul's", but membership was declining. In 1905, people were moving away. The members on the Minnesota side began their own local congregation, and the remaining members joined other congregations in the area. Services were discontinued in 1908. Until 1925 there were periodic investigations that indicated that conditions were not favorable to re-establish a congregation. In that year, Pastor W. Rohe of Saint John in Tyler North Dakota resumed regular services in the town hall. In 1928, Pastor H. Schumacher was installed at Saint John's. Fairmount was then recognized as a preaching station, and he was installed here also. The local Baptist church was rented in 1932. This congregation was formally organized on September 22 and October 18, 1933. A 1935-36 attempt at building a church failed, but in 1941, there was new motivation to do so. The corner-stone was laid on August 31, 1941. Synod granted a subsidy so that Candidate Leo Tormoehlen could do supply work to the parish from September 1941 - November 1941. The building was dedicated on January 11, 1942. Pastor F.A. Rubbert was the pastor for the dual parish in Fairmount ansd Tyler from 1942 - 1953. During a vacancy in 1960, the congregation decided to disslove the dual parish and issue a call separately from Saint John's in Tyler. On May 5, 1964, a tornado destroyed both the church building and parsonage. Rebuilding occured, and the new church building was dedicated on April 25, 1965. This congregation had its closing service on June 1, 2024. This information was taken from the 1965 dedication booklet and the closing service order dated June 1, 2024.