1941: New pastor is a World War I U.S. Navy veteran

HARTINGTON — Trinity Lutheran Church members voted unanimously Sunday to extend a call to Rev. O.L. Leverson of DeSmet, S.D., to fill the vacancy created here by the resignation of Rev. A.J. Thorson.

Formal acceptance of the call has not been received here by church officials, but in a recent visit here, Rev. Leverson told the News, “in all probability, I will accept.”

Rev. Thorson, pastor here for the past seven years, will leave in December to serve twin rural parishes in Holden and Dale near Kenyon, Minn.

Rev. Leverson would not move his family here until after the first of the year. The exact date would be dependant upon when his resignation at DeSmet would become effective.

The new pastor served 15 months in the U.S. Navy during World War I, made 18 trips across the Atlantic Ocean on the U.S. Agamemnon, a trip transport vessel. He was also a musician in the Navy band, playing the brass horn. Following the war, he attended Luther College at Decorah, Iowa, where he graduated in 1924.

He served as school superintendent at Roslyn, S.D., for five years, then entered Luther Theological Seminary at St. Paul, Minn.

Upon graduation, he served a Norwegian Lutheran Church at Dunseith, N.D., for four years. He then accepted a call to DeSmet, S.D. He has been the pastor at DeSmet for five years.

Mrs. Leverson attended Augustana College at Sioux Falls, S.D., and then taught at Roslyn. The Leversons have one daughter, Ann Lorrain, 5; and one son, John Alan, 3.

Rev. Leverson is a member of the American Legion at DeSmet. He served three parishes at DeSmet, just as he would here. Paragon and Crofton Lutheran churches are served by the Trinity Lutheran pastor.