Bethune Lutheran Church

There are times when pieces fall together, when bits of information are accumulated.  The separate pieces by themselves are nice, and make good stories.  Then these relate to another piece and all of sudden the little piece has a bigger meaning. 
North of Bethune, CO was a small Lutheran Church that I had heard of.  I went looking for it and there it was, out on the prairie. 

It had recently lost its pastor and was now empty.  The parishioners were now going to neighboring churches in the area. What had begun as a pioneer dream was ending.  It is my understanding it still sits empty. 
It had its beginnings in 1890 as a home bible study church that grew into a congregation and a church was built.  In 1892 it was decided to build a church.  Members were assigned to contribute different materials by families.  Rocks were hauled in and there was lumber.  In 1892 the little rock church was built and services were held at their new church. 
By 1920 they had grown out of their church.  A new church was built in 1926, which is the one that still stands. 

It was a nice sized complex on the prairie.  Out back was the play ground and further was the cemetery.
 

In 1955 a parsonage was built for the preacher.
This area was known as Settlement, where a group of Germans from Russia had settled in the 1880’s.  There were Post Offices in the area, general store and country schools.  It was a community more then it was a town. 

The people worked together and helped each other in times of need and raised their families.  Like so many things on the plains, the number of farms have declined and so has the population. 

today the prairie quiet lingers over the land, breezes of times past whisper into the attentive ear.  The white buildings a mute testimony of other days.