Pastor Dave asks 11 children
to hold up fingers.
110 fingers--the age
of Silverhill more or less.

     Second-graders from Silverhill School took their annual “Christmas Walk in Silverhill,” escorted by teachers Miss Melanie McClammy, Miss Jo Hellmich, and Miss Corliss McGill. Children and parents had an opportunity to appreciate the decorations and the culture of beautiful Silverhill, originally a Swedish community developed about a hundred years ago.

     Included in their tour was a stop at “Swedish” Zion Lutheran Church, 100 years old officially on December 19. Children had an opportunity to enter the bell tower and ring the historic church bell which has called the faithful to worship for almost a century. Captain Pete Midgarden and Pastor Dave Johnson shared some of the worship and Christmas stories that Swedish pioneers experienced a century ago and fielded a variety of questions related to the physical church structure which has been recognized by Baldwin County. Children learned a few Swedish words and had an opportunity to sing the treasured Norwegian Christmas folk song, “Jeg Er Saa Glad,” still sung by Scandinavian Lutherans today as “I Am So Glad Each Christmas Eve.”

Miss Melanie and her second grade class from Silverhill School
visited Zion on Friday, December 16. - Click each picture to Enlarge.

Two second-grader volunteers were escorted by Captain Midgarden to the bell tower to pull the bell rope and welcome children just as early worshipers were welcomed by bell chimes in Christmases past.

Not everybody could ring the bell, but everyone was interested in how those two girls got that big sound out of the bell tower.

Children, accompanied by parents, listened as Mr. Pete explained some of the Christmas heritage brought to this country by Scandinavian pioneers and fielded a variety of children's questions.

Peter Midgarden opened Zion's grand piano for some singing. Miss Melanie was soon teaching the children "Jeg Er Saa Glad," a Norwegian Christmas folk song. A church creche and other Christmas decorations are in the foreground.

Pete Midgarden fielded a variety of questions. Children were curious about stained glass windows and wreaths and candles.

Time to leave, but one last picture at the Zion Lutheran Church entry decorated with Christmas greens and lights. One of three classes with Peter Midgarden (last row left) and Zion's Pastor Dave Johnson.

Click here to Listen to Miss Melanie's second grade class sing.
December 16, 2005
mp3 file