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GRANITES AND MARBLES

HIS is God's Acre. Here is building the silent city, the place of somber alleys, of weeping willows, cedars and pines. This is the place of flowers, wintergreen, lilies and poppies. This is the place of tears and weeping, of widow's weeds and crape. This is the place of withered wreaths, garlands, broken wheels, anchors and crosses. This is the place of bouquets -- contrite confessions, perhaps of a duty undone in former days, a duty of affection to a loved one that better had been performed before the object of our love has taken abode in these silent chambers. Why did we not hand these flowers to our loved ones, who hungered for a token, before they left us? Why did we wait until we saw the coffin sinking into the grave? Often the flowers are merely for display. They are for the living to view, those who attend the hearse.

    In this domain ends all earthly ambition, all toil, all trouble. Hate does not enter here; mortal enemies sleep peaceably side by side. Love finds no response in these dark halls, because love does not here abide. The limpid eye of the hopeful maiden no longer reflects the blue of heaven. Nay, the agate stare in the darkened window of the soul assumes the hue of the ashes to which that window shall return.

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JUBILEE ALBUM

165

This is the garden where is planted the body, the cottage in which the spirit dwelled, from which shall grow a new form fitted for a new life on the farther shore of Time's Stormy Ocean.     This is the realm where no one repents; for mind and reason have no seat where the maggots delve. This is the gate -- no, this is not the gate to Eternity; the gate to Eternity is anywhere and everywhere that the Angel of Death touches and stills a human heart. But this is the place of mute mementoes (sic): each silent stone a reminder that our own time shall soon arrive. May we therefore be ready when the judge of judges shall call us to give account. And may we he able to prove our ransom in the precious blood of Jesus. *     *   *     The Fridhem Cemetery is located on the old church site. It was dedicated as a burial ground in the last part of May, 1906, but had for a long time before that been used as a graveyard, the oldest stone bearing the date 1882. In 1890 it was definitely decided that the burial ground of the Fridhem congregation should be on the land then occupied by the church and that it was to be 18 rods square. Cemetery lots were at first 16 feet square and sold for $3 each to church members. Persons not belonging to the church could also buy lots, and the price was $10. In 1912, after the Fridhem Cemetery Association had been organized, the minimum price was made $40, the valuation to be made by the trustees of the church and the superintendent of the grounds. Warranty Deed was then given for the first time. This could be done as the chart of the replotted grounds had been placed on record at the county seat.

Deeds could therefore also be recorded. The first plot was made June 1, 1898; the corrected plot, November 5, 1913. At the latter date, 120 additional lots were surveyed, the grounds were improved by laying out driveways and moving the entrance from the east side to the south. The strangers' graves and the Potter's Field are both on the south side.     The control of the cemetery lies with the trustees of the church, who were also the organizers, and a superintendent, who is elected by the church members. The present superintendent is T. A. Gustafson. He is perfecting a system of record which will locate and exactly designate the space occupied by every casket in the grounds.     John Lind, an untiring church worker, who donated several thousand dollars for benevolent and charitable purposes, was the founder of the Cemetery Fund: he gave the first $500. The interest on this fund is used in caring for and beautifying the grounds.    In walking around in this, the Silent City, we find on the polished stones the names of many of the pioneers and founders of the church. They are already sleeping beneath the grass and the flowers. Rev. Kinell's mother lies in Lot No. 5; a relative of Rev. Andrén in No. 70; John Lind reposes here; his father and mother, the progenitors of the Lind relation, rest here; B. H. Johnson; Otto Gustafson; C. P. Carlson; Fred Peterson; Charles Johnson (Fletcher) and Andreas Olson, whose wisdom in counsel has left its stamp on the congregation; John Hokanson, the donor of the land on which the graveyard is located, and August Anderson, the donor of the village lots on which the church now stands all sleep here in peace until Gabriel shall, at the early dawn of doomsday, sound the reveille, and the Angel of Resurrection shall overpower the Angel of Death and unlock the bars of the tomb.

On Page 45, line 10 from bottom, the name C. J. Lundquist should be C. J. Lunquist, och hustru.

In the poem entitled "The Pioneer" the semi-colon after the line "While he adverse highways trod, built a home and broke the sod," should be a comma. (page 97)

On Page 120, line 11, the year 1891 should be 1901

On Page 131, on line 19 from bottom, the date 1879 1897 should be 1891.

Page 151 159, the second paragraph (Treasurers), C. G. Gustafson should be C. W. Gustafson.

On Page 159, on last line, Andrew Okerson should be Andrew Akerson.

The last paragraph on Page 139 should have the caption "Greetings From Fahlund."

On Page 112, the names under cuts, C. J. Sundquist and Mrs. Sundquist, should be C. J. Lundquist and Mrs. Lundquist.

The name O. J. Bengston, under cut representing Sunday School Superintendent, should be D. J. Bengtson. (photo section)

The name Rueben Swanson under cut "Our Soldier Boys" should read George Swanson. (photo section)

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Note: Corrections were made to the corrections by a previous book owner - striking out and adding changes in ink.

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© 2002 for the NEGenWeb Project by Pam Rietsch, Ted & Carole Miller.