The name for the church was chosen because many of the early pioneers had come from Eidfjord, in Hardanger, Norway.
On July 13, 1885 a meeting was held in school No. 1 in Helena Township for the purpose of organizing a congregation and employing the services of a pastor. At this meeting a constitution was drawn up and signed by the following:
Lars Pederson, Thorsten Michaelson, Ole Swenson, Vellik Hanson, Tollef W. Hanson, Ivar Skaar, Thorsten Haatle, Christian Sabby, Arne F. Haatle, Erik Heyerdahl, Isaac Elefson, Edmund Skaar, Elling Skove, Anders Iverson and Even C. Evenson.
A Ladies Aid was organized in September 1888. Meetings were
held in various homes, with dinner served and all the family attended.
Each year $50.00 was kept in the aid treasury for the church building
fund. When the first church was built the ladies aid had $400.00
to apply on the building fund.
In December 1888 it was decided at a yearly meeting that each member should set aside one half to one acre of his wheat harvest for the church fund. At this meeting it was decided that the church and cemetery were to be on the Vellik Hanson land, but early in January 1889 the committee thought the proper place should be on Thorsten Michaelson's tree claim. Many discussions were held where the location should be. The death of Mrs. Christian Sabby caused a final decision to be reached.
LARS PEDERSON offered two acres of land on SW quarter of Section 24-T144-R61 and the committee in charge accepted, and at the yearly meeting in December 1891 the congregation voted to accept the committee decision.
Depression in the early nineties delayed the building of a church.
In 1900 a building committee of five men were appointed, which were Erik
Heyerdahl, C. L. Pederson, R. H. Larson, Christ Sabby and Tom Sad.
In December 1900 the building plans were accepted.
By 1901 the church was far enough along to begin services.
Dedication services were held for the church and cemetery on July 24,
1907.
On May 25, 1916 a tornado struck through the community destroying the church, and services were again held in school buildings in No. 1, Dover Township.
Again a building committee was elected in July of 1916. The congregation met on March 23, 1918 and it was decided to change the building site to the north side of the ravine. Mr. Rud, owner of the land, agreed to this decision. On July 6, 1918 John Hanson of Fingal was given the contract to build the present church including all inside and outside work for $7600.00.
The Ladies Aid had $1000.00 to apply to the building fund which
helped pay for the serving parlors and some of the interior furnishings.
On November 5, 1919 the yearly meeting was held in the new church.
For his good and speedy work the contractor was given an extra $350.00.
On Sunday October 17, 1920 the dedication of the second Eidfjord
Lutheran church took place.
From the beginning services and religious instruction were in the Norwegian language, but as time went on the younger people were using the English language more than the Norwegian. In 1921 every third service was in English, later every other and by 1938 every fourth was in Norwegian and later it was dropped altogether.
In 1930 the congregation still owed a $1000.00 note to the church extension fund. These were depression years again, but the ladies aid pledged the payment of the note by paying $200.00 a year and by 1936 the note was paid in full.
In July 1935 the Eidfjord church celebrated its 50th anniversary. In June 1960 it celebrated its 75th anniversary.
Parochial school was held every summer for 6 weeks with all day sessions from nine o'clock till four o'clock. These later years it has been held for only two weeks. On July 13, 1975 the Eidfjord church celebrated its 90th anniversary.
The first pastor, Ole E. Gronvold traveled through the country
holding services wherever he could. He lived eight miles northwest
of Cooperstown. He served Eidfjord two years. The following
pastors have served since that time:
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 283