EELK Esimene Chicago Kogudus (Estonian First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago, Illinois) records
Abstract
Collection consists of records from the First Estonian Ev. Lutheran Congregation in Chicago (constitution and by-laws, minutes, budgets and financial reports, correspondence, bulletin "Teated", information sheets and communications to congregation, church song collection, booklets, letters of membership applications, information about members, information about former members transferred to other congregations) and records from other institutions (Estonian Ev. Lutheran St. Paul's Congregation in Chicago, Estonian Ev. Lutheran Chicago Synod, Estonian House of Chicago).
Dates
- 1950-2000
Creator
Language of Materials
Estonian
ACCESS RESTRICTIONS
Open for use in the Elmer L. Andersen Library reading room.
OWNERSHIP & LITERARY RIGHTS
This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
E.E.L.K. (Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church) Chicago First Congregation was founded in 1950 by reverend Valter Viks. In 1951 Viks was appointed as the resident pastor and Harald Tults as the chairman of the Church Council. Services were held first in Bethel Church until 1950, in Augustana Lutheran Church until 1957, then in Messiah Lutheran Church. After the death of reverend Viks in 1959, Karl Kiisk was elected as the new pastor, succeeded by Johan Teras in 1962, Elmar Kuusler in 1968, Elmar Pähn in 1975, Valter Kopperman in 1978, J. Teras again in 1982 and Arnold Talistu in 1988. Karl Plaks was the chairman in 1952-1965, followed by Hans Laube. EELK Chicago St. Paul Congregation - Pastor Elmar Pähn held the first service in 1957 in Trinity Lutheran Church. The congregation was incorporated in 1960 with 260 members. They rented Luther Memorial Church in Chicago for services. Pastor Pähn served until 1978, he was succeded by Valter Koppermann. Jaan Jaagund, Johan Holberg, August Võhma have chaired the Church Council.
Extent
2.5 Linear Feet
PROVENANCE
Collection transferred to the IHRC from the Estonian Archives in the U.S.A. (EAU) in 2003-2005. It was processed as part of a collaborative project between the Estonian Archives in the USA (Lakewood, New Jersey), the National Archives of Estonia (NAE), the BaltherNet non-profit network, and the IHRC Archives in May 2014. Birgit Nurme and Pille Aguraiuja of the National Archives in Tallinn, Estonia, worked with IHRC staff on the project.
RELATED COLLECTIONS
IHRC3784 - Kopperman, Valter, IHRC3733 - Holberg, Johan
- Community life Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Displaced persons Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Estonian Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Religious life Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Inventory of the EELK Esimene Chicago Kogudus (Estonian First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago, Illinois) records.
- Author
- IHRC Archives
- Date
- 2016
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding Aid in English
Collecting Area Details
Contact The Immigration History Research Center Archives Collecting Area
