“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father
means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”
First Lutheran Church (FLC) pastor, Reverend JD Runsvold, along with other area Lutheran pastors, took to heart what James says about caring for children and women, and in 1909 the House of Mercy (HoM) was born. A decade later, through the work of faithful people going above and beyond what was expected, Lutheran Social Services (LSS) was born.
House of Mercy was a refuge for unwed mothers and children. A place they could call home. Just like today, community programs that were in place to assist the vulnerable, were held up by community support. In the mid 1920’s, the First Lutheran Ladies Aid published and sold Lutheran Home Cookbook to help support HoM/LSS.
The cookbook was a labor of love. With each page I turned, I not only found appetizing recipes, but I began to feel an appreciation for the women who took on this project. They clearly cared about the health and well-being of their community and families, and it shines through the pages of the book.
The 134-page cookbook is full of classic and creative recipes of the day. It begins by offering readers General Food Principles. The Five Food Groups and Their Uses. It goes on to define and list foods that are high in minerals, protein, vitamins, and carbohydrates, as well as measurements, timing, and temperature of foods. Some of the sections offer suggestions on how to prepare the food to get optimal nutritional value from it! They went above and beyond to offer more than what was likely expected of a church cookbook.
The front and back covers, as well as several pages throughout, are filled with support from area businesses; Merchants National Bank, Herbst Department Store, Hanson (not yet Runsvold) Funeral Home, to name just a few. These businesses went above and beyond to offer support for their community.
We don’t know how much money was raised. We don’t know the impact that was made. What we do know is that the FLC Ladies Aid went above and beyond to see to it that vulnerable people in their community were given the opportunity to thrive. And we are grateful.
Just a few years ago the Lutheran Home Cookbook was reprinted! You can get yours at our Marketplace for Mission Pop-Up store. A limited number of copies are available.
P.S. Want to try a recipe? It’s fun to look through the book to try and get a flavor for the past. We found a dessert in one of our original books that had some handwriting next to the recipe that says, “very good”. We thought we’d share it with you in case you’d like to try it sometime:
Rhubarb Pie
- 2 cups of Rhubarb
- ½ cups of strawberries
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1-8 teaspoons of salt
Pour hot water over rhubarb and let stand 5 minutes, then drain. Mix sugar and flour, add rhubarb and berries; beat egg yolks; beat whites for meringue.
-Mrs. John Legreed
Words: Marlee Robertson, Director of Guest Experience
