Preservation Happenings

Old Organ Comes Home


This beautiful pump organ was originally purchased for the Concordia Lutheran Church (the old Swedish Church) that once stood on Jones St. in Thorsby.  Mrs. Naomi Turnquist was the beloved organist who played this organ until the church closed.  Since that time, the organ has been with the Turnquist family, who decided to donate it to the Thorsby Historical Preservation Committee.  The organ is being kept in the home of Tom & Nancy  Huett, which happens to be the John E. Hedberg house.  John  Hedberg was the first pastor of the Swedish Lutheran  Church and one of the town's founders.
                                                                                                                                                                                    
Other items that were donated with the organ include an assortment of books, both in Swedish and English, old church hand fans that display business ads of the day, and the candle snuffers that were used in church services.  These are cherished items that will be enjoyed by many people to come in the future Thorsby Musuem (to be housed in the renovated Elementary School).




(The donors of these items are the grand-children and grand-nieces/nephews of the Foss-Turnquist Family who were life long residents of Thorsby and members of the Concordia Lutheran Church.  Their names are Ralph & Jane Mason, Thomas & Carolyn Wingfield, Charlotte Wingfield & Frank Nowakawski, Michael Earl Ellis, Brenda & Wayne Skallion, Charlotte & David Hatcher, Anna Marie & Phil Robertson, along with all their children & grandchildren.)