Historic Sites of Manitoba: First Lutheran Church (580 Victor Street, Winnipeg)

Link to:
Clerics | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

Established in 1878, the present First Lutheran Church building in Winnipeg was designed by local architect Ralph L. Smith and constructed in 1912 by contractors Jon Tryggvi Bergman and Lindal Josafat Hallgrimson.

Inside the church are two tablets commemorating parishioners of First Lutheran and the Winnipeg Lutheran Tabernacle who served and were killed in the First World War.

A plaque in front of the church, erected in 2022 by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, commemorates the members of the Winnipeg Falcons hockey team, many of whom were members of the church or were married there.

Clerics

Period	Cleric
1878-1884	?
1884-1914	Jón Bjarnason (1844-1914)
1914-1938	Björn B. Jónsson (1870-1938)
1938-1968	Valdimir Jónason Eylands (1901-1983)
1968-1988	John V. Arvidson (1925-1990)
1988-2000	Ingthor Isfeld (1935-2019)
2000-?	Michael Kurtz

Photos & Coordinates

First Lutheran Church with Acadia Apartments at right (April 2012) Source: Blair Bingeman First Lutheran Church (May 2015) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Interior of First Lutheran Church (June 2017) Source: George Penner First World War Honour Roll for First Lutheran Church (March 2016) Source: Jim Busby First World War Honour Roll for Winnipeg Lutheran Tabernacle (March 2016) Source: Jim Busby Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89600, W97.16311 denoted by symbol on the map above

First World War Casualties (First Lutheran)

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Fridfimiur Kjaernested Johannsson [Next of Kin, Vimy Ridge]	Carpenter	44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	1 April 1894	3 February 1917
Asgeri Finnson Johnson	Clerk, Royal Bank of Canada	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	13 October 1894	30 October 1917
Magnus Johnson	Labourer	5th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	3 February 1886	2 September 1918
Hallgrimur Jonsson MC [108 Battalion, Manitou, St. Andrews United]	High School Teacher	12th Squadron, Royal Air Force	Lieutenant	19 March 1885	3 September 1918
Stoney Olafson [Next of Kin]	Carpenter	Canadian Corps Survey Section	Private	6 November 1894	6 September 1918
Svrinbjorn Palsson [Next of Kin]	Farmer	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	15 April 1883	1 October 1918
William Preece [Next of Kin]	Hardware Trade	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	8 January 1890	2 June 1916
Conrad Sigtryggson [Glenboro]	Farmer	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	17 August 1887	31 March 1917
Oscar Stephenson [Glenboro, Next of Kin]	Student	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	23 July 1898	10 August 1918

First World War Casualties (Winnipeg Lutheran Tabernacle)

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Samuel Anderson	Farmer	14th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	29 April 1885	6 September 1916
Oli Olason [108 Battalion]	Teamster	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	6 August 1881	16 August 1917
Hjalti Ogmundson	Tinsmith	3rd Division Ammunition Column, Canadian Field Artillery	Gunner	18 July 1890	8 June 1917

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Ralph L. Smith (1874-?)

Memorable Manitobans: Jon Tryggvi Bergman (1874-1941)

Memorable Manitobans: Lindal Josafat Hallgrimson (1882-1968)

Sources:

First Lutheran Church, 580 Victor Street by Murray Peterson, Peterson Projects, December 2009.

The First Pastors, First Lutheran Church.

We thank Darryl Toews, George Penner, Jim Busby, and Blair Bingeman for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 7 February 2022

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