Bishop von Scheele and dignitaries gathered in Rock Island, Illinois, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Swedish-American Lutheran Augustana Synod, this group includes (no. 1, at center) the Bishop of Visby, Knut Henning Gezelius von Scheele, representing the King of Sweden, (no. 2) Governor Adolph Eberhart of Minnesota, and (no. 3) Dr. Eric Norelius, of Goodhue County, Minnesota, who had been present at the founding of the Synod in 1860. Norelius was President of the Synod at the time of its jubilee.
The choir of East Sveadahl Lutheran Church, rural St. James, is pictured in 1908 on a postcard. Pictured among the choir members are brothers Tony, Emil, and Adolph Torkelson.
The Vasa Orphans' Home was founded by Eric Norelius in 1865 and operated by the Minnesota Conference of the Augustana Lutheran Church from 1876 onward. The postcard picture was taken on Decoration Day, 1907, and shows the children playing on the grounds, enjoying their holiday.