Portage County Historical Society

I have Ingeborg’s little notebook and written in it is - "Resurrection of Christ", copied by Ingeborg (Belle) BOE, Feb. 1898, from a picture copyrighted and published in 1883 by F. W. Wehle, Milwaukee, Wis.

I have found out that Friedrich W. Wehle was a German-American church artist, born in Neu Jonsdorf, Saxony, in 1831, emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1866 and died in Milwaukee in 1901.

There is a picture of the original North New Hope Lutheran Church Altar Painting in the book, "From the Indian Land" by Malcolm Rosholt, and I believe that Ingeborg BOE also painted that one, as she was a member there, at that time. The church later burned in 1924, so that painting was destroyed.

She painted two more Altar Paintings that we know about. One was in the old synod Lutheran Church, called Scandinavia Evangelical Lutheran Church, at Scandinavia, Wisconsin (located just East of Portage County) in 1899. It was located at the Northeast corner of highway 49 and Main St. in the village. After the church was moved across the street a few years after the merger in 1917, the church was remodeled, ready for the dedication, and then burned down in January of 1934. From family stories, I had heard that the painting was saved, and stored at someone’s home. I was trying to track down a picture of that Altar Painting, and also, the painting itself.

Now, I have definite information about that painting! It was cleaned and reframed about fifteen years ago, (1989). It looks wonderful, and is hanging in the entrance of the present Scandinavia Lutheran Church. My contact saw the signature, BOE, 1899. I was overwhelmed to find out that wonderful news!

Written in Ingeborg’s notebook was: Church picture, "The Ascension", painted Oct. 4, 1899. Width 30 inches, Length 48 inches, Scandinavia Church.

This would be of interest to the Scandinavia community The David Boe family, of New Hope, and the Arthur Lee family, of Scandinavia were relatives.

Ingeborg’s notebook also revealed her plans for the Arkdale Lutheran Church Altar Painting. I didn’t know where Arkdale (located southeast of Portage County) was located, so I recently found information and contacts through my Internet research. I was very excited to find out that this painting still exists, and the old church from Arkdale had been moved to Adams, Wisconsin, Adams County, and is now the Trinity Lutheran Church of Adams. It was completely reconstructed by 1924. There is a picture of the Altar and painting in the "150^th Anniversary Book" of Trinity Lutheran Church of Arkdale. My contact checked the painting and found the date of August 1901 and I. B…was signed on the bottom. It seems to be a replica of the Resurrection painting at South New Hope Church.

Ingeborg never married, but was like a mother, especially to her youngest sister, Elsa, who died in 1897.

Ingeborg died of cancer on May 4, 1905 at Nelsonville, Wisconsin, almost fifty-two years old. Ingeborg (Belle) BOE was my Great Aunt, whom I never knew in person, but I greatly admired her, all my life. She was a great Wisconsin, Norwegian-American female artist, who deserves recognition.

Written by Charlotte Nelson LOBERG
Claremont, CA

Thank You:

• Norma Riese, from Friendship, WI for finding the Arkdale information
• Ruth Ann Fritz, from Adams, WI for colored pictures of Altar Painting and church building.
• Dorothy Youngblood, Librarian at Ellison Public Library, Scandinavia, WI.
• Stella Strand from Iola, WI.
• Murnell Olsen from the Scandinavia Lutheran Church, for locating the painting.
• Mitch Swenson from the Scandinavia Lutheran Church, for rescuing the painting, having it restored, reframed and hung in the entrance of the present church.

Bibliography

1. "From the Indian Land" by Malcolm Rosholt.
2. 150^th Anniversary Book of Trinity Lutheran Church of Arkdale, WI
3. Nineteenth Century German-American Church Artists - By Annemarie Springer, Phd.

Part 2
Ingeborg Davidsdtr. BOE
Norwegian-American Wisconsin Artist
Wood River Evangelical Lutheran Church Altar Painting
Grantsburg, Wisconsin

In August 2004, in Wisconsin, I was looking through some old materials from my grandfather’s estate, and found a faded picture of a church and parsonage, era 1900. It was titled, Grantsburg, Wisconsin, and on the back, my mother had written, "Ingeborg Boe painted an Altar painting here. I got very excited, and told my sister - "Another search is on"!!

I found the Grantsburg website, corresponded with the village clerk, and sent her a copy of my picture. She contacted the Public Library and found out that the church in the picture was called the "one mile church", because it was one mile south of town. Later, I found out that it was called the Wood River Evangelical. Lutheran Church, of the old Norwegian Synod, but was no longer in Grantsburg.

My contact from the Norway List, online, sent me a copy of the 100^th Anniversary Booklet, from Bethany Lutheran Church, in which I found much good information, including a black and white photo of the Altar painting. I was so excited!! I was also very sorry to find out that there had been a fire in the Bethany Lutheran Church, where the painting had been moved, and was therefore destroyed.

My great aunt, Ingeborg (Belle) Boe, had a cousin, Dina, who was married to Pastor

R. J. Meland. I was very excited to read in the Anniversary Booklet, that he was the Pastor at the Wood River Church, from 1903-1907. That’s why Miss Boe had painted the Altar painting there! She died in 1905, so this was one of her last, or the last one of her paintings.

My online contact talked to Mrs. Delores Johnson in January 2005, and sent me her address. I finally wrote her in April 2005, and asked her if someone had a clearer picture of the old Altar painting.

Well, today I received from Mrs. Johnson, a beautiful colored picture of the Altar painting from the Bethany Lutheran Church, before the fire of 1954. She told me that her husband had taken slides, and they were still in the camera at the time of the fire!! What a blessing to have this history preserved.

Now, your congregation will know the identity of the artist of your lost Altar painting. We both benefit. Thanks so much to everyone who helped with this detective work.

Charlotte Loberg Nelson - Claremont , CA - June 30, 2005

Thank you:

• Jennifer Zeiler, Clerk, Village of Grantsburg, WI
• Christine Jackson from the Norway List, Rootsweb.com
• Mrs. Delores E. Johnson, Bethany Lutheran Church, Grantsburg.
• Bethany Lutheran Church 100^th Anniversary Booklet (1870-1970).