This series comprises the personal papers of the Rev. Erik Norelius, pastor, a founder, and president of the Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America. The collections is from 1833-1916 with the bulk dating from 1851-1916. Record types include handwritten sermon outlines, handwritten and typewritten correspondence, handwritten speeches and addresses, travel journals, daybooks, galley proofs of manuscripts, typewritten drafts of manuscripts, reports and resolutions, writings, financial records, and personal records. This series is divided into the following subseries: correspondence, sermon drafts and outlines, daybook and notebooks, speeches and addresses, reports and resolutions, writings, manuscripts, church-related records, and personal records. Each subseries is described in greater detail elsewhere in this finding aid. Correspondence. The correspondence in this subseries comprises typewritten translated copies, postcard correspondence, microfilm reels of handwritten correspondence, and a small amount of assorted handwritten correspondence. Much of the subject matter of this correspondence pertains to his early years in America, his pastoral work, duties serving as Minnesota conference president, and duties serving as president of the Augustana Synod. Also included in the correspondence are letters from his family. The bulk of the correspondence is the microfilmed copies of correspondence dated 1851-1916. Of this correspondence, the archives has typewritten copies of the English translation of some letters, but only those addressed to Norelius, not his replies. Authors of this correspondence include Lars P. Esbjorn, T.N. Hasselquist, Erland Carlsson, William A. Passavant, and C.F. Heyer. Sermon drafts and outlines. This subseries comprises handwritten sermon outlines or brief drafts of sermons written by Pastor Norelius. Typically he titled the sermon in terms of the church year: first Sunday after Advent, etc. He also included the text citation in the Bible from which he drew the sermon and also the date he preached the sermon. Originally before these records were processed, they were in small bundles tied with string. Every effort was made to keep these "bundles" together to respect original order. Subsequently, most of the sermons filed into each folder are together for that reason and not any other. Some sermon drafts and outlines are filed together due to the fact they are for a particular occasion, holiday, or Sunday in the church year. These too were originally in tied bundles marked with what kinds of sermons they were. It is possible that in the folders of sermons grouped together, but without a specific theme, there could be sermons for specific occasions, holidays, or Sundays in the church year. Of note, in box 14, the oversized box, there is a list of sermons, date it was preached, location it was preached and biblical text drawn upon for 1855-1910. Daybooks and notebooks. Daybooks dated October 1885-April 1886 are from when Pastor Norelius traveled as a missionary to the west coast of the United States on behalf of the Augustana Synod. His duties included inspecting the work begun by the synod and also seek out new Swedish settlements in which to begin congregations. Other notebooks include one recording his family history, another titled minnesbok or "memory book" that pertains to the period in his life from 1833-1853. Norelius began it in 1850 during his journey to America. The first part of the memory book is an account of his life in Sweden. It is a journal that he kept where he recorded the events of this trip from Sweden to America and his journey that eventually led him to school at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio. Other notebooks records events, trips, meetings relating his work as pastor or his work as a synod representative in Minnesota. The remaining notebooks in the subseries record various travels. Speeches and addresses. While there is one speech in this subseries that is not one written or given by Pastor Norelius, the bulk of these were written by Norelius himself. They are speeches or addresses given at synod or conference meetings, congregation gatherings, festival commemorating special anniversaries, and addresses given while traveling to other congregations of which he was a guest speaker. Most are handwritten on various types and sizes of paper. Reports, resolutions, legal documents. This subseries includes handwritten and typewritten reports involving the church's work. These reports represented work at the congregation, conference, or synod level. Many times they were reports submitted to the synod's annual meeting, but Norelius had the drafts from which to create the printed reports supplied to all meeting participants. There is also one folder of handwritten resolutions and notices. These are a mixture of church-related resolutions having to do with issues of governance, polity, or ministries and there are legal notices pertaining to estates, and guardianships of which Pastor Norelius was named guardian. Legal notices also contain draft articles of incorporation for The Society of Mercy of the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church of Minnesota, commonly referred to as the Vasa Home for Children. Writings. Pastor Norelius was a prolific writer and this subseries includes articles and works that include topical writings, letters to the editor, writings related to the history and work of the church, among others. Other writings are ones he collected, but were not necessarily written by him. These writings may have been drafts of future published works, but that is not known. These records were poorly maintained prior to processing and it is not clear if they were grouped together as common subjects. Manuscripts. This series includes manuscripts and galley proofs for some of Pastor Norelius's published works. Most of this material is typewritten, though there are some handwritten manuscript-type material. Four of the eleven folders are galley proofs of two of Norelius's works: Dagbook: under en resa till vestkusten 1885 och 1886, and Early Life of Erik Norelius, 1833-1862: some memory sketches. In the oversized box, there is a handwritten manuscript about west coast missionary Peter Carlson. Church-related records. These records are generally copies of records related to annual conventions of the church, synod minutes, and meeting attendance lists. Of note, there are photocopies of records related to the constituting convention for the Augustana Synod held in 1860. There is also a copy of the minutes from the first meeting held in 1851 of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Northern Illinois, the synod from which a number of pastors, including Norelius, eventually left to organize the Augustana Synod. This subseries also has a copy of a proposed constitution for districts and a proposed liturgical manual for pastors. Also of note in this series are copies of articles of incorporation and property deeds for Swedish Lutheran Church, New Sweden, Jefferson County, Iowa; this was the location of the first permanent Swedish settlement in the United States in the 19th century. Personal and financial records. This last subseries includes items that Pastor Norelius collected or kept that do not pertain specifically to his life and work in the church. There are botanic notes, a copy of a wedding song, examples of Swedish poetry, a folder of Swedish legal documents donated by Mr. and Mrs. F. P. Wennerstrom.
