Folklore Stories

​August 10, 2025
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
So, you must know that I like history, particularly folklore history. 
 
For instance, in a previous reflection, I recounted for you how my grandmother told the story of Jesse James and his gang of outlaws staying in the barn on her and grandpa's farmstead.  The story continues with this intriguing piece of suspense.  She always maintained that Jesse James and his gang buried a barrel of gold near the barn.  Years later, as my dad demolished all the old buildings and buried what was left of the rotten lumber in a deep hole, this piece of evidence emerged.  The man he hired to dig the hole with his Caterpillar stopped his digging to investigate the side of a barrel that had emerged in his excavating.  However, water began to fill the hole, and he had to quickly back his Caterpillar out.  Not knowing the legend of the barrel of gold, now underwater, he proceeded to fill in the hole.  The question remains, is there a barrel of gold on the farmstead?
 
Here's another piece of folklore history, this one involving the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) denomination.  During the Alaskan gold rush, in the late 1890’s, the ECC sent three Swedish missionaries to Alaska to evangelize the indigenous people, the Eskimos.  Instead of doing missionary work, these three lucky Swedes discovered gold and filed a claim in their name for a gold mine named, Number 9 Above.  As they worked the mine, they struck it rich, when they should have been doing missionary work.  I assume the ECC had them on the payroll.  The ECC then sued these guys claiming ownership of Number 9 Above.  Here's where the local folklore comes in.  An Eskimo, by the name of Constantine Uparazuck, was to go to Chicago to testify in the case.  On the way to Chicago, he stopped at the Lanyon Covenant Church, became ill, and died in 1904.  He is buried at the nearby Lost Grove Cemetery. 
 
I love old folklore stories.  Even the name on a tombstone has with it a story.  What will your story be on your tombstone?  If it only says, “He/she loved Jesus during life,” that is enough. 
 
Blessings!
Pastor Allan
 
 
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