Emmons County Record, Linton, North Dakota, 1982

Blessed Trinity Church in Krrassna, 1982

Country churches were common in the early days of Emmons County. However, several such churches have been forced to close over the years because of declining numbers in their congregations.

One of those was the Blessed Trinity Catholic Church, which served families in the Krassna area, west of Strasburg, form 1916 until its closing in 1967. The structure has not been use since that time, but it hasn’t been forgotten. It is still visited on occasion by former members and their families, and there have been ideas of restoring it in the memory of the pioneers who settled in that area.

On June 26 and 27, pews of Blessed Trinity will once again be filled. On that weekend, the descendants of the late Nickolaus and Otillia Ternes will gather at Krassna for a family reunion, and will hold a special family Mass at the church on June 26. Nickolaus Ternes was one of the area’s first settlers.

Since the building hadn’t been used in 15 years, some heavy duty cleaning was necessary. Twenty-eight area residents, as well as a few outsiders, took care of that chore last Monday. They were Leo, Betty, Gary, Bernadette, Leo, Glen, Aaron, Claudette, Daniel, Barbara, Isabelle, Laynette and Carol Ternes, Lydia, Cleo, Annette and Laura Roehrich, Valaria Sehn, Viola Kramer, Ida Franck, Alvina Bosch, Marie Swallow, Helen Frank, Kathy, Alvin and Tommy Nagel, and Leroy, Margaret and Jeremie Mertz. All the volunteers are either members of the Nickolaus Ternes family, or were connected with the church in some way.

The Ternes family also decided that, as long as the church was tidy, a public Mass should be held for “old time’s sake.” The Mass will be served June 27 at 10:30 a.m., and is open especially to all area residents, past and present, and their families. Leo Ternes, a grandson of Nickolaus Ternes, and whose farm is located near the church, expect some 300 people for the special Mass.

The church’s interior and its contents (pews, statues, and other fixtures) are still in good shape. Like most Catholic churches, it has a handsome interior, with its most notable feature being its ceiling. The ceiling is decorated with paintings of the saints.

The exterior has been weather beaten over the years, but stands sturdy and strong. The only noticeable damage is on the roof and chimney (caused by last July’s windstorm)

The structure was built in 1916 after members of the congregation met in a mission building for 15 years. There were 250 members at the time of construction.

The church had its origin in 1890, with the first Mass being served at the Jacob Kopp farm. The first structure (mission) was built in 1901, and was attended by priest from Strasburg. The church was established as a parish with a resident priest in December, 1914.

A steady decline in the Krassna area’s Catholic population eventually led to the church’s closing in 1967. In August, 1972, the building was purchased by Mrs. Elizabeth (Reinbold) Ohanneson with of preserving it.