________________


Rev. Carl John Algott

1879 - 1954

Pastor at the Leonardville and Alert Mission Covenant Churches


________________


(The following was taken from the Leonardville Centennial book, "City of the Plains, A Story of Leonardville" (1982) and was written by his granddaughter, Naomi.)


Rev. Carl John Algott


At around the age of fourteen a young man emigrated from Sweden to Pennsylvania and grew up there until he entered North Park College in Chicago, Illinois. His legal name was Carl John Algott Swanson. When he entered college he was approached and asked to drop the "Swanson" as there were many Swedish men with that name in school. He did this, and from that time on he was legally known as Carl John Algott.

In 1904 the young minister was sent to Leonardville in an intern type of position with the Swedish Covenant Church. During his first assignment to Kansas he met Josephine Johnson, and their friendship  grew. He graduated from North Park College in 1906 in the Seminary Department.

The engagement of Carl J. Algott and Josephine Johnson was announced, and the wedding was held at the Anton Horling home in Leonardville on June 18, 1908. Anton had married Josie's mother, Karin, after her husband John Johnson had died.

Karin had come to the United States from Sweden to work for a year, but she fell in love with another Swedish immigrant and married John Johnson instead of returning as planned. Karin's parents, Peter (Per and Martha Hanson) then brought their other children and came to the United States, too. They settled on a farm three and one-half miles north of Leonardville in the Fancy Creek area.

The Algotts made their first home in the Mission church parsonage, which happened to be where they met. Ironically, this house was the one they bought and were living in at the time of their deaths. Reverend Algott's ministry took them to many states, including Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.

They returned to Kansas in 1929 or 1930. Shortly after World War I Reverend Algott's text from the pulpit changed from Swedish to English. Perhaps one reason for this transition was a further expression of their loyalty to the United States.

While they were gone from Kansas they had a home built on the farm north of the Alert School. It was to this home they came and brought their children. Reverend Algott served as a fill-in pastor at the Alert Covenant Church, and at many others during their years on the farm.

He had learned how to repair watches from Anton Horling, his wife's step-father, and he did this throughout his life as a pastor and farmer until his death. So he also was known as a watchmaker. There were always a lot of clocks being fixed in their home that binged and bonged at different times.

Roland, who had always lived in the city, had to help his father farm. They hardly knew how to harness a team and wagon. Fred Miller was a life-saver to them and taught them how to farm. Anna had graduated from high school and left shortly for work in Manhattan, and there furthered her education. Raymond was still in high school, and he continued his studies in Leonardville and helped on the farm. Rachel, the youngest, was in grade school in Alert, and then on to Leonardville to secondary school. Times were hard as many banks failed, and the country had entered a depression. The Algotts continued to live on the farm until after World War II, at which time Raymond took over the farm, and the C.J. Algotts moved to Leonardville.

The Reverend C.J. Algott was born in Anderstrop Parish, Sweden, and died September 6, 1954 in Leonardville. Josephine Johnson Algott was born in the Alert community, and died September 30, 1961.


--- written by his granddaughter, Naomi

________________


________________



Leonardville Mission Covenant Church


________________

Obituary 

Rev. Carl John Algott


Rev. Carl John Algott, son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter M. Swanson, was born in Anderstorp Parish, Smaland, Sweden December 3, 1879. He passed away at the Riley County Hospital, Manhattan Kansas, September 13, 1954, at the age of 74 years, 9 months and 10 days. Thus he went home to be with his Lord and Savior whom he loved and served.

Rev. Algott received his elementary schooling in Sweden and at the age of 15 came with his parents, sister and brother to the United States and settled in Washington Depot, Connecticut. As a young man he in faith accepted Christ as his Savior which led him into the ministry. He attended North Park Seminary in Chicago. At the recommendation of the school, Rev. Algott dropped the name Swanson because of so many others already in the ministry with that name. During his internship, Rev. Algott served the Covenant churches at Leonardville and Alert, Kansas and the Covenant church at McKeesport, Pennsylvania.

Upon graduation from the seminary he came to Kansas to serve the Leonardville Mission Covenant Church. It was at Leonardville that Rev. Algott met Josephine Johnson and they were united in marriage June 18, 1908. This happy marriage was blessed with four children, Roland of Riley, Anna (now Mrs. Sullivan) of Washington, D.C., Raymond of Manhattan and Rachel (now Mrs. Lyon) of Tulsa Oklahoma.

In addition to serving Mission Covenant churches in Kansas, Rev. Algott served in Buffalo, New York;  Keokuk, Iowa; Odebolt, Iowa; Swedburg, Nebraska; and Lockport, Illinois.

In 1929 the Algott family returned again to Leonardville. After living on their farm north of town for 17 years, Rev. Algott again took up the pastorate of the Leonardville Mission Covenant church and he and Mrs. Algott moved to the parsonage where they lived at the time Rev. Algott was called to his reward. At Leonardville Rev. Algott also learned the watch repair trade from his father-in-law and in addition to his work as pastor, he also worked at this trade at his home.

As a member and pastor of the Leonardville church which he loved so dearly, Rev. Algott faithfully proclaimed the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ. Many are the saints who have been edified and the souls who have been won for the Lord because of the life and ministry of Rev. Algott not only at Leonardville but also in the other parishes where he has served.

Rev. Algott will long be remembered by his relatives and friends as a faithful husband, a loving father and true Christian pastor and friend.

Those who survive our departed brother are his wife and four children with their husbands and wives; four grandchildren, Naomi Berber, Larry Algott, and Joann and June Ann Lyons; one great-granddaughter, Mary Jo Berber; a sister, Mrs. Ida Carlson of New London, Conn.; a brother C.C. (Fred) Swanson, of Naugatuck, Conn.; other relatives and a host of friends.

This obituary is closed with a portion of Scripture from Rev. 14:13 "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them."

________________