Pastor Stanserves worshipers at Walker Lake
News | Published on July 23, 2024 at 2:41pm GMT+0000 | Author: Tucker Henderson
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Pastor Stan Satre has, for many years during the summer months, held outdoor Sunday morning worship services at Camp Nidaros near Walker Lake, down the road from the town of Ottertail and close to Otter Tail Lake.
By Tom Hintgen
Otter Tail County Correspondent
Stan Satre, even though he is past the age of 90, still is one of the pastors for summer outdoor Sunday worship services at Camp Nidaros near Walker Lake.
Outdoor worshipers at Camp Nidaros enjoyed singing and reading during a beautiful morning on Sunday, July 21.
Satre has been the main chaplain at Camp Nidaros since 1982, heading many of the 10 a.m. Sunday worship services himself and also lining up other speakers. On July 21 he rang the bell at 9:30 a.m. and again at 9:55 a.m. as a final reminder for worshipers prior to the start of the service.
From 40 to 50 people have attended scheduled outdoor worship at Camp Nidaros on any given Sunday over the years.
Camp Nidaros near Walker Lake, north of Otter Tail Lake, is in a sense an old neighborhood at one of Otter Tail County’s more than 1,000 lakes. This lake neighborhood has its roots in the purchase of property back in 1909 by the original founders of Camp Nidaros. They were mainly involved with the ministry,
built cabins and formed an association.
Satre’s late wife Bev’s great-grandfather, Martin Soelberg, was the builder of the first four cabins more than a century ago. Her parents, with help from Stan and Bev’s brother, built their current cabin back in 1956.
Bev, who died in 2023, met Stan during their collegiate years at St. Olaf College in Northfield and were married in 1954. Stan, ordained as a minister at Luther Seminary in St. Paul in 1958, served in the ministry at several locations across the United States.
He retired with Bev in Fergus Falls in 2006, serving local churches on an interim basis.
The summer of 2019 was noteworthy with the purchase of new outdoor cedar benches for their place of worship. Over the years, in addition to regular Sunday morning worship services, the site has also been used for weddings and baptisms. If it rained, people came to the Satre cabin.
“Our open-air services at Camp Nidaros have been very special over the years,” Stan said. “The tradition of outdoor services is passed from generation to generation.”
On July 21 outdoor worshipers honored four family members of Camp Nidaros including Stan’s wife Bev and, sadly, his daughter Rebecca who also died in 2023. He takes solace in being close to their other four daughters and families and Rebecca’s family members.