Eden
Eden Township, Marshall County, South Dakota, USA
History of Sacred Heart Parish of Eden, So. Dak. 1917 - 1978
from "Marshall County"
by the Marshall County Historical Society
©1979
page 112
The town of Eden was established in 1914, located just two miles
within Marshall county from the south. The people of the Eden
territory were predominantly Catholic. After the founding of
Eden they continued to worship at either St. Michael's Church,
Frank, Day Co., S.D. or at St. Joseph's Church, Old Eden, or
Eden Park, S.D.
On June 20, 1917 Bishop Thomas O'Gorman of the Sioux Falls
Diocese appointed the Reverend Father William Eckl as Pastor
of the new parish at Eden which he was to organize from the
two parishes of St. Michael's and St. Joseph. On July 5th ground
was broken and excavation was begun for the new church.
The work of uniting the parishes of St. Michael and St. Joseph,
however, was not easy as disagreements arose, especially among
the people of "Old Eden" who because of distance and sentimental
attachment to the old St. Joseph's Church did not agree to this
unification idea. So, some did not unite and withdrew to Lake
City with the intention of building their church there. Some
others, however, did accept the authority of the Bishop and the
Pastor and joined the St. Michael's parishioners and with their
cooperation worked for the building of the new parish church in
Eden to be dedicated to the Sacred Heart. New pews were installed
in the beginning of 1918, and a new Rectory also was built that
year. The parish numbered 104 families in 1918.
In 1920 the parish was able to build a parochial school at the
total cost of $11,000.00. In September classes began with an
enrollment of 95. With that many pupils in two class rooms the
facility was overtaxed right from the start, and a third
classroom was added shortly which made the school comfortable
for both teachers and children.
In a few years came the depression with the terrible drought
that gave the time of the thirties the name of "dirty Thirties"
because of the dust storms. Times got to be very hard. Father
Hemel tried to keep the parish plant in operation with a very
limited financial supply, but in 1933 however, the school had
to be closed because of lack of funds. The parish was able to
survive otherwise, however. But it took close figuring and very
frugal living. It was a this time that a young man of the parish
was ordained to the priesthood: Clarence Trautner, ordained June
7, 1936. Thirty six years later Father Trautner returned to Eden
to become pastor of Sacred Heart Parish.
In 1946 it was decided that the building of a new church had to
wait for awhile. Instead it was decided to reopen the parocial
school with the old facilities still available. By 1950 the
facilities were becoming inadequate for both the school children
and the Sisters. So it was decided to exchange buildings; the
Sisters went to live in the original Rectory and Father
Reidelsheimer moved into the convent building. That was one
solution. The school building also had to be considered. The
solution: a school building was built on top of the old church
basement, a very good and practical solution to a vexing problem.
Ground was broken in April, 1960. The new church, built of brick
and stone with the rectory building adjoining, was finished by
April, 1961.
In 1968 new problems were beginning to surface in Eden as
elsewhere. Father Marback struggled with these which were
concerned with the education and school affairs. Sister teachers
were becoming fewer, and they had to contend with the same
problems which became quite an experience for the parish as a
whole. The result finally was the closing of Sacred Heart
parocial school when the Notre Dame Sisters no longer were able
to supply teachers for it. The school building became a part of
the Roslyn School which continues to rent the building and uses
it for four grades. In July, 1972, Father Clarence Trautner
succeeded Father Dzierzek as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish. The
parish is well established. All debts are paid. The buildings are
well maintained and it is the hope that this can continue for a
long time.
Written by Msgr. C.W. Trautner
E-mail: dwagner2@isd.net
©2002 DJW
Last Modified:
October 12, 2002