Rev. Eggen Gone.

Passed after Long and Useful
Life- Funeral
Saturday

News reached Lyle relatives Wednesday afternoon that Rev. J. Muller Eggen had passed away at the hospital in Minneapolis that afternoon, where he had gone Monday morning and was operated on Tuesday. For the last few weeks he has been very poorly and it was with the hope of relieving his pain that he was taken to Minneapolis. Few men are able to serve so long a term and as large a field as well as did he. His life was a benediction and a blessing to many homes that will ever remember his kindly ministry, and tho he is dead and laid to rest, his influence will ever live in the lives of those whom he served.

Rev. Johannes Mueller Eggen was born near Trondhjem, Norway, April 20, 1841. Until his confirmation he stay at home, but then went to his uncle's in the city of Tromso and accepted a position as clerk in his store, taking at the same time instruction in the grammar school with a view of entering the university. After spending two years in Tromso he studied at the university. From there he went to Bergen as instructor in languages. At this time he thought seriously of going on the stage, but the desire of giving his time and talents to a better cause became stronger and he finally entered the seminary with religious work in view.

After studying theology for one year he established a high school at Trysil and held the position of principal for a number of years. Then he accepted a call from the Evangelical Lutheran church in America and came here in the summer of 1865. He was, however, urged by leading men of the Ausgustana Synod to enter the theological seminary at Paxton, Ill., to perfect his theological education and enter the ministry. This he decided to do. He graduated in the summer of 1866 and was ordained the same year, accepting a call from the Lutheran congregations at Stoughton and Racine, Wis. He served these for five years, residing in Racine. In 1871 he moved to Luther Valley, Rock county, Wisconsin, where he labored until 1882, when he accepted a call from the Six Mile Grove congregation in Adams, or Little Cedar congregation and Mona and Lyle congregations, all in Mower county. This call he served until 1905, nearly a quarter of a century, when he was compelled to resign on account of poor health.

Rev. Eggen held several official positions in the church. For nine years he was secretary of the conference, for two years vice president and in 1886 was elected president of that body. Rev. Eggen has also written several books. Among these may be mentioned: "Confirmation," "Engagement," "The Importance of Missions," "The Sins of the church" and "A Look at Our Times."

In 1865 he was married to Henrietta Rossow. This union was blessed with eight children, two of whom have died. The surviving are: Lizzie, the wife of John O. Oas, teacher at Scandinavia, Wis., Lawerence lives on the home place in Nevada township; Rena, the wife of A. M. Wilson; Laura, the wife of Rev. M. E. Waldeland of St. Ansgar; Emelie, matron of the Thomas hospital of Minneapolis; Gustave who is with the Chicago Northwestern Railway at Manitowoc, Wis. Mrs. Eggen was married for the second time in 1903 to Mrs. Gunhild Thorson. Rev. and Mrs. Eggen spent several winters in Alabama on account of the former's poor health, but for the past few years have made their home with their son L. M., on the place he located upon when he first moved to this state.