By the Grace of God

This is the biography of Reverend Lars E. Green, a pioneering pastor who was instrumental in the development of several Norwegian Lutheran churches throughout the Brown County area of southern Minnesota. He left Norway as a young man to pursue his dreams in America, and he succeeded, with a long and benevolent career of untiring devotion to his community.

He and his congregations endured extreme poverty, grasshopper plagues, tornadoes, bandits, blizzards, and unimaginable loss, but through it all, they persevered in their pursuit of the American Dream.

He arrived to southern Minnesota when there was nothing but desolate, open prairie for as far as the eye could see, but within his lifetime, he would witness the marvels of indoor plumbing, electricity, radio, and automobiles.

He was a beloved minister-a man of deep faith and fortitude whose legacy continues today.

The author, an adoptee, was inspired to write this book after she discovered an amazing connection to her biological roots. In 2006, she moved her family from Washington state to a tiny town in Minnesota that she'd never heard of. Years later, she discovered that town had been settled by her biological family, 125 years prior. She was unknowingly walking in the footsteps of her relatives, including Reverend Green. She highlights this amazing coincidence in the chapter The Journey Home.