Church Gets a New Sidewalk

In late May, Martin Construction, based in Hays, Montana, completed a sidewalk project for the American Lutheran Church located at 200 4th Street SE in Harlem. The sidewalk was dedicated on June 4 in memory of Elsie Hansen.

According to church member Darwin Zellmer, the sidewalk was commissioned by the late Kim Hansen, who paid for the entire construction process using Memorial Money to honor the memory of his mother Elsie Hansen. Once completed, Pastor Will Rima-who serves the Harlem, Hogeland, and Turner church communities-blessed and dedicated the Elsie Hansen Memorial Sidewalk with congregation members in attendance on Sunday, June 4.

Reports suggest that Hansen wanted something unique and different to commemorate his mother's memory, which explains the red-orange color of the sidewalk. Zellmer went on to explain that Martin Construction crew members dyed the cement so that it would eventually fade to match the bricks of the church front. "With the completion of the project, Kim gave each worker a hundred dollar bill as a bonus. He was generous like that," Zellmer stated.

Zellmer went on to say: "At the blessing and dedication service, Kim joked that he hoped he wasn't the first person to be rolled across the sidewalk, yet here we are getting ready to celebrate his life. Even though his funeral will be at the high school, I think the hearse should stop here and wheel him into the church and back out again so he can visit his project one more time."