St. Margaret's Church - Kimball SD

Submitted by: Sue Mairose and her 6th Grade Class of Kimball school. 

St. Margaret’s Church 

What year did the process of building the church begin? How long did it take to build it? 

The process of building the church started on July 26, 1916. The building took six months to build.On June 15, 1916 excavation was begun on the St. Margaret’s church basement. At first horses used plows to dig the first layers of the basement. When the plows couldn’t dig anymore they used shovels and buckets. The basement is ten feet lower than the rest of the building. The concrete was put in on July 26, 1916.

How much did it cost and who paid for it?

The cost was $30,000 . The Catholic Church was paid for by donations from Crow Lake and Bendon missions. A number of non-Catholics also contributed and E.B Lumbar offered to lend them all the money they needed. Parishioners paid the rest of debt out of their pockets without mortgage.

Describe the painting on the church ceiling?

The ceiling of the St. Margaret’s Church was painted using scaffolds, one side at a time. Some of the symbols represent the seven sacraments, and each one has a different meaning. One source says it was painted in 1970.

What is the length and width of the church? How many people does it seat? 

The length and width of the church is 100 by 45ft. The St. Margaret’s Church seats about 600 people.

Where did the materials come from? 

The bricks for building the church came from Sioux City, Iowa, the trimming stone came from Kasota, Minn., the fire and rustproof roof came from Berger Mfg. Co., Minneapolis, Minn., and the lumber, sand, and concrete came from our local yards.

Is there anything significant about the bell?

In the Saint Margaret’s Church the bell hangs in the belfry & was bought in memory of the World War I Veterans. The inscription says,

” IN PERPETUAL RECOGNITION OF THE GREATEST SACRFICE MADE BY THE 38 BOYS FROM THIS PARISH WHO OFFEREDTHEIR LIVES TO HELP KEEP ’OLD GLORY’ ALOFT IN THE GREAT WORLD WAR 1914-1918” 

The bell was put up on September 29, 1919. 

Describe the windows in the church.

The windows in St. Margaret’s Church all tell a different story. The windows are stained glass and impossible to replace. They came from Germany. Some names of the windows are St. Andrew, St. Scholastica , St. Patrick, St. John , St. Bridgette and, St. Cecilia.  

There are also two other stained glass windows of Virgin Mary and Jesus. They were put in the front of the church.

When were the new parts of the church built? 

The ramp was made for the handicapped people. It was built by Mike Blasius a local contractor. It is made out of concrete. It is an easier way for the handicapped people to get in and out of the church. Some people call it the “elderly ski jump” and the railing on the ramp is called the kids “jungle gym”. It is built on the north side of the church and was made in the 1983. It makes the church handicapped accessible. 

The building of the additions started in 1970. It was built under the direction of Bucky Korzan. It took 16 people plus architects to work on the additions. 

These building additions involved laying out concrete, plumbing, putting in an oil fired boiler, putting in steel joints and wood roofing, installing steel beams, and putting in doors and door frames. 

What is the social impact of St. Margaret's Church? 

The St. Margaret's Church is very big so that activities such as weddings can be held there. Not only Catholics, but also non-Catholics use it too for funerals, lunches, and meetings. Some funerals have been so big they even had to seat people in the basement.