On September 8, 2010, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Elizabeth Toon Charities is taking part in Get Up and Give! North Texas Giving Day. On September 8, every donation above $25 will be matched if you donate to us through www.donorbridgetx.org, an online resource to connect donors with nonprofit organizations like us.
Please visit the site anytime between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., search for our nonprofit and click “Donate Now.” Your donation will go a long way in helping us support children in need, plus every dollar given at any time during the day will receive a portion of $700,000+ in matching funds – making your dollars go further.
If you’re concerned about the busiest times on the site, visit and donate on off-hours, 10-11 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. Again, all donations over $25 donated between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. will be matched by some percentage.
It doesn’t matter when you give, just remember to get up and give – whether out of bed, from your desk, or off your couch, just give!
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions at jessica@Elizabethtoon.org.
By Chelsea Quackenbush Tribune-Herald staff writer
Sunday June 13, 2010
Seven generations of the Knudson family have been a part of the Old Rock Church in Cranfills Gap.
Children are married, nieces and nephews are baptized and loved ones are mourned at the church and cemetery.
Family ties to the church, also known as St. Olaf’s Kirke, are not rare in this town.
More than 400 people came to mark the 125th anniversary of the newly restored church.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald
Rita Hanson’s family has been part of the church for five generations. Geneva Finstad’s great-grandfather built it.
Finstad and her husband, Guy, spearheaded a restoration project for the church. It began a few years ago.
More than 400 people celebrated the restoration Saturday, as well as the church’s 125th anniversary.
“I grew up going to this church,” Geneva said. “I was baptized here. My oldest son was married here. My great-granddaughter was just baptized here.”
The Lutheran church was built in 1886 by Norwegian settlers.
Before Old Rock, townspeople attended the church in Norse, a nearby town with deep Norwegian roots. But settlement rapidly moved westward and they needed a church closer to home.
Finstad’s great-grandfather invited the pastor and some people over for dinner one Sunday after church, Finstad said. The pastor said he would preach at both churches if they built a new one, closer to their home.
The church body grew quickly after its inception, and weekly worship services were moved in 1917 to a location in the center of town.
Special services are still held at Old Rock, like the candlelight Christmas Eve service and the sunrise Easter service.
Weddings are the most common ceremony.
Elizabeth Toon dreamed of getting married at the church from the moment she saw it.
“She said ‘Daddy, I want to get married here,’ ” Elizabeth’s father, Larry Toon, recalled. “(The church) is very near and dear to our hearts.”
But Elizabeth’s dream was not fulfilled.
She was killed in a hit-and-run accident in 2006 when she was 22.
Pastor Ann Koopman preaches from an elevated pulpit Saturday at St. Olaf’s Kirke in Cranfills Gap.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald
Elizabeth Toon Charities
Her friends and family started Elizabeth Toon Charities, a nonprofit organization that supports children in need throughout Texas.
Elizabeth Toon Charities took a special interest in the Old Rock restoration project because of her dream.
The charity provided $92,000 to fund renovations of the church and cemetery. They plan on donating another $20,000 for ongoing improvements.
The Toon family first visited the church nine years ago this week, a coincidence that coincided with the 125th anniversary.
Larry Toon lauded the community’s enthusiasm for the project. He said the contracting company from San Antonio fell in love with the church, “just like everyone else does.”
“It’s a place where the whole community comes together,” he said. “You leave all your differences at the gate.”
Church members said the entire community came out to help with the restoration. They hired historical architects to bring it back to its original condition.
The church still lacks plumbing and electricity. Architects were amazed to uncover the perfect lines of limestone on the exterior.
Inside, they chipped away the paint until they found the original colors.
“The red and green are very common in Norway,” Geneva Finstad said.
The elevated pulpit remains the most unusual feature of the church.
Guy and Geneva Finstad coordinated the Old Rock restoration project a few years ago.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald
Although it was originally lifted when built, the pastor had it lowered in 1912 “to be seen and heard,” Finstad said. “He wanted to be among the people, not above them.”
After a debate, the church decided to raise the pulpit back to its original place.
“It was inspiring” to preach from the elevated pulpit, pastor Ann Koopman said after the service Saturday. “It was new; you can see the faces, and you can really catch the spirit.”
Old Rock Church Rededication Celebrates 125th Anniversary
DALLAS – June 9, 2010 – One of Texas’ oldest churches, St. Olaf’s Kirke, known as “Old Rock Church,” in Bosque County, will be honored with an anniversary celebration on Saturday, June 12, 2010. The event coincides with the completion of an extensive renovation project of the church and its grounds, made possible by Dallas-based HYPERLINK “http://www.elizabethtooncharities.org” Elizabeth Toon Charities and generous donations from Bosque County residents.
Elizabeth Toon Charities, a non-profit organization benefiting children in need throughout Texas, provided a $92,000 donation to fund the renovation of the church and cemetery. Another $20,000 donation is planned to fund ongoing improvements of the church facilities and grounds. The charity was founded in honor of Elizabeth Toon who was tragically killed by a hit-and-run driver in 2006 at age 22 and was laid to rest at the Old Rock Church. Elizabeth dreamed of getting married at the Old Rock Church after visiting the historic site during a family vacation.
“We are thrilled to see this beautiful landmark restored because it is special to our organization as well as the Bosque County community,” said Jessica Gates, president and executive director, Elizabeth Toon Charities. “We hope that even more people can now experience Elizabeth’s legacy of faith, hope and love by visiting this sacred place.”
The anniversary celebration is open to the public and will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will include:
A tour of the historic church and cemetery
Rededication ceremony and complimentary lunch
An organ concert and recognition ceremony
“The Old Rock Church is an integral part of our local culture and history and we are thankful for the continued outpouring of support from Elizabeth Toon Charities,” said Guy Finstad, coordinator of the Old Rock Church project. “Their efforts have enabled us to restore this special church to its former glory.”
History of the Old Rock Church
St. Olaf’s Kirke was built in 1886 by Norwegian settlers. The church is built in traditional Norwegian style with the pulpit placed high in the middle of the altar.
St Olaf’s Kirke was home to Lutheran services until 1917 when the congregation had outgrown the building and larger space was needed. Since then, the church has been used for special services, most often weddings. In 1974 the church received a Texas historical marker and is now open to visitors seven days a week, from dawn until dusk.
About Elizabeth Toon Charities
Elizabeth Toon Charities is a Dallas-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to serving children and their families in need throughout Texas. The organization was inspired by the faith, hope and love of Elizabeth Toon, who was tragically killed by a hit-and-run driver in 2006 at age 22. Since its inception in 2007, Elizabeth Toon Charities has raised $1.5 million for children and families in need. Organization sponsors include Jones Lang LaSalle, Lincoln Property Company, Sewell Automotives and Goodman Networks. To give to Elizabeth Toon Charities or learn more about the organization, visit www.elizabethtooncharities.org or find it on Facebook.