Rev. Efraim Ceder Collection

Collection

Identifier: ULS-MS-005

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the activities of Rev. Efraim Emil Ceder, concerning his call to Buenos Aires, Argentina for the Pan-Lutheran Society for Mission Work in Latin America from 1916-1919.

Most of the 107 copies and original letters are to Efraim Ceder with a few from him. The artifacts are in English, Swedish, and Spanish.

The records are arranged in 5 series. Series include Correspondence, Question and Answer Series and Address, Photographs, Financial Records, and Miscellaneous. The Correspondence series is split into three sub-series including From Ceder, To Ceder, and Other. The contents of each series are arranged chronologically.

Dates

Majority of material found within 1916 - 1919

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Biographical / Historical

Rev. Efraim Emil Ceder was a foreign missionary and Augustana Synod pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. He emigrated to the United States from Mumsarby, Sweden.

After his ordination in 1916 he served as the pastor of a church in Haxton, Colorado for a short period of time. Then he accepted a call to missionary work as the first missionary sponsored by the Pan Lutheran Missionary Society for Lutheran America in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He organized a congregation of 300 Swedes at the request of the congregation arranged for the appointment of a pastor from Sweden. This congregation later chose to change their denomination to the Church of Sweden. He served in Argentina until his resignation in 1920.

Rev. Ceder was married to his wife Margaret who died in Buenos Aires in February 1919, leaving him alone with his daughter Vera and his very young son. The death of his wife triggered Rev. Ceder’s desire to return home to the United States in 1920.

Extent

.42 Linear Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Processing Information

The Rev. Efraim Ceder Collection was donated in February 2014 by Carrie Root.

This collection was originally processed and described by Katie McGowan in February 2014 and then continued to be processed by Harold Robinson in November 2014.

The collection was reprocessed and the finding aid was updated by archives intern Anne-Louise Monn and archivist Sheila Joy in August 2018. Ms. Monn arranged the collection by type in chronological order to create an ease of access for the patron.

At the beginning of the reprocessing, the collection was separated into unprocessed and semi-processed materials. The materials were in no order but were in separate folders and identified. In reprocessing, we have established order by the originator and type of artifact, along with internal chronology with the series.