Carlton Kjergaard

Rev. Carlton Kjergaard, son of Nels and Agnes Kjergaard, was born April 9, 1928, at Van Nuys, Calif. He was baptized in Trinity Lutheran Church of Long Beach, CA, and was confirmed in 1st Lutheran Church of Van Nuys, CA in 1942. In 1946 he graduated from Van Nuys High School. He graduated from St. John's College of Winfield, KS in 1949 and Concordia Seminary of St. Louis, MO in 1954, during which he vicared at St. John's Lutheran Church of New Orleans from 1952-1953. He spent the summer of 1951 in Decatur, Illinois as a field worker for St. Paul's Lutheran Church. At this time he met Dorothy Braun who was a Christian day school teacher at the church. They became engaged and got married on June 20th, 1954 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Sumner, Iowa.
Upon graduation from the seminary he received a call to start a church in Torrance, Calif. He started Ascension Lutheran Church of Torrance, CA in 1954. The first service was on Reformation Day with an attendance of 63, and they held a Vacation Bible School of 128. At one service there were 18 baptisms. In 1955 he was moved by the District Mission board to the mission congregation of Redeemer Lutheran Church of Perris, CA which had racial problems that he was able to help overcome. In addition to this, in 1956-1959 he served Zion Lutheran Church of Fallbrook, CA, which was 35 miles from the other church.
In 1959 he accepted the call to St. John's Lutheran Church of Covington, OK, and in 1966 he also became pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church of Breckinridge, OK as a dual parish for 27 years. During his service in Oklahoma, he saw the building of a new parish hall, a new parsonage, a new church, and a new foyer. In Oklahoma in addition to his role as a parish pastor, he served in various roles such as circuit counselor, District Pastoral counselor of the Lutheran Laymen's League and Lutheran Women's Missionary League, District Student aid chairman and member, Christian Growth chairman of the District Walther League, a member of the District parish education, a member of the District Board of Directors and a member of the District Commission and Adjudication. In Covington he was president of the Rotary club and of the Ministerial Alliance and was instrumental in starting the new area youth center.
Pastor Kjergaard said that he was privileged to serve the Lord as a pastor proclaiming and teaching the Word of God emphasizing the message that Christ died for our sins and rose again to give us the hope of life everlasting forever in heaven. Whatever was accomplished he said he gives all credit to God alone. He was thankful to God for his wife and children who continued to support him in his ministry.
He retired in 1993 after spending 34 years of ministry in Oklahoma. He and his wife moved to Olathe, KS and joined Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church. He made calls on Lutherans moving into the Olathe area and was active on the congregation's evangelism committee. He preached at various Lutheran churches on Sundays as needed. During the week he preached at Good Samaritan Towers and Johnson County nursing home and at other nursing homes as needed. He also made calls on nursing home residents and people who are in the hospital.
Pastor Kjergaard is survived by his wife Dorothy, of Olathe; four children, Dorcas Kassebaum and her husband Jerry of Dallas, TX; Deborah Lorentz and her husband Doug, of Florrissant, MO; David Kjergaard and his wife Kristi of Denver, CO; Daniel Kjergaard and his wife Barbara of Leawood, KS; fourteen grandchildren, Paul Kassebaum and his wife Megan and their sons Henry and Timothy; Sarah Radtke and her husband Ben and their children Elijah and Abigail; Daniel Kassebaum and wife Bonnie and their children Katie and Levi; Thomas Kassebaum; Ami Kassebaum; Abigail Lorentz; Phillip Lorentz; Bethany Kjergaard; Kari Kjergaard; Stanislav Kjergaard; Alison Kjergaard; Joshua Kjergaard; Caleb Kjergaard; and Hannah Kjergaard.
He was preceded in death by his parents and sister

The family suggests memorial contributions to Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church or The Lutheran Hour