The Ness Congregation was organized when Pastor I. L. Lundeby was Horne Missionary in the region from 1882-1884. The first meeting was held in 1883 in Amund Gilbertson's log house. The original members with their families were:
Gulbrand Auren, Ole Hagen Fikjer, Amund Gilbertson, Thor Hagen, Ole Kristofferson, Andrew Larson, Arne Luckason, Ole Skrien, Arne Thompson and Iver Thompson. Services were held in the various homes until the Bolkan Schoolhouse was built on the NE quarter of Section 2 Sverdrup Township when most of the services were held there. The name of Ness was chosen because a number of the new settlers came from a place by that name in Norway.
The Ness church was built in 1898 by contractor Mr. Lee, with members donating help. Mr. Ole Halvorson gave two acres of land on NE quarter of Section 36, Washburn Township for church site and cemetery. He also gave 2 acres of land for roads. Improvements in the church were:
basement constructed in 1929 by Melvin Seim and members; high steeple cut down in 1936; church wired for electricity in 1949; glass block windows installed in basement in 1956 and upstairs in 1959.
Pastors who have served Ness:
O. K. Quamme, P. A. Thoreson, Henrik Voldal, A. E. Mithun, N. J. Vikingstad, Sigurd Olson, John Haaland, John Fagereng, Sigurd Sydness, H. J. Hanson, S. C. B. Knutson, Leslie Vanderpan, Howard Benson, Kenneth Roufs, Milton Olson, John Svendby and Norman Bowen.
The congregation at one time numbered 25 families and were affiliated with Union, Lund, Luverne, St. Petri and Blabon at various times to form a parish.
Due to changing conditions in the rural area the congregation voted to dissolve in 1968. A cemetery association was formed to maintain the church building and cemetery. The first burial was that of Mary Auren, age 4, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thor G. Auren, in March 1898.
A complete detailed history of the Ness Congregation will be filed with the Historical society. (Edward Johnson, Section Ness Cemetery Association.)
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 473