Introduction

Biography

August was the son of Au­gust Wil­helm Kjel­strand and Cath­ar­ine He­le­na Gun­nas­son (or Gun­nars­dot­ter), and hus­band of Lau­ra Ele­ono­ra An­der­son (mar­ried July 11, 1900, Brock­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts.

Hiss fa­mi­ly emi­grat­ed to Am­eri­ca when he was six years old.

He was edu­cat­ed at Au­gus­ta­na Col­lege, Rock Is­land, Il­li­nois (gra­du­at­ed 1885).

He served as an or­gan­ist and school teach­er in Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois, be­fore join­ing the fa­cul­ty of Beth­any Col­lege, Linds­borg, Kan­sas, in 1886 as a La­tin teach­er. He be­came dean of the La­tin De­part­ment there in 1893, stay­ing un­til 1897, when he gra­du­at­ed from Au­gus­ta­na Theo­lo­gic­al Se­mi­na­ry.

He went to a pas­tor­ate in Fitch­burg, Mas­sa­chu­setts, then was pas­tor for three years at Glo­ria Dei Lu­ther­an Church in Pro­vi­dence, Rhode Is­land.

In 1906, he went to Au­gus­ta­na Col­lege and Aca­de­my, be­com­ing aca­de­my prin­ci­pal in 1923. He was also pas­tor of Grace Lu­ther­an Church, Da­ven­port, Io­wa (1908–21).