Upon surveying the crowd gathered at Six Mile Grove Lutheran Church Saturday, member Diane Sampson declared the turnout a success.

“We sent out probably 500 invitations,” she said.

The rural Lyle church marked 150 years Saturday and Sunday with worship, food, entertainment, horse-drawn wagon and antique car rides, a tee-pee and a cemetery walk depicting the church’s founding members.

Sampson said descendants of the church’s first members gathered history about their ancestors and gave presentations in front of five family graves: Martin Hanson, Thov Olson, Torgus Olson, Thrond Richardson and Ole Sampson.

“The know of the history,” Sampson, whose great-granddaughter is the eighth generation to attend Six Mile Grove.

Services were first held in the 1800s underneath a big elm tree, which became the theme for the sesquicentennial celebration.

The church has nearly 100 members. Lydia Mittag has served as pastor since 2001.

Six Mile Grove Lutheran Church is located 3.5 miles east of U.S. Highway 218 on Mower County Road 6 and one-half mile south on 585th Avenue, then one-half mile west on 105th Street.