Welcome Home!

Oh, my heart sings today, sings for joy and gladness. Jesus saves, satisfies, takes away my sadness. Guilt is gone, peace is mine, peace like to a river. Jesus is wonderful, mighty to deliver.

CHORUS

Wonderful, wonderful, Jesus is to me! Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God is He! Saving me, keeping me from all sin and shame, wonderful is my Redeemer, praise His name!

Once a slave, now I’m free, free from condemnation. Jesus gives liberty and a full salvation. Now the sins of the past have been all forgiven, and my name is inscribed in the book of heaven.

Living here with my Lord in a holy union, day by day, all the way, holding sweet communion; oh, what change grace hath wrought in my lowly station since my soul has received full and free salvation!

Haldor was born to Paulsen and Anna Lillenas in Stord, Shore Island, Norway, on November 19, 1885. His father sold their 15 acres in order to have money to buy farmland in Colton, SD, and build a house when he immigrated to America. Not long after his father immigrated, he went back to Norway to bring his family.  Haldor was lonely and befriended a nice, elderly lady who taught him the English language, how to read using the Bible, helped him learn Bible verses, and how to write. It was during these lessons that Haldor accepted Christ and soon after, he began going to his elderly friend's Lutheran church. At the age of 15, he joined the Lutheran church. In 1900, the family moved away to Roseville, MN, and attended the Lutheran Church there. Haldor worked as a farmhand and attended the Lutheran High School. By the age of 19, he had already sold several songs. After the death of his mother in 1906, his father and siblings moved back to South Dakota. Haldor moved to Astoria, OR, to finish a chemical correspondence course that he had begun. After his course was finished, he moved to Portland, OR. He began working at a local mission for the homeless and needy; the mission paid for most of Haldor's expenses. Soon after he began working at the mission, he was appointed to be the director. He joined the Salvation Army's vocal group and held street revivals. Haldor befriended a wealthy pastor who donated money to Haldor so that he could go to ministerial school.  He attended Deets Pacific Bible College in Los Angeles, and worked as a music director at a local church.  He met and married Bertha Mae Wilson. Haldor and Bertha had 2 children.  They became elders in the Church of the Nazarene. The couple moved to Chicago, IL. and he studied music at Siegel-Meyers School of Music at Chicago. He wrote several Christmas and Easter cantatas. He and Bertha traveled as evangelists for the Church of the Nazarene. Haldor pastored 2 Nazarene churches: one in Redford, CA, and the other in Indianapolis, IN. In 1924, he opened the Lillenas Publishing Company. Lillenas Publishing Company published 700,000 hymnals, 50 hymnals of which were mainly his songs. Haldor became the editor at the company and retired in 1950. After his retirement, he became an advisor to the editor. In 1941, Haldor received an honorary doctorate from Olivet Nazarene University. In 1945, Bertha died of cancer. A few months later he married Lola Dell.  Haldor bought an estate in Ozark, MO, on a street named "Melody Lane".  In 1955, Haldor sold the property in order to move to Pasadena, CA.  During Haldor’s retirement, he wrote and published 3 books. Haldor and Lola made several trips to Norway.  In 1955, they took a vacation tour to Israel. The couple met a Greek Palestinian family and sponsored them after they immigrated to America, and even stayed with the Lillenas' in Pasadena for a time.  The father abandoned his wife and sons and migrated back to Jordan.  The Lillenas’ made sure that the family had everything they needed, and were able to remain in the US.  Later it became known that the father of the family, Sirhan Sirhan, was convicted of killing Robert F. Kennedy.  Haldor wrote over 4000 songs and died on August 18, 1959 in Aspen, CO., and is buried in Kansas City, MO.