A Rich History

Bethesda had its beginnings in 1897 as an orphanage in Lamberton, Minnesota. In 1905, it was moved to a site six miles north of Willmar where children were joined by elderly residents. This continued for 19 years when in 1939 it was decided to serve only elderly persons.

In 1953, a new nursing home, Bethesda Heritage Center, opened its doors in the city of Willmar. The “country home” was closed in 1979 when Pleasant View Nursing Home was constructed. At this time, the Bethesda Foundation was organized with the purpose of supporting the efforts of Bethesda.

Responding to the needs of the community, Terrace Homes, three duplex units, were constructed in 1986 and Sunrise Village Independent and Assisted Living in1992. In 1993, Bethesda began Home Health to bring health services to people in the comfort of their homes.

In 1996, Adult Day Services, a program designed to keep people independent in their communities, joined the Bethesda continuum of care, and Centennial Square, income based apartments, were built in 1997. In 2002, Bethesda expanded its services to Olivia (Renville County) when Park View Village, a 20-unit assisted living facility, opened its doors.

Bethesda is a Social Ministry Organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and is also supported by an ecumenical group of 25 area churches including Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Presbyterian and Methodist.

Always striving to meet the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of the individual, Bethesda continues to explore the changing needs of the senior community.