06/15/2026
Honoring our Heritage: Rev. Jon Almgren
Jon Richard Algren was born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 30, 1941, to Chester and Mildred Almgren. When he was a boy, the family moved to Iowa where he grew up. After graduating from high school, he attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, where he met his wife, Diane. They were married on August 20, 1966. After completing his undergraduate degree, he attended the School of Law at the University of lowa for a year before feeling led to move his career in a different direction. He entered the United Theological Seminary in New Brighton, Minnesota, to prepare for the ministry. There he earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in theology.
He started serving churches in 1967 and was ordained as a United Church of Christ pastor on June 25, 1968, in Hartley, lowa. He first came to Colorado to pastor in 1972 when he accepted the call to serve a church in Loveland. After serving there until 1976, he next pastored the Wellborn Community United Church of Christ in Kansas City, Kansas. He served there until 1981 when he returned to Colorado for good.
It was then that he became the pastor of the United Church of Broomfield and served there until 1997. He next served the First Congregational Church (UCC) in Eastlake until his health broke in 2003 The church experienced great growth under his tenure and was marked by the many young couples it added during his tenure. Jon had a strong belief that the churches should serve their communities especially the downtrodden. In fact, when he was in seminary, he wrote his thesis on churches and tax exemption, and in it, he expressed his strong conviction that if churches were to be exempt from taxes, they should be serving the needs of the community. He practiced what he preached and strongly advocated for churches to host such groups as Alcoholics Anonymous, Boy Scouts, and DeMolay in their facilities. He was active in the Kiwanis and Rotary and served on the boards of the House of the Carpenter, Shoes of the Fisherman FISH of Broomfield, and the Denver Inner City Parish.
One cause that was close to his heart was the CROP Walk. CROP Hunger Walks are community-wide events sponsored by Church World Service and organized by local congregations or groups to raise funds to end hunger at home and around the world. The first walk officially called the CROP Walk for the Hungry was held in York County, Pennsylvania, in 1970. Several other CROP Hunger Walks occurred soon after, and before long there were hundreds of walks held nationwide. One of those early walks was born of the efforts of Pastor Algren while he was serving in Kansas City. After coming to Broomfield in 1981, it wasn't long before he was instrumental in helping to organize one there as well.
After his health forced him to retire, he had time to pursue his intense interest in history, especially Western history. He was a member of the Denver Posse of the Denver Westerners, serving a term as posse sheriff. Rev. Jon Algren passed away on July 21, 2010, at the age of 68. He left behind his wife as well as their two daughters and their families. His Celebration of Life and Memorial Service was held on August 20, 2010, at the United Church of Broomfield. This date was chosen for the memorial because it marked the 44th wedding anniversary of Jon and Diane.
