Lögberg-Heimskringla - 14.10.1988, Qupperneq 1

Lögberg
Heimskringla
LÖGBERG Stofnað 14. janúar 1888
HEIMSKRINGLA Stofnað 9. september 1886
100. ÁRGANGUR LÖGBERG CENTENNIAL YEAR, FÖSTUDAGUR 14. OCKTOBÉR 1988 NÚMER 34
Kristjánson descendants
Ethel Sigmar came home this
weekend to 220 of her closest friends
and relatives according to the Grand
Forks Herald. They are the descen-
dants of Kristján G. Kristjánsson, a
founding father of the Icelandic set-
tlement in Pembina County 15 miles
West and South of Cavalier, North
Dakota.
The Herald goes on to say, '1 At 72
Ethel Sigmar of Seattle is the oldest
direct descendant of K. G. and Svan-
friður Kristjánsson to make the trip
back this year. Only one other
descendant is older. Like her cousins
with white blond hair and blue eyes,
Ethel Sigmar is a picture of the
Icelandic family." "She is the oldest
and prettiest," said Lára Kristjánsson
Stanton, a cousin.
On page 350 of the Vesturfaraskrá,
the records show Krisján Kristjáns-
son, farmer, age 27, from Ytra Lóni
left Seyðisfjörð on the Queen in 1878,
accompanying him was his wife
Svanfríður Jónsdódttir, age 20.
The following is a translation from
the 1921 issue of Ólafur Thorgeirs-
son’s Almanak. The author's pen
name is Þorskabít.
Kristján G. Kristjánsson, son of
Kristján Þorsteinsson from Stakkah-
löðum in Eyjafjörð and Guðrún
Sigurðardóttir. He was born June 7th,
1850 at Úlfstöðum in Skagafjörð. His
wife was born Oct. 17th, 1855 at Ytri
Brekkum Lánganessi.
Kristján moved to Canada in 1878
and settled in New Iceland, at the
Icelandic River or present day River-
ton. In the spring of 1879 the settlers
were rushing to leave for North
Dakota at the urging of Rev. Páll
þorláksson. Kristján and families, Jón
Eymundsson and wife, also Sigurður
Jónsson with a wife and one child.
Kristján described the trip with the-
following words.
"This small group commenced the
journey from the Icelandic River,
March 16th, 1879 on foot with one
ox in front of a carriage. As is readi-
ly understood, this trip was slow and
tiresome. The weather at this time of
the year has high precipitation and
cold temperatures, no roads, and
widely scattered snowbanks and
mud. The children often had to be
carried long distances, wading
through mud and water. Nowhere
was food or shelter to be had. The
group arrived at Pembina on March
30th. We had been 16 days on the
trip and travelled the route which
can be made in a matter of hours by
rail.”
The reason these people left so ear-
ly in the season was because Kristján
had gone with Rev. Pall, during the
winter in December, South to Pem-
bina. Kristján had been so impressed
with the land in the area, that he
decided there and then to move to
this district as soon as possible, even
earlier than was considered feasible
to travel. The idea was to get there
early and have a better opportunity
to find good land.
Immediately they arrived at Pem-
bina the three of them settled on land
side by side in the area called á Öl-
dunni or on the Undulations, near
Árni Björnsson. After four years
Kristján moved to Mountain with his
family and has lived there since.
(This would be about 1921). Their
children at the time were Jón,
Icelandic horse syndicate
The Horse of Iceland is indeed a
sturdy steed as evidenced by the
many stories of this faithful animal
as recorded in the annals of Iceland's
story over the centuries. The horse
came with the settlers to Iceland over
1000 years ago and has been in iso-
lation from the rest of the world all
during those years. It is therefore
considered safe to say the horse of
Iceland is really a horse of the Vik-
ing Age.
All through the history of Iceland
this animal played a key role in the
history of Iceland as the main means
of communication and transportation
over the rugged tundra that is Iceland
as we see it today little changed over
the centuries. The horse has been
featured in the literature and poetry
of Iceland over the centuries, always
with praise and affection.
When our people were leaving
Iceland more than a hundred years
ago they were often accompanied by
this faithful beast as live cargo in the
holds of the ships heading for En-
gland. When they landed in Scotland
or England they parted company, our
people crossed over to the Atlantic
ports to embark for Canada while
this honourable beast of burden the
horse of Iceland departed for the Coal
Mines of the Midlands, to be taken
underground and never to see day-
light again. It was at this juncture in
time that many Western Icelanders
parted company with the Icelandic
horse never to see him again.
It is now more than a hundred
years later and we here in the west
are becoming conscious of this histor-
ical animal who played a key role in
the history of Iceland for over a thou-
sand years. This time he is being
treated with admiration and the
respect he deserves. He has made it
to the top levels of world equestrian
circles. He also enjoys attention in
Canada where several horse farms
feature him as a drawing card.
Our people came here in 1875 and
now in 1989 he will follow 114 years
later hopefully to join us at the lOOth
anniversary of the Icelandic Festival
of Manitoba in 1989.
We have been advised that two
young Western Icelanders are con-
templating the importation of up to
twelve Icelandic horses for the lOOth
Anniversary of the Icelandic Festival
during 1989. Brott Arnason and Jo-
hann Sigurdson advise that with the
support of the Icelandic Festival
Committee they are organizing a syn-
dicate. Horses may be bought out-
right or a shared ownership can be
arranged by joining the Syndicate. At
a recent meeting in the Scandinavi-
an Centre the organizers report good
attendance and lively interest.
Information can be obtained by
phoning Brott Arnason at 888-0700.
in N.D.
Ethel Kristjanson Sigmar
Hannes and Valdimar, all married
and living near Wynyard, Sask.
Sigurbjörn and Kristján married and
farming near Mountain, Soffia mar-
ried to Thómas Thmasson in Edin-
burgh, N.D., and Rósa, Jóhann, and
Kristbjörg a school teacher, also there
were three sons who died young, two
of whom were named Tryggvi and
Sigurjón.
Kristján and Svanfríður are affable,
great and well appreciated in their
district. One of the most influential
persons in the district describes them
as follows, "The home of this couple
is one of the many leading homes in
the district. They have many gifted
children. Kristján is a good farmer, a
top citizen, dependable, faithful, and
trustworthy. He is, and has been,
among the foremost Icelandic farm-
er in North Dakota."
He died in 1953 at the age of 102
and his wife passed away six weeks
later.
The Grand Forks Herald says,
"The K.G. Kristjanson Family Histo-
ry was published this year. It is a
bound hardcover book put together
by 11 descendants. It includes
poetry, biographies, stories about
K.G. Kristjanson, reprinted from
newspapers in the United States and
Iceland, history of branches of the fa-
mily tree as well as written memories
of the family patriarch.
In reading about Kristján Kristjáns-
son, brief as the foregoing material is,
reveals the story of a man and wom-
Continued on Page 3