Lögberg-Heimskringla - 19.04.1991, Side 7

Lögberg-Heimskringlá. • Föstudagur .19. apríl 1991 • 7
®y Stefania Morria
Every ancient civilization seems to
have had their myths, fairies, supersti-
tions and inexplainable things, and even
today people cling to some of the old
beliefs and unexplainable things that
happen all around us.
My father-in-law told me that when
he was a boy in England his father took
sick and was taken to the hospital. All
the family heard a rat a tat on the door
and they raced to open it, but there was
nobody there. Later a messenger came
and told them the father had died.
Death had come at the exact time they
heard the knock at the door.
During the war many mothers knew
when their son was killed.
When I went to Iceland one of the
first things the travel guide showed us
was a stretch of land with a mound, the
home of the fairies. He said nobody
would dream of building or disturbing
that piece of land.
My friend Audrey and her husband
bought an older house, but not until
later did they know that they also got
old Henry’s ghost. Every evening at a
certain time they could hear old Henry
rocking in his chair. They never felt any
fear of Henry, in fact, for years the
rocking went on and had a soothing
effect on the family as they sat in the
The Ministry of Education in lceiand
The Ministry of Educatíon in iceiand invites students of icelandic
descent to appiy for a 400.000 krónur scholarship to study lcelandic
language and literature at the University of lceland during the 1991-
1992 school year.
The chosen candidate must arrive in Reykjavík, lceland, no later
than the lst of September, 1991.
Forfurther information, andto apply, please wríte to: The lcelandic
National League, 308-393 FortageAve., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
ICELAND
PRESENTED BY:
íÍdersen/Nordic Charters
FROM VANCOUVER:.............$1069.00
Departs July 05, return July 26
FROM CALGARY:.................$999.00
Departs July 05, return July 26
FROM WINNIPEG VIA TORONTO: $999.00
Departs July 04 & August 01,
Returns July 17 & Aug. 14
FROM TORONTO:.....................$839.00
Departs July 04 & August 01,
Returns July 17 & Aug. 14
Canadian & Icelandic Taxes...........$65.00
Somc Restrictions Apply For Information Only, Call
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL YOUR TRAVEL AGENT
evening by the fire.
Many unexplainable things happen
when people need help. My husband’s
aging parents had to leave their house
and go into a senior citizen home. As
they were leaving, they remembered
the dog and turned back, but just then
the former owner drove up and now
that he had a place he could keep the
dog.
My Icelandic friends went camping,
but when they were going to put up the
umbrella tent found they had forgotten
the pole. Another camper near by just
happened to have an extra pole in his
car.
My family. and I motored to
Yellowstone park, and as I noticed
signs advertising Rainbow trout I said
how I would love to have some. When
we stopped at a picnic spot my husband
and children went to find a place they
could buy milk and other necessary
things while I prepared the meal and
set the table. A lady from the next table
came over and asked whether I could
use some Rainbow trout as they had
caught more than they could use. When
my family returned to find a beautiful
dinner of fried Rainbow trout they
wondered what magic wand I had
waved.
Who tells the Bluebottle fly that
you are taking lunch out to the field
and that you have meat sandwiches?
And who tells the seagull that you
just planted peas in your garden?
Once my husband outsmarted them
by dipping the peas in oil. There are
many mysteries in life that are
unsolved, but it is the mysteries
which make life so exciting.
Letter to the editor
Dear editor,
I have hadaninterestin the Lögberg-
Heimskringla for a long time, but it
took a free copy for me to get around to
subscribing to it.
My folks subscribe to the Icelandic
papers when they were two separate
entities. My dad in particular was an
avid reader. Even after a hard days
work he always wanted to read some-
thing.
As his eyesight dimmed a little, he
would take the coal-oil lamp, put it on
the table, and put the paper around the
lamp so he could see better (the papers
were much bigger in those days). Mother
would usually have my younger sister
or me watch to catch the paper in case
he dozed off, as sometimes happened,
so as not to cause a fire.
I have certainly been enjoying the
paper. I had been getting it for a while
when my brother, Dr. Baldur
Stefansson, had his write-up appear.
I was pleased to see that his speech
seemed to be quoted completely. Of
course that paper and the next one
with his picture with our former teacher,
Evelyn Eyolfson, is being saved and
shown to my children and close friends
with great pride.
I have also been pleased to read
some of Stefania Morris’ writings as
she was our neighbour at Vestfold,
Manitoba. In fact her brother was one
of my classmates at school.
In the last issue I enjoyed “alias Doc
and Toots”. I got my first glasses from
Dr. Pálson when I was eighteen. He
can’t have been an eye specialist, but
his diagnosis has been confirmed by
specialists. He also delivered my first
child, David Hicks, on January 1,1943,
in the old Eriksdale Hospital.
Keep up the good work.
Yours truly,
Lilja B. Stefansson
Obituary
Gwen (Gudny)
Peterson
Peacefully and gently, after a lengthy
illness, Gwen (Gudny) Peterson of Betel
Home in Gimli passed away April 6,
1991, beloved mother of Helga Malis.
Gwen was born in Gimli October
29,1908 to Júlíus Jóhann Sólmundsson,
bom in Reykjavík, Iceland on July 31,
1883 and Helga Jónatansdóttir, bom
July 15,1881 in Höfðaströnd, Skagafirði,
Iceland. Most of her life was spent in
Gimli wilh the exception of her winter
excursions to visit with Helga and family
in various parts of Canada.
Gwen, a residentat Landmark and a
member of New Horizons in Gimli since
1974, moved to Betel Home in 1983.
She was predeceased by her parents
in 1940 and her brothers Oscar in 1945
and Franz in 1990.
Formerly married to Gudmundur
Peterson of Gimli, Gwen is survived by
her loving daughter Helga; her six
grandchildren; Denise (SJiaun) of
Boston, Vivian (Garry) of Winnipeg,
Blair (Susan) of Ottawa, Maureen of
Berlin, John of Ottawa, and Marilyn
(Gordon) of Toronto.
Gwen leaves to cherish her memory
her two sisters Lara Tergesen and Bara
Solmundson, whom she loved very
much. Gwen had three great grand-
daughters; Sarah, Stephanie and
Mekkin who will keep the spirit of their
Big Amma alive for many years. She
will be missed by her maný nieces,
nephews and cousins in Gimli, Winni-
peg, and elsewhere in Canada.
Gwen’s family would like to thank
the staff at Betel for the care and the
kindness and respect shown to Gwen
in the last weeks of her life.
An Interment Service was held on
Tuesday, April 9, 1991 at 1:00 P.M., in
the Gimli Cemetery, with The Rev.
George Johnson officiating, followed
by a family Memorial Service. Crema-
tion has taken place.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be
sent to the Betel Home, Gimli, Mani-
toba.