Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.11.1991, Blaðsíða 2

2 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 1. nóv.ember 1991
I never would have believed it
by Hulda Karen Daníelsdóttir
“I never would have believed it, had
I been told when I was a teenager that
I would one day become the President
of the Icelandic National League,” says
Evelyn Kristín Thorvaldson, the first
woman ever to be elected to that posi-
tion since the founding of the organiza-
tionin 1919. “I usedtodrivemy mamma
and my amma to the INL conventions
and I couldn’t imagine anything more
boring than those gatherings.” Evelyn
smiles and adds: “ Yet, I wish they
could see me now, especially my amma,
she would have been so proud of me.”
When Evelyn smiles her whole
face lights up, especially the eyes.
She is a very organized person
and she radiates both strength
and eneigy—yet, at the same
time, she seems not beyond
mischief. This combination of
personality traits is rare, but it
serves Evelyn well.
On the one hand, due to her own
commitment and dedication to what-
ever cause she takes on, she has high
expectations of her fellow workers,
which she makes quite explicit. At INL
executive meetings she keeps the mem-
bers on topic and gets the job done. In
the absence of an executive secretary,
she has taken on that job, in addition to
her presidential duties.
On the other hand, however, she
can be the life of the party, singing and
playing the piano until the early hours
ofthe moming, asshe did at the Innisfail
INL convention in 1988, or have the
time of her life running races at events
such as the Markerville íslendingamót.
Consequently, the mantle of leadership
sits well on Evelyn Kristín Thorvaldson.
Evelyn was bom in Winnipeg and lived
there until she was six years old, when her
father passed away. Her mother, Ingibjorg
Palsson, then moved with her two chil-
dren, Evelyn and Paul, to Lundar, Mani-
toba, where her parents, Hjörtur and
Kristín Palsson, lived. “My father, Joseph
Ganton, was Irish and my first language
was English, but it was amma who made
me all Icelandic,”
Evelyn says.
In Wagons to
Wings—History of
Lundar and Districts
1872-1980 , the fol-
lowing story of
Evelyn’s grand parents
is told:
“Jóhann Hjörtur
Pálsson was born at
Norður Reykir in
Hólasveit...In 1897
Hjörtur came to Win-
nipeg with his mother
and youngest brother
Kristján and three
years laterhe returncd
to Iceland.Hc stayed
there for one year be-
fore retuming with his future bride Kristín
Þorsteinsdóttir, from Húsafell in
Borgarfjarðarsýsla. Kristín had eloped
from her home at Húsafell as her family
did not accept Hjörturfor her suitor. They
travelled on horseback to the north of
Icelan d in a very cleverly planned ard uous
journey. The sailed from Akureyri and
were aboard ship and heading across the
Atlantic for Canada before Kristín’s fam-
ily was aware of what was taking place.
This story is history in Iceland and is told
with mixed feelings by Kristín ’s kinfolk. ”
“Amma and afi had eleven children
and I would say to her: Amma mín, did
you really elope with afi? And amma!
you have been pregnant for 99 months of
your life. She would just sigh and say,
‘Æ, já Evelýna mín svona er nú lífið.’
(Well, Evelyn, dear, such is life). S'he
didn’t want to make a fuss over her life,
although I thought it had been very excit-
ing,” Evelyn says. “For quite some time
now, I have been planning to write a
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out Canada and the U.S., news from lceland, and many other items
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Thorvaldson, originally from Oak Point,
Manitoba.Theyhavetwo children, Signy
and Paul. Signy and her father are both
taking Icelandic lessons at the
Scandinavian Centre in Winnipeg. ‘Tm
very proud of them,” Evelyn says.
“Gordon never used to be particularly
interested in things Icelandic, but now
he’s in up over his head, and I never
really expected that my children would
take such interest.”
Gordon is the vice-
president and the
treasurer of Lögberg-
Heimskringla Inc.. He
has devoted many
hours of his time at-
tending to the paper’s
administrative side
and can be credited
with how well
Lögberg-Heims-
kringla is now being
run.
Evelyn and Gordon
have often visited Ice-
land, and last July they
attended a family re-
union, or “ættarmót”
at Húsafell, where the
descendants, including Evelyn, of the
famous Snorri Björnsson, an 18th cen-
tury priest and poet, were gathered.
Evelyn has been active in a number of
Icelandic oiganizations. In 1970, while
livingin Montreal, sheorganized an Ice-
landic club in the area. “I wrote to
Haraldur Bessason, the former Head of
the Icelandic Department at the Univer-
sity of Manitoba, and asked him how I
should go about founding an Icelandic
club. He wrote back with the suggestion
I bake a vínarterta, some pönnukökur
and then simply invite some Icelanders
Losbera.Heimsskríiisla ■
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The Hjörtur and Kristín Palsson family.
book about her, I just have to find time to
do it. She was the one closest to me when
I was growing up, and she taught me
Icelandic and some very good values. I
had a bit of a temper and when I was
angry at someone, she would say,
‘Evelýnamín, ifsomeonehurtsyou, make
sure you do at least two good deeds
towards that person.’ My amma was very
wise. And throughout my life I have
tried, and still am trying, to live accord-
ing to her philosophy of life.”
Evelyn is married to Gordon Helgi
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