Lögberg-Heimskringla - 20.03.1992, Blaðsíða 3

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagiir '2Ö. mars 1992 •'3
lcelanders among Arizona
by Björn Björnson
Sno wbirds
Mesa, Arizona, is a most unlikely
place to be treated to vínarterta og
kaffi on a sunny day in February. It
happened to me, however, much to
my surprise and delight. My wife and
I were driving around observing the
hundreds and hundreds of rental
properties dedicated to the so-called
“snowbirds” who descend on Arizona
in the winter months. We number
ourselves among them for we traded
the snow drifts of Minnesota for the
sand dunes of Arizona for a couple of
months.
While driving around, we spotted
a parked car that sported the Ice-
landic emblem with its distinctive
“IS” on its rear bumper. The license
plate indicated that the car was
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Sendyourcopy in now (o our Editor-in-Chief,
Hulda Karen Daníelsdóttir
Lögberg-
Heimskringla
699 Carter Avenue, Winnipeg,
MB, Canada R3M 2C3
orphone (204) 284-5686
from Saskatchewan. Curiosity, coupled
perhaps with a bit of chauvinism,
prompted us to investigate if the
owner of the car was Icelandic and
thus rightfully displaying this Ice-
landic insignia. We left a note on the
windshield with our phone number
and a short time later were rewarded
with a call and an invitation to
“morgunkaffi” the next day.
There we met, for the first time,
Dr. and Mrs. Olafur Laxdal of
Saskátoon. They both looked much
too young to be counted among the
snowbirds of Arizona who are typi-
cally long-retired refugees from colder
climes. Dr. Laxdal, who is a
pediatrician, reported that he was
retired, however. His parents were
both born in Iceland and Dr. and
Mrs. Laxdal have visited the old
land. She is not Icelandic but her
vínarterta is as genuine as any you
will find in any Icelandic settlement.
It is rivaled by the vínarterta made
by my Swedish-bom wife.
Speaking of Minneota, which is
my birthplace, there is another
Minneota Icelander who, with his
wife, a Minnesota Swede, spends the
winter months in Mesa. He is Josef
Josefson, known to his friends as
“Big Joe”, since he is a strong six feet
six inches. Joe operated the family
farm near Minneota and was for
more than 20 years a member of the
Minnesota Senate. His parents, Jóhann
and Guðný (Hofteig) Josefson were
both born in Iceland and Joe still
speaks the mother tongue.
There is another Icelander with a
Minneota background who has a
home in Tucson, Arizona. He is
Robert Gislason, a retired attorney,
whose parents were Judge Árni
Gíslason, a native of Iceland who was
a district judge in Minnesota, and
Dr. Solveig Gislason, a medical
doctor, who was a Thordarson, born
in North Dakota.
The moral of this tale is simply
this: there is no getting away from
Icelanders.
Farming
Number of farms 1989: 4,200
Livestock (in thousands) 1989 1990
Sheep 561 545
Poultry 232 235
Cattle 73 74
Horses 69 68
Pigs 3 3
Prelim.
1989 1990
Total milk production (tons) 112,323 119,721
Milk processed in dairies (tons) 105,793 110,221
Number of dairies (end of year) 17 17
Mutton and lamb production (tons) 11,558 10,709
SCHOLARSHIP OFFERED
The Ministry of Education in lceland
The Ministry of Education in Iceland invites students of
Icelandic descent to apply for a 400.000 krónur scholarship to study
Icelandic language and literature at the University of Iceland during
the 1992-1993 school year.
The chosen candidate must arrive in Reykjavík, Iceland, no
laterthan lst of September, 1992.
Deadline for applications is May 5th, 1992.
For further information, and to apply, please write to:
The lcelandic National League,
699 Carter Avenue, Winnipeg, MB Canada R3M 2C3
Telephone: 204 - 284-5686
Obituary
FAMILYl funeral
COUNSELLORS
Choices. . .
How will you make the choice that is right
íor you and your family?
Ask us.
949-2200
Alida Marie (Ida Isford) Eyolfson
(nee Deslauriers)
On March 4,1992, with famiiy
at her side, AJida Marie (Ida)
Eyolfson passed away at the age
of 84 years.
Ida was bom October 3,1907
in St. Francois .
Xavier, Manitoba.
She moved to
Alonzo when she
wasfiveyearsold.
AJida (Ida) mar-
riedandmovedto
Winnipeginl926.
Ida was pre-
deceased by her
first loving hus-
band, the former
Thomas Henry
Isford.onjanuary
11, 1972 and son
Edwin Isford in
December 1974.
She leaves to cherish her
memory four sons and two step-
sons, George and Hazel Isford
of Toronto, Arnold and Jenny
Isford of California, OJiver and
Maria Isford of Brítish Colum-
bia, Fred and Rosemarie Isford
of Winnipeg, Glen and Jane
Eyolfson of Scotland, and Derek
Eyolfson and former
Heather of Winnipeg; 15 grand-
children, 15 great-grandchild-
ren, broíhers-in-law, Allan and
EveJyn, Laurence and UUian and
sisters-in-law
Herdis Maddin
and Ninna Eyolf-
son.
Ida was a faith-
ful member of the
First Lutheran
Chyrch, and active
and devoted
worker in the
F.L.C.W. Ida also
worked in her
home as a coutu-
rier designer. She
is survived by her
beloved and de-
voted husband Ronald Eyoifson
whom $he married in October 11,
1974.
Pastor Ingthor Isfeld officiated
at the first Lutheran Church
service on March 6, 1992. Intern-
inent was in Chapel Lawn. Dona-
tions may be made in her meraory
to the First Lutheran Church
Memorial Fund.