Lögberg-Heimskringla - 22.05.1992, Blaðsíða 6

6 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 22. maí 1'992
lcelandic-Americans
to receive
UND Alumni
Association’s
highest honor
Thordur "Tut” Asmundson
Leonard Asmundson
The University of North Dakota
Alumni Association will present its
highest honor, the Sioux Award, to
Icelandic-American brothers, Leonard
Asmundson, M.D., and Thordur
“Tut” Asmundson, as part of the
1992 Alumni Days celebration May
20-22.
The two brothers were born to
Icelandic parents Bjorn and Anna
Asmundson in Upham, N.D. Thordur
“Tut” Asmundson, a lawyer, has had
a long career in public and com-
munity service, and is a senior
partner with Asmundson, Rhea and
Atwood in Bellingham, Washington.
Leonard Asmundson, M.D., has
been a prominent physician in
Enumclaw, Washington, for more
than 40 years.
Thordur Asmundson graduated
from the University of North Dakota
in Grand Forks in 1929 with a bachelor
of arts degree and in 1931 with a juris
doctor degree in law.
He practiced in Bottineau, N.D.,
before moving to Washington in 1932
where he became legal advisor and
administrative law judge for the State
of Washington Social Security
Department. He returned to private
practice in June 1944 in Bellingham.
He was U.S. Commissioner from
1946 to 1950, a municipal judge from
1950 to 1954, and Commissioner, Port
of Bellingham, from 1955 to 1990.
Thordur Asmundson has been a
member of the Bellingham Central
Lions Club for 48 years, eaming sev-
eral awards, and also served as a
nursing home trustee and secretary of
the board of the Icelandic Home
“Stafholt,” in Blaine, Washington.
He was named “Citizen of the Year”
by the Whatcom County Board of
Realtors; and received a 50-year
certificate of service from the Wash-
ington State Bar Association in 1990.
He and his late wife, Esther, traveled
extensively in the United States,
Canada, and Mexico, and made
several trips overseas. He lives in
Bellingham.
Leonard Asmundson, M.D., was
instrumental in building the Com-
munity Memorial Hospital in
Enumclaw, Washington. He is de-
scribed by his colleagues as “a
physician and friend who shaped the
community.”
Heentered UND in 1922, andgradu-
ated with a bachelor of arts degree in
1928 and a bachelor of science degree
in medicine in 1929.
He continued his education at
Northwestern University, Evanston,
Illinois, where he received his
medical degree. In July 1932, he
became an intern at Seattle’s
Harborview Hospital.
He first practiced in Randle, Wash-
ington, and in nearby Morton, where
he was the only physician in a 50-mile
radius during World War II.
A new hospital was being built in
Enumclaw, and Dr. Asmundson was
invited by his friend from internship
days, Dr. Gordon Adams, to join
the staff.
Asmundson and his wife, Wema,
moved their family to Enumclaw, and
he worked to raise funds and donated
land for the hospital’s use. He per-
formed the first surgery at Com-
munity Memorial Hospital, and now
the surgery center there bears his
name.
Wema has since passed away, but
Dr. Asmundson still resides in
Enumclaw.
Two others will also be presented
with the Sioux Award during Alumni
Days. They are: Mary Ann (Larsen)
Keller, R.N., and Gayle (Kielty
Kenville) Clifford, both of Grand
Forks.
These distinguished alumni will be
honored at the Sioux Awards Banquet
Thursday, May 21, at the Westward
Ho Motel in Grand Forks.
MESSUBOÐ
Fyrsta Lúterska
Kirkja
Pastor Ingthor I. Isfeld
1030 a.m. The Service followed by
Sunday School & CoíTee hour.
First Lutheran Church
580 Victor St., Winnipeg, MB
Plight of lcelandic Americans as an
Unpersecuted, Un-Scorned Minority
is lamented by Harry Reasoner
The followingairedFebruary8,1971, “Joe $ays Icelanders
on the Amerícan Information Radio have nothing at all going
Network’s “The Reasoner Report.” for them. His relatives all
. have decent, good jobs and
live ratherfull, happy lives;
‘There are not as many Ice- but all this talk on the air and in the
landers in America as there are, papers about racial unrest makes
say, Italians or Jews, Poles or them feel a líttle left out
Germans , . , which is why their “After alJ, this little island has
pligh t can be serio us. Although they given the world some important fírsts.
must be here by the thousands, I Iceland created the first Parliament
knowoniyonelcelanderandheisa in the world in the year 930 A.D.
writer at ABC. His name is Joe, Icelanders are 100 per cent literate.
which, right there, is part of the Their language is the puresí of all
whole prohlem. Althqugh he has Germanicianguagesandhaschanged
the correct features, Joe has to go so little in ínflectíon and spelhng
around telHng people he’s an Ice- thatlcelandershavenotroubleread-
Iander by heritage; but nobody seems ing their own ancient history.
to care. We haven’t even given the “They’re peaceful people, which
Iceíander a derogatory nickname. probably accounts for the fact that
He does not, indeed can not, claim their average life expeetancy ís 69
persecution. He has never been yearsformenand72yearsforwomen.
black-balled from any society be- "Butín America these people live
cause of his race, color or creed. in a never-ending winter of discon-
Icelandershaveneverbeendepicted tent. You can have things go per-
as the villains in crime stories on fectly right for only so long. Then
television.Theyaresofewinnumber after a couple of centuries if you find
that there aren’t enough of them to nobodyhatesyou—orworse,you’re
march on anything .., even if they left to live your own life — you feel a
could think of something to march little left out... díscríminated against.
about. “If you should run across an Ice-
“Joe once thought the Irish were landic-American some day, realize
too privileged in having a green his problem. Discuss it with him.
stripe down Fifth Avenue on St. Comforthimwithsomekindofslan-
Patrick’s Day. He fígured that one der, no matter how small.
day a year it should fae white — in “He’s a tragic figure. All he can
honor of Iceland. His crusade was really do on Icelandic Independence
short-lived. The line down Fifth Ðayisgohomeanddefrosthisrefrig-
Avenue is white all the rest of thc erator.”
R3G 1R2
Ph. 772-7444
Icelanbic National league
©rganizeb 1918 Incorporatrb 1930
ipport Icelandic Culture and Heritage
Join your local chapter, or write to:
The lcelandic National League
699 Carter Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3M 2C3
Telephone: (204) 284-3402