Lögberg-Heimskringla - 27.11.1992, Page 7

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 27. nóvember 1992 • 7
Surpríse Identification!
By Nelson
Gerrard
An important
early photo-
graph, almost
100 years old, was
identifíed recently as a
result of being pub-
lished in the 1993 INL Icelandic
Heritage Calendar.
The picture, which is featured for
the month of July, 1993, was unidenti-
fied at the time it was selected and pub-
lished in the calendar. Owned by Mrs.
Violet S. Nelson of Edinburg, North
Dakota, and originally taken in the
Winnipeg photographic studio of
Baldwin & Blondal around 1897, it
was selected because of its natural
appeal and suitability to the 1993
theme, ‘Children of the Pioneers’. The
photo shows a brother and two sisters,
all dressed like royalty and posed in a
lavishly fumished setting.
Identification came on November
9th from Brian Jakobson of Winnipeg,
who recognized the three children as
his mother’s older brother and sisters.
Mr. Jakobson’s mother, Halldora (Mrs.
Steindór Jakobsson of Winnipeg), was
bom in 1900, shortly after this picture
was taken, the daughter of Lárus
Guðmundsson Goodman and his sec-
ond wife, Ingibjörg Guðmundsdóttir,
who emigrated from Grundir in
Bolungarvík, Westem Iceland, in the
year 1887 and first settled in Winnipeg.
OBITUARY:
The children shown on the picture are
this couple’s three oldest children,
Guðmundur Lárusson (b.1883), later of
Winnipeg and Toronto; Anna Ingibjörg
Lárusdóttir (b.1884), who became the
wife of Sveinn Kristjánson of Elfros,
Saskatchewan; and in the centre, Lára,
who became thc intemationally known
writer Laura Goodman Salverson —
author of such well-known books as
The Viking Heart and Confessions of
an Immigrant’s Daughter.
Children of all three are
currently members of the
Icelandic Canadian Club of
Toronto and Vatnabyggð
Chapter of Saskatchewan.
A half-brother to the chil-
dren shown was Hjörtur
Lárusson, a musician in
Minneapolis.
Lárus Guðmundsson,
father of the children, after
working in Winnipeg for
several years, developed an
acute case of ‘wander lust’,
and the family moved fre-
quently after the tum of the
century, living in such loca-
tions as North Dakota;
Duluth, Minnesota; and
Bukatana, Mississippi.
Lárus also lived in Arborg
for many years, plying the
hamess maker’s trade. He
was a brother to Ólína Erlendsson of
Geysir and Arborg, while his wife
Ingibjörg was a sister to Jakob Guð-
mundsson, a pioneer at Arborg — for
whom the so-called ‘Jakob Line’ is
named. The connection of this family
with the family which owned the photo
is not clear, but it is possible that they
knew each other in Iceland or in North
Dakota.
Further identifications and informa-
tion are welcome and should be direct-
ed to the INL historian, Nelson
Gerrard, at the address or phone num-
ber included on the calendar.
The INL Heritage Calendar is evi-
dently becoming a popular collector’s
item as well as a practical daily
reminder of our heritage. Requests are
still being received for the 1992 calen-
dar, a few copies of which have been
made available at the Icelandic
National League Office at 699 Carter
Avenue in Winnipeg, R3M 2C3 (ph. 1-
204-284-3402). Those wanting copies
of the 1992 or 1993 calendars, for
themselves or as Christmas gifts,
should contact the INL at the above
address or get in touch with their local
chapter ofthe INL.
Rognvald (Roy) Haugen
A private family service was held for
Dr. Rognvald (Roy) Haugen following
his death Aug. 12th at the Vernon
Jubilee Hospital. He was 85 years of
age. Dr. Haugen retired from his prac-
tice in 1971 after a lifetime practice in
Armstrong B.C. where he resided with
his wife Edna.
The service was conducted by Rev.
Ted. Roworth and attended by the
immediate family and a few close
friends.
Roy was bom in Norway. He attend-
ud the University of Manitoba graduat-
ing with honours in medicine during
1934. After graduation he interned at
the Vancouver General Hospital and
Port William, Ontario. He practised
hiedicine for short terms at Tranquille
and Alexis Creek followed by two years
in Enderby, B.C. during 1937-39.
In 1937 Roy married Edna
Magnuson of Winnipeg and Arborg,
Manitoba, at Kamloops, British
Columbia.
They moved to Armstrong, B.C. dur-
ing 1936 and were residents there at the
time of Roy’s death.
For many years Dr. Haugen was the
°nly doctor serving the Armstrong and
Spallumcheen area. His home was
immediately across from the hospital.
He made it a rule to frequently drop in
°n his patients and render assistance
^hen required.
Not only was he a dedicated Doctor
hut also an active community worker.
Ple was a past president of the Local
Cancer Society and The Chamber of
Commerce. He also found time to enjoy
Curling, skiing and gardening.
He was honoured and made a
Preeman of the City of Armstrong.
He is survived by his wife Edna, son Dr.
3°y Haugen of Kamloops, B.C., and
wife Helen and their two children.
Daughter Ann and husband Walter Del
Bianco in Montreal and their son,
Sister Ragna in Norway, and sister-in-
laws Thora Amason, Fanney Stefanson
and families.
Friends wishing to remember Dr.
Haugen may make memorial contribu-
tions to the McKinnley fund or a chari-
ty of their choice.
Following a private service in the
Zion United Church, the immediate
family and Rev. Roworth proceeded to
the Armstrong Spallumcheen Cemetery
where Dr. Haugen’s ashes were
interred.
Mountain View Funeral Home was
in charge of arrangements.
A spoon of mystery
Help! Recently tumed up in our family, after an
absence of many years, was a spoon of mystery.
Upon close examination, the numbers 930 - 1930
rang a bell and the Greek-looking letters on the han-
dle became ísland (Iceland). The problem remaining
was what was the inscription under the rising sun at
the top of the
handle?
I am en-
closing photos
of the spoon
and hope that
one (or morc)
of your read-
ers can trans-
late it for me!
Sincerely
yours,
Cecil
Swanson
1400 Moore
St.,#A-ll
Bellingham,
WA 98226
m
jr'T veryone you talk.with has a
special story about “Doc”
Haugen who died after a trag-
ic fall in his home. But the stories
aren’t about the unfortunate accident.
They are about incidents, anecdotes
or countless acts of kindness this
community doctor performcd in his
more than 30 years of active practise
in Armstrong.
“Ðoc” was our neighbour when we
grcw up, Norwegian born — and
mighty proud of it — he aiways
seemed to have títné to stop and talk
to thc kids on the block. And oftcn as
not, hc left us with a riddle wc werc
supposed to solve. He made us think,
whether we wanted to or not.
The nurses and LPNs who used to
work ín the old hospital can spend
hours spinning stories about “Doc”
Haugen. Not only did they respect his
mcdical ability, they had a spcciai love
for the man. Paticnts too arc indebted
to his concem for their welfare and
will remember him for the rest of their
lives.
We remember the time “Doc” con-
firmed we were going to have a child,
our first. This was in the fall when we
had visited Armstrong for a visit from
Prince Gcorgc. Arriving here at
Christmas, there was no question that
Dawn was well atong in her pregnan-
cy, a surprise to our parents. ‘‘Doc’’
just sat therc with a twinkle in his cye.
He’d known for months and hadn’t
said a word to his close friends, our
parcnts.
Thcn there was the aggravatíng
side of “Doc" Haugen. You’d arrive in
his office for a check up —- for proba
bly something that would go away in
a week anyway — and he’d look
down at his dcsk and say “9 holes of
golf wouldn’t hurt, you know,”
He was the kind of doctor who
would makc house calls in the middle
of the night because someone needed
him. He was the type who would
leave his office desk and walk ouí to
the sidewalk to check on a broken
arm on a fcllow on horseback. lt was
easier on the patient, “Doc” quietly
reasoned.
And the stories go on, good stories
a good man.
That’s the way we’ll remember
“Doc” Haugen. A good doctor, a man
dcdicated to his profession and the
community who could inject a bit of
much-needcd humour into a situa-
tion.