Lögberg-Heimskringla - 26.07.1996, Blaðsíða 11

Lögberg-HeimSkringla • Föstudagur 26, juli 1996 »11
More than survivors continued
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Ásta and Helgi Johnson
Continued from page 10.
death as he had faced life, with grace
and courage. One of his most prized
possessions was his iron ring, the hard
eamed symbol of his Professional En-
gineering status. His life saw many ac-
comphshments. As Regional Manager
for Westinghouse, Jon Gustav John-
son attained market shares far in ex-
cess of other regions in North Ameri-
ca. He was the first Icelandic Poten-
tate of Khartoum Temple, and co-
chaired Winnipeg’s first Science Fair.
Peihaps his greatest legacy is best
captured in the foUowing anecdote:
Cataracts pievented father from dri-
ving in his latter years, so it feU on
Magnus, Peter or I to chauffeur him to
a surprising number of events. Having
paid our iespects to an old ftiend ffom
the Winnipeg Electric days, a gnarled
hand grasped Father’s shoulder as we
piepaied to leave the funeral chapel.
“Mr. Johnson, Johnny, do you re-
member me?”
Father seized the outstretched right
hand, “Why, of course, BiUy. How are
you?”
Tears welled up in Billy’s eyes,
“Not too weU I’m affaid. I have can-
cer, you know,” he paused to compose
himself. Many of father’s associates
from Winnipeg Electric had worked
with PCBs, and many had cancer.
“You too BiUy, I’m sony to hear
that.” Father loved people, and the
depth of his sincerity could be pro-
foundly moving.
“Ida’s gone now, and I won’t be
around too much longer. There’s
something I’ve been meaning to tell
you for some time. Remember that ie-
aUy rough palch that I went through in
‘45? WeU, you came through for me
when I reaUy needed a friend. I wiU
never forget your kindness.”
“I didn’t do anything that anybody
else wouldn’t have done under the cir-
cumstances,” Father hugged his teeter-
ing comrade.
Later, as we drove home, I asked
Father what he had done for BiUy. “I
honestly can’t remember,” he repÚed.
I beheve that Father’s greatest lega-
cy stemmed from his many anony-
mous acts of kindness. Not unique in
his famUy, many people have ielated
similar stories about my Uncle
Harold, Aunts Jona, Sigga and Rose.
Father often commented that the
real backbone of our family, and the
foundation of his success was his wife
of over 50 years, Rosa.
Mother, like her siblings and
Amma Peturson, possesses uncom-
mon moral stiength. Peihaps the best
Christian that I have ever known, she
never pieaches, but teaches by exam-
ple. Like aU Ammas, her love for her
children, grandchildren and great-
grandchildren is total and uncondi-
tional.
The most private of people, she wUl
be angry at me for expiessing my feel-
ings about her. Perhaps the following
anecdote will give some insight into
another side of Mother
When I had finished writing my
West End Christmas episode, I won-
dered aloud what had happened to the
“wonderful” statuettes that she had ie-
ceived almost 50 years ago.
“They’ie on top of her kitchen cabi-
nets,” Kevin told me. And so they
weie. A gift that only a mother could
love, she knew how hard we had
worked to earn the money to buy
them, and how much we wanted to
please her. Therefore, in her eyes, they
aie treasures, even today.
If I had but one wish, it would be
that every child could have parents
Uke mine, and that they could grow up
in a community like the one I had the
privUege of growing up in.
In conclusion, let me address the
many enquiries about future episodes
of “More Than Survivors”. Last
week’s episode, A Week at Gimli,
brings us to July of 1948. The story
ends in August of íybl, when our
famUy moved ffom Winnipeg’s West
End to Regina.
Cousin John’s words were prophet-
ic. Writing, for me a very difficult,
often frustrating discipline, can also
be very gratifying. Working to dead-
line has proven my gieatest challenge.
On the positive side, long forgotten
events have come back to me under
pressure. On the negative side, I have
submitted episodes that I am not
happy with. I wUl continue my narra-
tive, but will only submit episodes
when they meet my standards. Should
they meet the editorial standards of
the paper, they wUl come into print in
upcoming issues. Thank you for your
encouragement. Your kind words have
kept me at my task.
God bless.
ISIT THí VlKINCi Agi: f.N C A !Ti Plfl t: N T IM THE Pa RlC.
Cuu'URf-, OnNCcaTs. Traditi®nai Pr.®gr.am>
FoN FO>R THE ENTiRe fAmiLY.
rOR PROORAM INFORMATION CALL 6<12-"7A1'7
Islendingadagurinn
Continued from page 1
That commitment is shown in the
continued existence of this newspaper,
which is dedicated to it, and in the
continued support that it ieceives from
the North American Icelandic commu-
nity and Iceland itself. It is personi-
fied, however, in the Fjallkona, who
piesides each year over the celebra-
tion of Islendingadagurinn.
This year’s Fjallkona is Dee Dee
Westdal. It would be hard to imagine
a more appropriate choice. Dee Dee is
a woman of elegance, grace and intel-
lect. She has devoted much of her life
to the nurturing of Icelandic culture
and in the picture of her in her Fjal-
lkona’s dress Uiat accompanies this ar-
ticle, we see in her not only the best of
Icelandic womanhood, but also the
richness and wealth of Icelandic cul-
ture and the reason that it has been
able to survive for so long, far from its
roots, in North America. The Fjal-
lkona’s maids of honor are Kimberley
Westdal and Kristin Westdal, grand-
nieces of Dee Dee Westdal, a promis-
ing sign not only for the continuation
of the family tradition but for the cul-
tural tradition.
With this issue Logberg-Heim-
skringla welcomes you to Islendin-
gadagurinn. It should be a great time.
The Festival Committee, under the di-
rection of Connie Magnusson Schim-
nowski has prepared a quality pro-
gram packed with three days of
events. Also with this issue, Logberg-
Heimskringla begins its annual sum-
mer break. We will retum at the be-
ginning of September. Enjoy Islendin-
gadagurinn, bring your friends and
teach them how to pronounce it. Have
a good summer and a safe one, and we
hope to see you soon. —Tom Oleson