Lögberg-Heimskringla - 23.04.1999, Page 6

6 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Friday 23 April 1999
Memoirs of Guðmundur Jónsson from Húsey
T
Jhe men I have
mentioned here
were all my
neighbours until age
twenty and some much
longer. They have now
all died except for Óla-
fur Magnússon,
Halldór Bjömsson and
Eiríkur Jónsson. I liked
them all and I think
they felt the same way
about me. Most of them were quite intelligent except
for the sons of Þorsteinn Sigurðsson and Eiríkur
Hallsson; although these boys were clever workers in
many ways. None of these companions of mine
received any instmction in book leaming, except for
what they received at home. Yet all of them learned to
write and a little arithmetic. However most of them
became what we call “able to write a letter,” but not
much more; and few of the older men wrote well
enough to instmct others. In former times a few men
in this district were able writers. They did a consider-
able amount of copying work, stories and rhymes, and
many had beautiful handwriting—although it was
mainly speed writing and quibbs—but later that writ-
ing was discontinued as many of the books were then
available in print. I saw many of these hand-written
books and I leamed to write
speed-writing, but did not
try to write it. My brother
Jón leamed speed writing
first, and he often shot let-
ters of that type into his
writing. Quick writing was
then in fashion and speed
writing was considered an
ancient writing method.
Bergur, the son of Pastor
Magnús from Kirkjubær,
had a beautiful handwriting and many learned from
him, among them Pastor Einar Jónsson. Pastor
Jónsson got such a firm grip on writing before he went
to school that he needed little improvement. I got the
alphabet from him while he was in school, although I
never attained his skills.
Páll Ólafsson, poet, instructed many young people
Please see Memoirs on page 8
Calendar of Events
Sat. Apr. 24
Winnipeg, MB
Mon. Apr. 26
Thurs. Apr. 29
Winnipeg, MB
Thurs. Apr. 29
Vancouver, BC
April 30-May 2
Toronto, ON
Sun. May 2
Gimli, MB
Sat. May 15
Markerville, AB
Tues. May 18
Toronto, ON
The Fírst Lutheran Church Women invite you to attend
their Annual Spring Luncheon in the Parish Hall at 580
Victor St., 11:30 am-1:30 pm. Adults $5.00; children 12 &
under $3.00. Sale of home baking, meat pies, handicrafts,
and more! Handicap access.
Saga of Hope will be broadcast on the History Channel at
10:30 pm EST as a simulcast (7:30 in BC, 9:30 in
Manitoba). Saga of Hope is an exploration of directors
Asthildur Kjartansdottir and Juliann Blackmore’s lcelandic
heritage. The film focuses on Juiann Blackmore's person-
al search for her newly discovered lcelandic ancestry.
Lestrarfelag presents Bloodflowers by W.D. Valgardsson
at the Nordic House, 7:00 pm
Solskin Daffodil Party at 2:00 pm at Hofn, 2020 Harrison
Dr. Entertainment and refreshments.
INL Annual Convention, Bond Palace Hotel. TO BOOK:
Convention/Luncheon/Þorrablót/Kinmount Trip: INL Box
99, Gimli, MB R0C 1B0 (More information inl@ecn.mb.ca)
Hotel: Bond Palace Hotel, Group # 176 phone 1-800-268-
9390 or (416) 362-6061, fax (416) 360-6406
The Islendingadagurinn Fjallkona Spring Brunch will be
held at the Country Resort, Gimli, at 12:00 noon. Tickets
are $20.00 per person. Call Lorna Tergesen at 284-4518 ,
Ardith Sigurdson at 642-5625, or Connie Magnusson-
Schimnowski at 338-2654.
1999 Creamery Season opens at 10:00 am.
ICCT Annual General Meeting/Election of Officers. There
will also be a celebration of Rosa Hermansson Vernon’s
100th birthday, along with the 40th anniversary of the
founding of the club. 8:00 pm, Unitarian Hall, 175 St. Clair
Ave. W. (just west of Avenue Road).
Sun. May 23 The lceland Trio will perform at the Nordic Heritage
Seattle, WA Museum in Seattle at 4:00 pm. Works performed will
include compositions by lcelandic composers
Sveinbjornsson and Nordal. Dinner following the concert
will be in an lcelandic theme. For more info, call (206) 789-
5707) or contact:
The Nordic Heritage Museum
c/o “Mostly Nordic Concert Series’’
3014 NW 67th St
Seattle, WA 98117
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