Lögberg-Heimskringla - 24.09.1999, Page 6

6 • Lðgberg-Heimskringla « Friday 24 September 1999
K.N. Júlíus honoured
Hulda Yelic (Edmonton, AB), Kristjan Niels Julius
Bjamason (Gimli, MB) and Ninna Campbell (Winnipeg,
MB). Their parents were Ingolfur and Imba Bjarnason
from Gimli, MB. (Imba was K .N. Júlíus ’s niece).
Photo courtesy Ninna Camphell
Christine Hall (nee Geir) was the youngest of the
Geir family with whom K. N. Júlíus lived for many
years in Mountain, N.D. The following is her address
delivered at the rededication ceremony of the K. N.
Júlíus monument at Mountain N.D. on Monday
August 2.
Christine Hali
Mountain, ND
President Grímsson, dear friends who are gath-
ered here to honour the memory of K. N. Júlíus.
I am the oldest ofthe Geir
family where K. N. had his
home for forty years. I’ve
been asked to say a few
words about the K. N. we
knew and loved. It is in look-
ing back that we have coirie
to realize how privileged we
were that through all our
growing up years we had him
in our midst, and how much
our lives were enriched. We
knew he was a well-known
poet, but little did we dream
he would one day be deemed
a literary giant. To us he was
just K. N. He had his special
place at the dining table, his special rocking chair in
the front room and upstairs he had the south room.
An endearing trait of his was his love for chil-
dren. In thinking about this I’ve come to realize that
this special love he lavished on two generations of
Geir chiidren. When he first came here my grand-
mother was a widow with four children. Ours was a
family of eleven. There are no words to tell of his
loving kindness, his patience and gentleness. It was
so usual that the toddler in the family was perched on
his knee. The little verses he wrote about us we cher-
ish.
I have many memories of people who came to
our home to visit him. Those he enjoyed very much.
Throughout his life he gave so much of himself.
The work he did was hard work. He helped with
chores, he woiked in the harvest field, he built chim-
neys, he dug the graves, I’ve wondered how many,
and some in the dead of winter. And when there was
work to be done, he was always there. Not only with
hard work did he give of himself but also with his
loving kindness and his warm friendship.
He helped my grandmother survive through
unspeakable grief and hardship. I think she became a
sort of a mother figure in his life. He came to
America at the age of eight-
een, having lost his own
mother at a young age. I was
often aware of the depth of
his feelings, how deeply he
sympathized with those who
were hurt or grieving.
I remember K. N.’s tears
when grandmother died. I
also remember my own tears
when after he had passed
away, I was going through
some papers that had come
from his room. There I came
upon a poem he had written
at the time of her death. His
own grief was expressed, but
he didn’t just moum for himself, but for all of us.
This was so typical of him, this depth of feeling and
concem for others.
K. N.’s legacy of course, is his poetry. But
speaking for my siblings and myself, our dearest
wish is that he also be remembered for the very spe-
cial person he was. We all remember him with much
affection.
There aren’t words to say thank you to all who
have made this restoration and re-dedication possi-
ble. I will ask God’s blessings on the memory of K.
N. Júlíus, the poet and the ffiend.
777 Stínu litlu Geir
eftir K. N. Júlíus
Síðan fýrst ég sá þig hér,
sólskin þarf ég minna.
Gegnum lífið lýsir mér
Ijósið augna þinna.
Hecla
Continued from page I
Grimolfson, and Captain Einar
Magnusson.
Other familiar names are Louis
Benson, Aussie Grimolfson, Halli
Eastman, and Gunnar Tomasson.
Captain Doll, as well as Paul Paulson,
Bennie Sigurgeirson, and the families
of Grimsi, Aussie, and Louis provided
the information and photographs for the
creation of the interpretive signs that
you see here today.
This is a signifcant occasion for all
of us, and*gives us the opportunity to
celebrate and remember the history of
the Hecla Island Ferry through this
wonderfúl mterpretive display.
It was twenty-three years ago when
I was honoured to be the master of cer-
emonies at the Hecla Island centennial
ceremonies, when I said, “Hecla will
never die. The community may go
down in number, but Hecla will never
die in our hearts. We will always
remember.”
Through tlus commemorative dis-
play we will remember, and our chil-
dren and many Manitobans and visitors
to Hecla Island will have the oppoituni-
ty to leam about our heritage and our
history.
As printed on one of the displays,
May, 1971 marked the beginning of the
end for the Hecla Island Ferry service.
Work began on a causeway that linked
Hecla to the mainland. The causeway
was built not to service the residents of
the island but for the benefit of the
eveigrowing number of tourists want-
ing to visit the newly created Hecla
Provincial Park. Today, Hecla has
found new life as a tourism destination
and resort.
As we look to the fúture, Canada
and Manitoba are working together
with our communities on an exciting
proposal to develop the Manitoba
Lowlands National Paik, which may
include a portion of Hecla-Grindstone.
As we know, time does not stand still
and the Manitoba Lowlands proposal
presents many possibilities and oppor-
tunities forthe fúture of Hecla Island.
On behalf of the Minister and
Manitoba Natural Resources I want to
thank and congratulate everyone
David Tomasson and others look on at the cutting of the ribbon at Hecla Island.
Photo: Harley Jonasson
involved in oiganizing this special ded- ebrate this special moment with us.
ication ceremony to commemorate the As well, on behalf of the Minister I
history of the Hecla Island Ferry want to wish everyone a happy
Crossing. I thank you for coming to cel- Canada’s Parks Day.
<ti6 ii- nnh* rh* x.m wir Tií'hitiíi mri u w&tnr Hiitriíiim iit nm \ riri 'ní'hitinHi-