Lögberg-Heimskringla - 03.10.2003, Page 2

page 2 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Friday, 3 October 2003
]|| Editorial • Ritstjórnargrein
Lillian Vilborg
Managing Editor
WINNIPEG, MB
Ihave much to be thankful for
in my life, and at this time of
year nature offers us such
incredible bounty. Our small
backyard garden is exploding
with tomatoes, cucumbers, car-
rots, Swiss chard and herbs of
various kinds. The lettuce is
done. The sweet peas and por-
tulaca still bloom vigorously.
The portulaca haven’t stopped
since May, even through the
driest part of summer.
My bounty extends to the
luxury of time to travel by train
to Toronto. I saw country I
have never seen before,
stopped at towns the names of
which were new to me. The
leaves were just thinking of
changing - here and there I
saw brilliant red or a hint of
gold - I felt fall was in the air.
I was thrilled to see the Cana-
dian Shield up close.
I visited Toronto during the
Icelandic Experience weekend
and savoured the soulful
sounds of sacred music played
by Sigurður Flossason and
Gunnar Gunnarsson as the
closing to the weekend’s activ-
ities.
I enjoyed being in Toronto
again, a city I haven’t visited
for several years. I stayed with
my cousin’s daughter Alesya
and her husband Tony and felt
completely at home in their
perfectly situated house just off
Queen Street and its handy
streetcar.
Don Gislason took me to
the Lutheran church where my
great-grandparents Friðrik and
Mildfríður were married the
day before they left Ontario for
New Iceland in 1875. My
grandfather was a babe in
arms, having been born August
17th.
I met and interviewed sev-
eral interesting people, about
whom you will read in the
paper during the fall.
But all this bounty has
been clouded by the death of
my aunt Margaret on the Mon-
day I was leaving Toronto.
She was my dad’s sister
and the last of the three sib-
lings to go. Her leaving creates
a big hole in our family - the
elders in the Bjarnason clan
have all gone.
They were an amazing
family, the three of them, Haf-
steinn, Johanna Margaret and
Thorgeir Hermann. They lost
their parents when they were
young - Thor was only twelve
when his mother Vilborg died.
They lived far apart for most of
their adult lives - Thor and
Nancy in Winnipeg, Margaret
and Skip in Kansas, and Haf-
steinn and Lillian in Regina
and later White Rock.
But the three of them
maintained a connection that
was steady, strong and caring.
As kids we knew we all mat-
tered to each other, and the
three siblings demonstrated it
for us all the time.
The caring family extend-
ed to their cousins the Gisla-
sons in Winnipeg and the Bjar-
nasons they left behind in
Saskatchewan when their par-
ents moved.
As I phoned my generation
of cousins to tell them of Mar-
garet’s passing, I couldn’t get
over how many of them had
gone to stay with her and Skip
after they moved to the States.
My brother remembered that
she brought him a present
every time he was sick. Which,
he pointed out, was often.
Margaret had a big gener-
ous heart, as did her brothers.
The three of them had a very
special loving relationship,
which they modelled for those
of us who followed them.
When my granddaughter
and I went to Iceland last year,
we spent two weeks with Skip
and Margaret. When we drove
up north, Gislina and Margaret
sat in the back seat of the car.
Listening to them talk took me
back to my childhood, when
Margaret talked to me like an
equal and treated me with such
kindness and faimess.
After writing this, I realize
I can be thankful for the boun-
ty I have had in the family I
was born into, and for the times
I spent with my aunt Margaret.
Letters to the Editor • Bréf til ritstjóra
Dear Editor,
I have really enjoyed the
articles in the ‘Tree of Life’ sec-
tion. Might someone from the
Kristjansson family from Gimli
(six brothers all with PHD’s) be
asked to do a write-up? They
have contributed mightily to the
Manitoba, Canadian and Inter-
national community. The Thor-
son family - the Honorable J. T.
and Charlie Thorson? Magnus
Eliasson?
Readers might find it of
interest to read about people
who are currently contributing
to the strengthening of the Ice-
First Lutheran Church
Celebrating 125 years
(1878-2003)
580 Victor Strect Winnipcg R3G 1R2
204-772-7444
www.mts.net/~Ocwin
Worship with us Sundays 10:30 a.m.
Pastor Miehael Kurtz
Come Home!
Annivkrsary Weekend
October 17-19, 2003
landic culture, eg. Linda Sigurd-
son Collette and Lestrafélag.
Evelyn Kristjanson-Downey
WlNNIPEG, MB
Dear Editor,
I truly admire Lillian Vil-
borg’s writing and always
enjoy her editorial. I also
admire the love the third and
fourth generation descendants
have for their Icelandic roots.
As for news from Iceland,
more human interest stories.
Political news is not of interest
to people who have no stake.
Consul General Hall Linker
Los Angeles, CA
VlKING INN
Gimli, MB
(204) 642-5168
• 21 Renovated Rooms
• Gord Lee’s Chinese Dining
Ph. 642-5170
• “Two Friends” Nite Club
• Beer Store
Dear Editor,
We enjoy short pieces -
events in the Icelandic-North
American community, Iceland
news and the editorial. We
appreciate when we see correct
Icelandic spelling and research
done on Iceland’s facts.
Thanks!
Armann Ingolfsson
Edmonton, AB
Dear Editor,
I enjoy the whole paper -
now that it is in English. Espe-
cially the old stories of pioneer
families, and the events that are
happening in the Wynyard and
Foam Lake area (Joan Cad-
ham) as I am a member of the
Argyle Transfer Ltd.
Specializing in livestock
transportation
Wally & Linda Finnbogason
Stonewall, MB
Sf ff
Wally 467-8822 Mobile 981-1666
Daryl 322-5743 Mobile 981-5460
Icelandic club there.
I have just returned from a
three-week trip to visiting
cousins and visiting sites and
places that my grandparents
lived until 1900-1903 and 1907
etc. I had a very good time and
leamed a lot.
Keep up the good work.
Dawn Palka
Yorkton, SK
Dear Editor,
Keep up the good work. A
little more in Icelandic if possi-
ble. Thank you.
Eggert Peterson
Kingston, ON
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