Lögberg-Heimskringla - 23.09.2005, Qupperneq 8

8 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Friday 23 September 2005
Sveinbjornson Family Construction
In 1999, a group of Churchbridge artists joined forces
to paint a mural on the front of the shop of Oscar
Sveinbjornson and his construction business in
honor of his work for the community. Many homes
and business in the area were built by the members
of this family. Harvey and Liliian Sveinbjornson
write some of the family’s history
Oscar Gudbjartur Svein-
bjomson was bom
April 10, 1905 in a log
cabin in N.W. 16-32-32 in the
Churchbridge district. Oscar’s
parents were Guðrún Parstein-
sdóttir and Guðmundur Svein-
bjömsson who lived in Krotein
Alfhanes, Iceland. They immi-
grated to Canada in 1900 with
his siblings Mundy, Kristen,
and Thorstein.
Oscar’s work in constmc-
tion started at the age of 16,
when he built his first house
for his brother Mindy. He was
a very curious and inventive
young man. If he did not have
a tool for the job he would
make one. At a very young
age, he was called in to repair
farm machinery, or construct
a high chairs or baby cribs.
He was most content when
at work, constructing wagon
boxes, vans and cutters for the
local people.
In 1931, Oscar married
Fiola (Violet) Mintram whose
parents were Jóhanna Þorstein-
sdóttir and William Mintram,
and they began their married
life on a farm two miles east of
Churchbridge.
He continued carpen-
try work along with farming,
which proved to be an un-
profitable occupation during
the 1930s Depression. When
he received a meagre $5 for a
prize bull he shipped to market,
he realized that farming wasn’t
for him. After a.snowstorm in
October 1933, the house and
the shop were moved on skids
into Churchbridge.
His talent was constmcting
various wood items. He manu-
factured coffins and Morris
Gerber was his promoter. His
wife Fiola would complete the
coffins with interior silk fin-
ishes. The coffins ranged in
price from $5 for a child’s to
$35 for an adult’s (including
the rough boxj, and were sent
into the surrounding area as far
as Theodore, SK.
Oscar and Fiola had three
sons, David, Harvey, and Mur-
ray. They also had a daughter,
Elaine, who passed away in
infancy. Dave married Angela
Sahaulka and they have three
children, Audrey, Joan and
Dale. Dave joined his father in
carpentry in 1948. The com-
pany became Sveinbjomson
& Son. In 1955 Harvey also
began the trade and the com-
pany became Sveinbjomson &
Sons.
In 1958 the IMC Potash
mine began constmction 12
miles south of Churchbridge.
In the following years many
houses and commercial build-
ings were constmcted. During
the busy years, Sveinbjomson’s
would employ up to 20 men.
In 1962 the company be-
came known as Sveinbjomson
Building Contractors Ltd. and
the youngest son Murray en-
tered into the business.
Construction slowed in
the early seventies. In order to
keep the business afloat, Svein-
bjomson employed his workers
as far north as La Ronge and as
far south as Estevan.
The Building Company
closed in 1987 and Oscar’s
sons went their separate ways.
Dave and his wife An-
gella moved to Anola, MB
near Winnipeg with their son
Dale. Due to ill health, Dave
was forced to retire and his son
Dale continues to work in car-
pentry in Winnipeg.
Murray and his wife
Heather operated a private
lumber business. When this
was closed out they pursued
other opportunities and cur-
rently live in Regina, SK.
Harvey joined his sons,
Syd, Tim, Rae, and Marty in
another constmction company.
(Rae left to pursue a degree in
finance, and now is CEO of
St. Anne’s Nursing home in
Saskatoon, SK.) The present
company now is called Time
Is Money Company (TIMCO).
They continue to build residen-
tial and commercial buildings.
Following in the founder’s
footsteps the sons, grandsons,
and even Oscar’s great-grand-
sons enjoy summer employ-
ment in the carpentry field.
Oscar passed away in 1987
at the age of 82 and Fiola (Vio-
let) is 95 years young and lives
in the Langenburg Nursing
Home.
A mural honouring Oscar Sveinbjornson on the building that
housed his shop was painted by local artists in 1999.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GWEN MANN
Fiola Sveinbjornson with grandsons Marty and Syd.

■í ; 4
04-284-7650
100-1717 WAVEP.LEY STREET
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA R3T 6A9
WAVERLEY AUTO MALL
■ ■• ■
Quality
Visit us on the web at http://www.lh-inc.ca