Árdís - 01.01.1954, Page 23

Ársrit Bandalags lúterskra kvenna 21
Francis Charles Sveinbjorn, Eleanor June and Jon Edric Shenstone
Maclean.
In the fall of ’22 my parents had left Canada to reside in Iceland
and I never saw my dear father again. Five years later he died in
Copenhagen while playing his beloved piano.
In 1927 my dear mother, who was then a widow, came to live
with us at the farm in the Midnapore district, generously giving
her help and encouragement all through the ensuing years.
In the early ’30’s I commenced to write short poems. As the
work on a farm is very constant, my time for writing, or for paint-
ing the many lovely wild flowers that abounded in the bush nearby,
was very limited, so much so that these hard-earned moments
seemed of the greatest possible value.
From time to time my poems have been printed, under the
name of Helen Swinburne, in Logberg, the Icelandic Canadian, the
Calgary Herald, the Albertan and the Farm and Ranch Review.
For several years past I have had poems accepted for the Alberta
Poetry Year Book, sponsored by the Canadian Authors’ Association.
For some of these I have recieved honorable mention and have also
been awarded one first prize.
I have exhibited pictures in the Scottish Society of Artists,
Edinburgh, Scotland, and wood block prints in Winnipeg and Cal-
gary. Of my water colours of flowers, some have been sold and
some I have given away.
Throughout the years on the farm we always had a struggle
to make ends meet, but, despite our difficulties our children grew
up strong and healthy, so we had much to be thankful for.
In the spring of 1943 my husband died after a two-year’s illness;
he bore much suffering uncomplainingly and I nursed him almost
to the end.
My older son, Francis, went overseas in World War II and saw
action on the Continent, and my younger son, Edric, joined up at
the age of eighteen but the war ended before he had the opportunity
to go overseas for which he had volunteered.
All my children have married and I now have one grand-
daughter of eight years whom I am bringing up, and have also two
small grandsons.
Six years ago we moved into Calgary where we now live, four
generations under one roof.