Árdís - 01.01.1954, Blaðsíða 75

Ársrit Bandalags lúterskra kvenna
73
Oddný Ásgeirsdóttir Johnson
Born July 19, 1865 — Died April 30, 1953
With the passing of Oddny John-
son, April 30, 1953, another link
with the colourful, courageous
past has been severed.
It is no particular mark of
character and high resolve to be
outstanding in the midst of medio-
crity, but in the gallant company
of the intrepid, progressive and
intellectually stable Icelandic pio-
neers, she is remembered as being
a rock of strength and content-
ment.
Oddny (who was a sister of the
late Gudrun Johnson, for many
years president of the Lutheran
Women’s League) came from her
home in Lundum in Stafholts-
tungum in the Borgarfjordur dis-
trict of Iceland, in 1888 to be the bride of Hinrik Johnson, who had
preceded her to Canada by three years. They started farming in
the new Icelandic settlement seventy miles north of Winnipeg, east
of Lake Manitoba. Even though their adventuresome spirit soon
led them to other fields they left their mark on the place which
was their first Canadian home; for Hinrik became the first Post-
master there and they named it Lundar in commemoration of
Oddny’s childhood home in Iceland.
After three and a half years at Lundar they moved to Melita,
and a few months later to Ebor, in the Western part of Manitoba,
where they farmed on a large scale for forty years. They brought
up ten children who are now scattered all over this continent, and
one in Iceland, and who are, with the grandchildren, making a
Worthy contribution to our life in this country in many important
spheres of endeavour. Oddny was not afraid of hard work—indeed