Árdís - 01.01.1956, Síða 61

Ársrit Bandalags lúterskra kvenna
59
farm; Lindal, Cypress River; Dora, Mrs. Theo. Enns, Winnipeg;
Bjorg, Mrs. Henry Grenier, Edmonton; Sigga, Mrs. Russel Hanslip,
Virden; Kristine, Spokane, Wash.; Bjorgvin, Glenboro; Hannes,
Montana. She suffered the loss of her youngest son, Edwin, at the
age of 19, who died in the polio epedemic of 1953.
Busy a woman as she has had to be with her large family
and home, she always had time for church and community
affairs. She loved her church with a real and vibrant love; and
when her children were young it was a wonderful sight, I am told,
to see two church pews filled near the front with Valla and her
children, for Steini sang in the choir.
Everyone loved to go and visit the Hallgrimsons, because her
hospitality was so warm and generous. It seemed there was always
room for another person at the one table in the kitchen on the
farm. It was always such a truly warm experience for me to visit
her home while I served as pastor in the Argyle Parish. One of the
only things I ever heard her complain about was that so many of
her children were far away from home, and she looked forward
to Christmas with such enthusiastic anticipation because then so
many gathered at the family hearth.
For the last ten years she was afflicted with infection and
swelling of her limbs, but she never talked about that when one
came to visit her in illness. And she was often on her feet when
every step was pain. She became quite ill a year ago from a dread
disease, and has been in and out hospitals since. But her good cheer
and courage never waned, and her faith was unshakable. She
wanted to live, but she was not afraid to die. Because her conception
of death was the truly Christian one. Her unusually strong love for
her home, had the spark of the love for the divine eternal home in
it. “Blessed are the homesick, for they shall be called home.”
On Monday night, July 23, she was called Home.
Eric H. Sigmar