Saga - 1980, Qupperneq 81

STAÐNÆMZT í RAUÐÁRDAL
75
Ures; theologians Halldór Briem and Hafsteinn Pétursson came
and conduc.ted religious services. So did even the Rev. Jón Bjarna-
Sou’ the most important Icelandic church leader in North America,
uo at one time had sparred fiercely, over doctrinal matters, with
e Hev. Páll Thorláksson (d. 1882), the father of the Icelandic
settlernent in North Dakota. Several times, the organization of Ice-
ndic (Lutheran) churches in North America held conventions in
orth Dakota — in Mountain in 1885, and in Gardar 1886 and 1892,
íor instance.
His entry for February 25, 1886, is: “I was at the wedding of my
ofh^' gUesls were -ibout 100.” True to form, he fails to give the name
ns daughter-in-law this point or elsewhere in his diaries; she
as Gudbjörg Gudmundsdóttir (from Smidsgerdi in Skagafjördur,
Xceland).
In the spring of 1886, Jón suddenly handed over a substantial
,, 10n °í what he owned to his son, detailing the livestock and
due61 Cllallels involved. To a degree, that was a share of what was
e the younger man for his work on the farm, and things already
eived by Helga from her parents are also listed. But then Jón
his 6S • '^ ^eOueath the land to my son Jón after my death, against
ta ° U^a^10n to care and provide for us, his parents, and to pay
amT' ^6Vles and costs from the property. — It is understood that I
ea h ° leceive wa&es as long as I am able to earn them, and $1 for
c full load of wood that is sold from the farm.’1
the ^ ret'rement of Jón and his wife Sigurbjörg on the farm,
to -ture his diary writing changes somewhat. He again started
lnff f1 k°°ks on a notable scale, the annual output apparently rang-
s°ld ll0m ^ volumes. Moreover, he got a trading licence and
'oookb°°^S’ Perioc^lua's and newspapers. He earned $25—55 from his
a>v, lnding each year, but his income from the other activity
^nted to less.
nearl eX0<lus Icelanders from North Dakota, which had become
to thJ>fU*!y homcsteaded, began around 1888, with the flow going
the s acl^lc coast and to Alberta, Canada. Among those who left in
geri(,1Ulrner °t that year were Jón's brothers: Gísli Dahlmann and
^tephan^ ^ar<lal' ln 1889, Jón’s daughter Helga and her husband,
the laaií ^tephansson, followed suit, moving to Alberta; unluckily,
Vefy ^ wlKire they settled in Gardar Township had turned out to be
Hel„„> a„rginal’ though it was next to the fertile homestead of
jtas father.
Settlers & slleeP> the basic livestoek in Iceland, North Dakota
> ike Jón who emigrated when they were well into their