Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.05.2007, Blaðsíða 6

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6 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • 15 May 2007
KELOWNA
DIANNE
SIGVALDASON
1-800-663-5770
diannes@remax.net
A COMMUNITY-FOCUSED
CREDIT UNION
COMMITTED TO CREATING
VALUE FOR OUR MEMBERSHIP
34 Centre Street, Gimli 642-6450
23 Stitt Street, Winnipeg Beach 389-2550
Flo Holigroski

The most important wom-en in my mother’s life were the “Ladies Aid
Eining” members of the Feder-
ated Church. They worked to-
gether for the good of the com-
munity at large and held special
events for elderly Icelanders in
the area.
On Ladies Aid meeting
days, my brothers, sisters and
I would run home as fast as
we could from the school just
across the street to taste Icelan-
dic delicacies. I suspect that the
ladies brought extras when the
meetings were at the Sigurdson
house because Mom had five
young children. These were ro-
settes with whipped cream and
real strawberry jam as well as
pönnukökur rolled up with a
sprinkling of brown sugar.
The group was not par-
ticularly large. Members at the
time I remember were Bogga
Sigurdson, Helga Johannson,
Rannveig Gudmundson, Bjorg
Bjornson, Asta Sigurdson, her
sister Ranka Magnusson, Ranka
Erickson, her mother Gudbjorg
Sigurdson, Bjorg Caldwell and
my mom, Magga Sigurdson.
Some earlier members included
Mekkin Gudmundson, Helga
Stinson and Gudrun Eyolfson,
whose granddaughter travelled
with me to Iceland in 2005.
Many came from Vopnafjörður
in Iceland, an area that was
heavily covered with volcanic
ash from the Mount Esja erup-
tion in 1875.
I had no idea how impor-
tant the granddaughters of
these women would become to
me in recent years. For years I
lived as a pseudo-Icelander, my
life largely dominated by the
Ukrainian culture of my hus-
band’s family. When I retired,
my husband and I started doing
research at the archives and that
quest led me to old newspapers,
articles, books about Icelanders
and Icelandic subjects.
After Mom died, I contin-
ued to subscribe to Lögberg-
Heimskringla, the Icelandic
newspaper published here in
Manitoba since the time of the
first settlers. My cousin said,
“You should write an article
about our family reunion and
Century Farm celebrations for
the paper.” In the year 2000,
I attended a performance of
the Icelandic Symphony with
my son. To my great surprise,
sitting in the same row at the
Concert Hall was my childhood
friend, Lillian Bjarnason... by
then MacPherson. She was
the granddaughter of John and
Helga Johannson, second cous-
ins and dear friends of Amma
and Afi Sigurdson.
It was the first time I had
seen her since the 1950s.
Shortly after that chance meet-
ing, she was conscripted to
fill in for a six-month term as
editor of the Icelandic paper.
That term stretched to more
than three years, during which
time she made significant con-
tributions to the newspaper.
We became friends again. I
attended Icelandic functions,
such as Bondadagurinn (Farm-
ers’ Day) in Lundar, with her,
and the luncheon announcing
the selection of the Fjallkona,
Maid of the Mountain, for
Íslendingadagurinn.
I needed to take pictures at
these events for the newspaper
and was helped by a grand-
daughter of yet another Ladies
Aid Eining member, Linda
Sigurdson Collette. Some time
after that day I was invited to
join a group of ladies for lun-
cheons. We have continued to
meet regularly.
My friend Lillian published
a short piece about the asso-
ciation of her only grandson,
Solmund, with little Icelandic
boys at his school in central
Winnipeg. Most of them are
“pseudo-Icelanders” disguised
by names like Slobodian, An-
tenbring and MacPherson.
While referring to them as
“Kinder-Vikings,” she went on
to explain the chance meetings
of Icelandic connections. My
own grandsons, (surname Wit-
herden), have since discovered
several Icelandic children in
their classrooms.
We ladies call ourselves Vi-
king Ammas. In 2005 we lost
our dear friend Lillian to the
great beyond. She inspired us
to celebrate our heritage, spend
time with our “Kinder Vi-
kings” (grandchildren) and live
our lives with authenticity and
kindness. Until we meet again,
we will miss her.
WINNIPEG, MB — Sand-
wiched in between the Icelan-
dic National League Conven-
tion’s afternoon program and
official opening ceremonies,
and following hard on the heels
of its morning presentation at
the convention, Landsbanki
officially opened its Winnipeg
office on April 27. A packed
reception followed at the Fair-
mont Hotel.
The actual branch will be
located on the 15th floor of the
Richardson Building, at Winni-
peg’s famous Portage and Main
intersection, and will handle
investments, not personal bank
accounts.
At the Fairmont reception,
Landsbanki CEO Björgólfur
Guðmundsson spoke on the
close ties between Iceland and
Manitoba, but emphasized that
that relationship could be based
on more than history. “This is
a new beginning, where people
in Manitoba and Iceland can
engage in exciting business re-
lationships,” he said. It was an
opportunity to look to the future,
he said, and added that he hoped
in Manitoba that Landsbanki,
like the Icelandic population,
though not large, “would be re-
spected and highly influential.”
He also announced an
agreement in which Landsbanki
would give support to the Snorri
Program.
Consul General for Iceland
Atli Ásmundsson applauded
Landsbanki’s initiative. “What
we have been missing is more
commerce and business be-
tween Iceland and Manitoba,”
he said. “So we are excited by
the opening of the Landsbanki
branch in Winnipeg. This is a
great day for the Icelanders in
Manitoba and it is a good day
for Manitoba.”
Grant Stefanson of Winnipeg law firm D’Arcy & Deacon LLP
presented a gift from the firm to Landsbanki — a Manitoban
work of art for the new Landsbanki office. From left: Grant Ste-
fanson, Landsbanki Chairman Björgólfur Guðmundsson and
Landsbanki Managing Director Ingólfur Guðmundsson.
Landsbanki
opens branch
in Winnipeg
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PHOTOS: DAVID JÓN FULLER
Landsbanki Chairman Björgólfur Guðmundsson.
In honour of Mother’s Day on May 13, in this is-
sue we present some reflections on motherhood
from the Icelandic community. Flo Holigroski
writes on the multigenerational influence of a
community’s women. See also W. L. Guðnason’s
“My Mother’s Kitchen” on page 12.
The Viking Ammas