Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.01.2008, Page 11

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Lögberg-Heimskringla • 15. janúar 2008 • 11
Icelandic Emigrants to Utah
Beginning in 1854, Icelanders who had converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints emigrated to the United States. David A. Ashby is currently working on a book, Icelanders Gather to Utah, 1854 – 1914: From Iceland to Spanish Fork, Utah, collecting biographies of Icelandic
immigrants to the state. The book is edited by Bliss K. Anderson and Hálfdan Helgason. Excerpts will appear in
Lögberg-Heimskringla with the author’s permission. For more information, visit http://groups.msn.com/
IcelandicAssociationofUtah/iau.msnw. A person’s number (see below) refers to that person’s listing in
LaNora Allred’s The Icelanders of Utah.
BJARNI BJARNASON (Bjarni Bjarnason) was
born 6 August 1846 in Vestmannaeyjar.
His parents were Bjarni Sveinsson, born 17 Au-
gust 1812 at Ytri-Solheimar i Myrdal, Vestur Skaf-
tafell, died 10 February 1857; and Guðríður Eyjólf-
sdóttir, born in 1816.
About 1874 he married Sigríður Jónsdóttir,
born 10 September 1832 in Storidalur, Rangar-
valla. Sigridur’s parents were Jón Guðmundsson,
born about 1800, and Sigríður Oddsdóttir (1808 –
1863). They had no children of their own; however
they raised a foster daughter, Þuriður Sigurðardót-
tir, born 13 September 1875 in Vestmannaeyjar.
She was the daughter of Sigurður Árnason and Mar-
grét Sæmundsdóttir.
In 1883 the three of them emigrated to Spanish
Fork, UT, where they built a comfortable home and
had a large garden and orchard. In Utah Bjarni Bjar-
nason went by Bert Swenson.
Bjarni died 22 August 1917 and is buried in the
Spanish Fork Cemetery. Bjarni is number 29 in Ice-
landers of Utah.
Photo
Mystery: Do you know these people?
Lögberg-Heimskringla features this series of photographic mysteries
in conjunction with the Nel-
son Gerrard’s “Silent Flashes”
project, which explores early
photography among Icelandic
immigrants and their descen-
dants in North America during
the settlement period — from
1870 to 1910.
All unidentified photo-
graphs featured in this series
were taken in Icelandic settle-
ments in Canada and the United
States during this era, and your
input is invited if you can pro-
vide any clues as to who these
people are.
Any successful solutions
will be published, but more
importantly these old photo-
graphic treasures can then be
archived for future generations.
Some may also be featured
in the upcoming book Silent
Flashes.
To obtain further informa-
tion on the “Silent Flashes” proj-
ect or to provide input, contact
Nelson Gerrard at (204) 378-
2758 or eyrarbakki@hotmail.
com, or by mail at Box 925,
Arborg, Manitoba R0C 0A0.
Check out the “Silent Flash-
es” website and photo archive
at www.sagapublications.com.
Questions on your own
photographic mysteries are
also welcome.
North Dakota family photographed at Cavalier by Ásgeir Söl-
vason just before the turn of the last century, circa 1898 – 99.
BJARNI BJARNASON
(Bjarni Bjarnason)
From the Pioneer
Daughters
In 1940, The Pembina County Pioneer Daughters began collecting information on North Dakota’s homesteading period in the late 1800s in the
form of memoirs and genealogical data. George
Freeman of Grand Forks, ND has compiled all of
the accounts on the early settlements into three
volumes, now available in hardcover.
For more information on the Pembina County
Pioneer Daughters Biographies, contact George
Freeman at 2091 27 Ave. So., Grand Forks, ND,
58201, by phone at (701) 772-3397, or e-mail
gfreeman@gra.midco.net.
Lelja Vigfusdottir was born April 27, 1824 in Vedarhole,
Iceland. She married Einer Bessason in Iceland. In 1876,
Mr. and Mrs. Bessason moved to America, settling in Gimli,
Manitoba, Canada. They stayed in Gimli for five years. In 1881,
the family moved to Park (now Gardar), North Dakota, and took
a homestead, now the property of Benidict Helgason.
The Bessason family had lived on their homestead about
a year, when a fire broke out in their home. Paul Dalman, a
brother of Mrs. Bessason, saw the fire and arrived to find his
sister helping her nearly blind husband safely out of the burning
house. In trying to save some of her household possessions she
burned her hands very badly. Neighbors seeing the smoke came
to the aid of the Bessason family and much of the furniture
and household furnishings were saved. Mr. and Mrs. Bessason
made their hone with Paul Dalman until their home could be
rebuilt.
In 1883, because of Mr. Bessason’s blindness, they sold
their farm and moved into the village of Gardar. Here they
made their home until the death of Mrs. Bessason, November
13, 1887. Mr. Bessason again went to make his home with his
brother-in-law, Paul Dalman. He died May 16, 1903.
Mrs. Einer Bessason was a hard-working woman of splendid
character. She went through hardships in making and keeping
a home in America.
Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bessason in
Iceland. Kristen and Vigfus both died when children. A daughter
came with her parents to America and was married to Helgie
Helgason in 1890. They had two children; Einer Victor and Lelja
Odni, both married but married names and address, unknown.
Mrs. Einer Bessason, Gardar, N. D.
(Lelja Vigfusdottir)
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kent@mh.is
Robert T. Kristjanson
125 5th Avenue
Gimli, MB R0C 1B0
Fax: 204-642-7306
Phone: 204-642-5283