Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.11.2018, Page 10

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10 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • November 1 2018
Directors and sponsors
Grant Stefanson
Winnipeg attorney Grant Stefanson
joined the paper’s board of directors
in 2000 and became vice president in
2001. After holding that position for
three years, he took on the presidency
of Lögberg-Heimskringla for the next
“baker’s dozen.”
Grant was born to Dennis and Claire
Stefanson in Winnipeg. He and his wife,
Shannon, are the proud parents of three
daughters: Jilian, Reyna, and Natalie.
Grant has been a partner at the law
firm of MLT Aikins since 2017, having
moved over from D’Arcy and Deacon
where he was a managing partner. He is
very community-minded and serves as
the president of the Icelandic Festival of
Manitoba, is the co-chair of the Viking
Park Campaign, and past president of
the Fort Whyte Progressive Conservative
Association.
Julianna Bjornson
Julianna began as Lögberg-
Heimskringla’s secretary to the board
in 1999 and became its president in
February 2001. She held that position
for three years before becoming vice
president for another seven.
Julianna was born to Bjorn (Barney)
and Virginia Bjornson, farmers and seed-
growers in the Riverton area. She lives
in Ladner, BC, with her husband, Tim
Vuorela, and their two sons, Kai and
Braden.
While living in Winnipeg, Julianna
was president of her condo association for
many years. She completed her master’s
degree in educational administration,
foundations and psychology from the
University of Manitoba, and began
teaching at Delta Secondary School
in 2005. She currently teaches special
education at the same school while
raising her two active sons.
Bill Perlmutter
Bill served two terms as treasurer for
our paper, over the course of many years.
He took a well-deserved rest in 2008.
Bill was born in Winnipeg to Jack
and Betty (Johnston) Perlmutter and
grew up in the old West End of the city.
His maternal grandparents were Páll
Pétursson and Helga Bardal Johnston.
Bill and Kristine have three children:
David and twins Signy and Sara.
He attended the University of
Manitoba, graduating with a BSc and
an MBA. He is married to Kristine
Jakobson and both have been heavily
involved in the Icelandic community. Bill
was treasurer for the Núna (Now) Arts
Festival. Currently, Bill serves on the
board of the Canada Iceland Foundation
and is treasurer for CJNU 93.7 FM.
Elva Jonasson
Elva was a very dedicated
member of the board of directors of
L-H beginning in 1998. During her
remarkable service of 16 years, she
took on a variety of roles – including
vice president and interim president.
However, her most long-lasting service
was as secretary to the board, a role that
she fulfilled for over a decade. Elva was
a hardworking board member, serving
on many committees and helping
to edit and proofread the paper. She
also wrote articles from time to time.
She was born in Riverton to Franklin
Norman and Kristlaug (Olson) Olafson.
She was married to Steingrimur (Steini)
Jonasson for 67 years and they had a
family of three boys: Gregory, Mark, and
Brent; and two girls: Marina and Kendra.
In addition to her duties with
the paper, Elva was the Fjallkóna at
Íslendingadagurinn in 2009, served on
the boards of the Icelandic National
League of North America and the
Icelandic Festival of Manitoba, and is
a founding member of three china- and
porcelain-painting organizations.
Brian Tomasson
Brian joined the board in 2003 and
continued until 2015. During that time he
headed the subscriptions committee and
was a member of the public relations and
marketing committee. From time to time,
he has delighted readers of Lögberg-
Heimskringla with his amazing and
amusing stories.
Brian was born in the Rural
Municipality of Bifrost, Manitoba,
to Guðmundur Tómasson (born in
Iceland) and his wife Gíslina (Lina). He
has fond memories of spending all his
summers in Lundar. He was married to
his late wife Alys for 25 years and both
were good friends of L-H. He has three
children, Ronald, Robert, and Karen,
and two step-children.
Brian had a 40-year long career
with Continental Can Company doing
equipment maintenance. Brian is an
avid collector in several areas: historical
postcards, which he has shared with
L-H on several occasions; historical
photographs, which he shares with
family; and coins.
Dr. Allan Johnson
Allan served as a director of
Lögberg-Heimskringla for five years
beginning in 2007. He was a very active
member of the board, serving on several
ad-hoc committees, including one to
update staff job descriptions. A particular
interest of Allan’s was representation of
geographical areas in newspaper articles.
Allan’s expertise in organizational
structure and governance helped the
paper in so many different ways.
Allan was the eldest of three sons
born to Haraldur and Margaret Johnson
of Langruth, Manitoba. He has three
daughters: Kathleen, Colleen, and
Karen. He has been married to Joanne
(Frederickson) Di Cosimo for the past 16
years and they live in Gatineau, Quebec.
Allan was an educator in the
Winnipeg School Division, going on
to get his PhD and focusing more on
governance issues in education. He
enjoys genealogy and the history of the
area in which he was born.
Dr. Lyle Hillman
Lyle was a member of the L-H
board of directors for six years, ably
representing North Dakota readers.
During his tenure, he organized and
assisted in L-H participation in the Deuce
of August festival in Mountain, ND,
which he has continued until the present.
Lyle was born in the Icelandic
settlement of Mouse River, ND, to
John and Pauline (Westford) Hillman,
themselves both North Dakota natives.
Lyle and his wife, Diane, are proud
parents of four daughters: Angela,
Natalie, Maria, and Martha. They have
eight grandchildren.
Lyle graduated from the University
of Washington in Seattle with his MD
and then served with the U.S. Navy as a
doctor before joining a family practice
clinic. He then enrolled in a residency at
the University of Minnesota in diagnostic
radiology and worked until his retirement
in that field. Lyle and Diane now live in
Brainerd, MN, and enjoy playing bridge.
Lyle is also an avid golfer.
Dr. Ron Goodman
Ron served on the board of directors
for Lögberg-Heimskringla for several
years.
He was born in Nipawin,
Saskatchewan, to Hallur Sigursteinn
(born in Iceland) and Hazel Goodman.
He attended the University of
Saskatchewan, where he obtained his
BSc in physics. Further studies took
him to McMaster University, where he
obtained a PhD in nuclear physics. Over
the years, he has been an innovator in
many aspects of physics and computer
programs related to it.
He has worked for two government
agencies, Canada’s Department of
Energy Mines and Resources and the
Department of the Environment, as
well as in the environmental department
of Imperial Oil. Ron is the founder of
Innovative Ventures in Calgary.
Ron and his wife Helene have one
daughter, Margaret. He became the
33rd president of the Icelandic National
League of North America and served in
that position for two years.
Middle row: Brian
Tomasson, Dr. Allan
Johnson, Dr. Lyle Hillman,
Dr. Ron Goodman, Ernest
Stefanson. Bottom row:
Margaret Kernested, Skuli
Sigfusson, Guðrún Viola
Bjarnason Hilton,
Arni Thorsteinson.
LÖGBERG-HEIMSKRINGLA
is proud to host Ljósanótt, an
evening of lights on Friday,
November 9, 2018. We honour the
legion of dedicated individuals who
have helped maintain Icelandic
culture in North America through
their untiring support of Lögberg-
Heimskringla – past presidents, past
directors, former editors, and one of
our senior subscription sponsors.
evening of lights
Honourees Grant Stefanson, Julianna Bjornson, Bill Perlmutter, Elva Jonasson