The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1967, Page 95

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
93
wilderness, and the homes of million-
aires in the large cities of the United
States. I have stayed in turn in the
finest hotels in the States and Canada,
and slept on the floor of an Indian
cabin, or camped in the woods with
snow at my back and a fire in front
and I have slept well.”
**
Helgi Ei.nars.son died in December,
1961, at the age of 91 years. His grave
is high up on the banks of the Dauphin
River, overlooking the stream where
it enters into Sturgeon Bay on Lake
Winnipeg. His grave was dug by
friends, his pinewood coffin was nailed
down by his sons, and his four sons
carried the coffin to the grave.
Said the service-station attendant at
Gypsumville to the minister returning
from the funeral which he had con-
ducted: “So you were burying old
Helgi Einarsson today. He was a good
man and would have been wealthy if
so many hadn’t stolen from him.”
Three old-timers at Ashern who
knew Einarsson personally have writ-
ten: “Helgi never drank and would
never have sold liquor to the Indians
or to any other man who was under
the influence of alcohol”.
The money which Helgi Einarsson
made sifted through his fingers, but
he died having earned the high esteem
of all who knew him.
—From the Winnipeg Free Press
The Dorcas Society by Mat,ie HalMorson
An Icelandic Lutheran congregation,
the origin of the First Lutheran
Church, was formed in Winnipeg in
1878. It is interesting to note that a
woman, Andrea Fischer, was elected to
serve on the first Board of Trustees.
Two women were chosen to work on
the first Board of Deacons.
In 1886, frti Lara Bjarnason, the
wife of 'the pastor, was instrumental
in forming a “Kvenfelag”, or Ladies’
Aid, as it was later called. They have
been active throughout all the yeras.
Last year their eightieth anniversary
was suitably celebrated by the Church.
In 1931 it was felt that the time -had
come when it was necessary to form
a women’s organization which would
conduct it’s meetings in the English
language. Through the efforts of Mrs.
B. B. Jonsson, the pastor’s wife, The
Women’s Association was formed.
They continued to work in the interest
of The First Lutheran Church until
1966 when they amalgamated with The
Dorcas Society of the Church to be-
come The First Lutheran Church Wo-
men.
In 1949 The Women’s Association,
through 'the president, Mrs. V. J. Ey-
lands, the pastor’s wife, deemed it
advisable to sponsor an evening group
for young married women and business
women who were unable to attend
afternoon meetings. On January 7th,
1949, The Dorcas Society was organ-
ized, with thirty charter members. At
one time there were 150 on 'the mem-
bership roll. The main article of the
constitution was that the society would
support the church spiritually and fin-
ancially.
Several names were considered for
the new group but when the ballots
were read the name Dorcas, a name
taken from the Bible, was chosen. Dor-