The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.1968, Page 34

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Autumn 1968
Hjalamir and Holmfridur Danielson Invited to Iceland
HJALMUR F. DANIELSON MRS HOLMFRIDUR DANIELSON
In July of this year Hjalmur and
Holmfridur Danielson, of 869 Garfield
Street, Winnipeg, visited Iceland as
the invited guests of the Patriotic
League in Reykjavik, Iceland, and the
Snaefellsnes and Hunavatns Societies,
in recognition of their manifold ser-
vices in the interest of the Icelandic
heritage in Canada and the United
States.
Hjalmur Danielson was born at
Hdlmlatur in Snaefellsnessysla. The
family emigrated to Canada in 1894,
proceeding direct to the Icelandic
pioneer settlement at Shoal Lake, east
of Lundar, in the Manitoba Interlake
district.
Hjalmur’s interest in literature and
his community service were displayed
early on his initiative and that of
Bjorn Thorsteinson in the develop-
ment of a very fine community library,
referred to by the poet Guttormur J.
Guttormsson as his university.
Hjalmur was one of the early gener-
ation of Icelandic students who at-
tended the Manitoba Agricultural Col-
lege, from which institution he receiv-
ed his B.S.A. degree in 1915. Two of
the M.A.C. graduates, Hjalmur Daniel-
son and Sigfus Sigfusson, for some time
contributed to one of the Icelandic
weeklies a page on agricultural mat-
ters.
Shortly after graduation, in March,
1916, Hjalmur enlisted for overseas
service with a field ambulance unit
and served at forward casualty clearing
stations, and with the army of oc-
cupation in Germany after the Arm-
istice.