The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.1994, Síða 49

SPRING, 1994
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
159
accept an offer to work for the Free
Press Weekly Prairie Farmer based in
Winnipeg.
This became Caroline’s major life’s
work, for she stayed at the Free Press
Weekly Prairie Farmer for over twenty
years. She wrote weekly columns on
almost every subject imaginable. She
had complete freedom of expression.
She loved being involved with rural
Prairie people and events. As editior of
the Women’s Section, she was able to
cover a wide range of topics and
engage the progressively-minded farm
women in the most current issues.
Items included in the five page section
ranged from current news, special
achievements of farm women,
fashion, household hints and just
about everything else pertaining to
the women’s activities of the day. This
position also provided Caroline with
the opportunity to travel which was
something she also enjoyed. While
with the Free Press Weekly Prairie
Farmer she also wrote under the by-
lines, “Martha’s Methods” by Martha
Creighton and “Hints from Heloise.”
Many friends and relatives only
recently learned that Caroline had
been the author of last two! A
highlight at the end of this phase of
her career was the opportunity to
cover the conference “Country Women
of the World,” which took place in
1967.
Caroline recalls the comradely at
the “Press” during those years. She
says everybody “pulled together” and
helped each other out. Her
friendships from the “Press” meant a
great deal to her. She was elected
president of the Winnipeg Branch of
the Canadian Women’s Press Club in
1957.
During this period, Caroline always
maintained a lovely home, usually in
the Wolseley district of Winnipeg,
where she entertained in typical
Icelandic style — making coffee for all
who called. Her treasured possessions
included paintings from her birth
place in Iceland, and a clock from
Iceland that her father had given her
mother when they were engaged.
Another article that almost took on
human attributes with Caroline, was
her typewriter, ‘Kolfreyja.’ This
typewriter is of an earlier vintage, but
served her well. When she moved
from the Free Press to Logberg-
Heimskringla, Caroline had ‘Kolfreyja’
adapted to the Icelandic alphabet.
And as is the case with most
Icelanders, books too were an
important part of her household.
Caroline went to work for the
Icelandic weekly, Logberg-Heims-
kringla once she had retired from the
Free Press Weekly Prairie Farmer.
This position she held for five years.
An outspoken person, she did have
her battles with the newspaper’s
board of directors. She tells of being
directed not to “take sides” with the
Icelanders in the Cod Wars. This did
not sit well with Caroline! She did
manage to get a larger amount of the
paper into English, knowing that the
readership was becoming less and
less fluent in Icelandic. This had
another side to it however, because as
she saw the Icelandic language slowly
disappearing, she pondered if there
would be need in the future for an
Icelandic weekly.
Caroline also wrote for other
publications such as the Winnipeg
Tribune, Winnipeg Free Press and
The Icelandic Canadian. She was an
active member of the Icelandic
community and was often sought out
for her knowledge and reliable work.
And, there was nothing she loved
more than a good conversation or dis-
cussion on any current topic,
preferably while enjoying a cup of
coffee and a cigarette.
In 1977, the Icelandic community
honoured Caroline by asking her to