The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.2004, Side 48

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 58 #3
a turn at urging the cows and sheep along
behind. Ten miles per day would seem
like a good estimate of accomplishment,
so it was no picnic! The first view of Tent
City would have brought many sighs of
relief.
In the first year the Danielson family
lived with a family of relatives in a small
house on their farm. We can just imagine
the crowded situation with wall to wall
people! Later Jonas was able to obtain a
farm north-east of the town in what
became the Croppertops School area. To
that school Gudrun and some of her sib-
lings walked through sloughs, bush and
meadows. On occasions, sightings of
moose caused a bit of excitement and con-
cern. There Gudrun reached what she
called “The third book.” Her knowledge
and wisdom went far beyond that level!
But this story is about Johanna, my
Icelandic Grandma”, and I mustn’t digress
too much!
A new town was growing about
twelve miles north of Swan River, named
Bowsman River, and this became the
shopping centre. Roads were but wagon
trails, drainage was next to non-existent so
shopping was not an easy task. Haldor
often carried a 50 pound bag of flour the
eight miles from town to home. Flour, tea
and sugar were about the only store-
bought goodies. The rest was farm or
bush produced.
You will notice in the birth record
from the Bible, a baby girl was born in
1888, and named for the wee one that died
at sea, “Sigurhlif”. At Swan River she was
married to Jack Skagfjord. They had a boy
and a girl, Allie and Asta. When Sigurlif died
in 1915, Johanna added them to her house-
hold care and kept them to adult life. There
was often not much on the table, but a will-
ingness to share was a characteristic, inbred
and outpracticed by the Danielsons.
Hard work, poverty, sorrow and lots of
love followed them all their days, whether in
Iceland, North Dakota or Swan Valley. I
revere their memory and profit by their
example and heritage.
Jonas died June 6, 1930, in his ninety-sec-
ond year. Johanna died January 10, 1936, in
her eighty-first year.
Among some papers that came from my
mother’s things recently was a poem that my
grandfather, Jonas, wrote for my parents on
the occasion of their wedding. Linda
Peckover Korte, who spent some time in
Iceland, graciously translated it for us. It
reveals some things about my grandpa’s faith
that I didn’t know. Also, it gives added mean-
ing to the inscription on my grandparents’
tombstone, “Safe in the arms of Jesus”. So as
a fitting conclusion to my little story, I pre-
sent the following:
To Gudrun and Hilliard:
Happiness, may you have, and all things.
The couple will stand together,
Putting all in the Lord’s care.
I wish with all my heart, and also pray,
Joy in all trials.
Young married couple, the Lord is there.
In valley or dale,
God is there to uplift.
Have God steering the ship;
Have faith in Jesus’ Name,
Then you will never be shipwrecked,
Though any problems come,
All will be well.”