The Icelandic Canadian - 01.04.2009, Page 22

64
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 62 #2
As wife of the pastor, Lara had an
opportunity to become an influential force
in the pioneer communities, and she
embraced the role. She taught school in
Gimli in 1878 and 1879 shortly after the
new settlement began. Later in 1879, Rev.
Bjarnason became the pastor of the First
Lutheran Church in Winnipeg. There Lara
became the music leader in the church,
leading choirs and other musical activities.
Their home became a place where people
came to play, learn and enjoy music. The
Bjarnasons had no children of their own,
but adopted three children. Rev. Bjarnason
struggled with health issues off and on dur-
ing his 30 years as pastor of the First
Lutheran Church. In addition to caring for
their children, Lara also cared for her hus-
band through his bouts of illness.
Lara Bjarnason was also very involved
in social issues. In 1881 she was active in
the Icelandic Women’s Society, which was
an organization that provided for the many
needs of the Icelandic immigrants and
taught them how to adapt to their new
country. In 1884, she was on the executive
of the Temperance Society in Winnipeg. In
1886, she provided strong leadership in the
new formed Ladies’ Aid of the First
Lutheran Church in Winnipeg. She led sev-
eral fundraising efforts to raise money for
the church and community. She is best
remembered for being the first to voice the
need for a home for aged and or homeless
Icelanders. Her suggestion was the impetus
for the fundraising of the Ladies’ Aid
towards the creation of Betel Homes,
which continues to exist today. The Rev.
Bjarnason died from his illness in 1914.
Lara Bjarnason passed away in 1921.
(Kristjanson (1965) p. 63 121-122, 197;
Thomas (1947) Thorvaldson (1995)
Lara Bjarnason received her formal
education in Iceland as a musician and
learned informally to teach school in New
Iceland’s education system. She must have
also learned to speak English before com-
ing to New Iceland because the Icelandic
pioneers had insisted on English as the lan-
guage of instruction in their schools from
the outset. Informally, she probably
expanded her musical abilities through the
musical influence of her father.
As wife of a pastor, she was able to
influence the non formal and informal
learning of Icelandic pioneer women pri-
marily in Winnipeg, but also in New
Iceland and Argyle. Non formally, she pro-
vided choir and musical instruction in the
First Lutheran Church in Winnipeg, and
informally, she provided musical opportu-
nities in her home. Her leadership in orga-
nizations such as the Ladies’ Aid, Icelandic
Women’s Society and Temperance Society
contributed to the non formal learning of
their members. The instruction she provid-
ed to new immigrants in her home provid-
ed informal lessons of assimilation. Lara
Bjarnason took full advantage of her privi-
leged position as the pastor’s wife to influ-
ence the learning of the Icelandic pioneers.
Kristrun (Petursdottir) Fridfinnson
Kristrun Fridfinnson is described as a
small woman with dark hair and striking
blue eyes. She was born in Iceland in 1850
and came to Manitoba with her husband
Sigurdur and two sons. They had faced
many hardships while in Iceland, including
the emotional hardship of losing two
young daughters in one week. During her
lifetime, Kristrun gave birth twelve times,
with only five sons surviving to maturity.
When she and Sigurdur arrived in the