The Icelandic connection - 01.06.2014, Page 21

Vol. 66 #4
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
163
My Afi’s Story
by Keith Eliasson
Each summer I looked forward to
the visit from my Afi Elias. Elias
had moved to Vancouver to live with his
daughter Lara. He came to Manitoba
every summer to spend time with his
son Gissur and daughter in law Elvira
and their four children in Winnipeg.
With Islendingadagurinn he made the
shift north and then on to Riverton for a
visit with mother (Loa) and me. The visit
always included some time in Arborg
which had been home to Elias and his
family. He usually stayed most of the
month with us.
It was important for Elias to visit with
Dr. S. O.Thompson when he came to visit
us. Elias had met Dr. Thompson when
they were in the army. There were many
evenings spent with Jon Eirikson (my
other Afi), Dr. S. O. Thompson and Elias
Eliasson where I was a “fly on the wall”
listening to their many stories while they
sampled “Hoffman Dropar” (Schnapps)
in sugar cubes and coffee.
It was after one of these sessions
during which Elias and Doctor Thompson
had discussed their war experiences that I
asked my Afi what it had been like during
the war. The first reaction was for him to
pull up the leg of his trousers to show the
wound he had received in the thigh. There
was a scar the size of a silver dollar with
a depression in the thigh around it. Of
course I was impressed when he indicated
that the bullet was still in there and he
was lucky to be here telling me his story.
My afi Elias Eliasson was born
in Sydri-Steinsmyri in Iceland on 22
February 1880. He apprentised to become
a carpenter and while working met
Gudbjorg Sasmundsdottir. For whatever
reason they were unable to marry in
Iceland so Elias, his brother Erasmus, and
Gudbjorg all emigrated to America in
1910. Elias and Gudbjorg were married
in Winnipeg in 1911 and soon had a
son Gissur. They decided to move to
Arborg where there was more demand
for a carpenter and a less hectic location
to raise a family. By 1916 there were two
more children, Marino and Lara.
Elias enlisted in the army in 1916.
He was part of the large contingent of
Icelandic recruits from the Interlake.
Although he was familiar with English
he still preferred to communicate in
Icelandic. He insisted that Gudbjorg
have a picture taken of her and the three
children that he could have with him
on this expedition. After training camp
in Canada Elias was sent overseas and
after a short training in England he was
assigned to a battalion in France.
One of Elias’s traits was punctuality.
He always carried a pocketwatch and
was usually early for any appointment.
This could have caused him to meet an
unfortunate end. The battalion that he
was serving in asked for volunteers to
lead a foray behind the enemy lines. Elias
was one of the first to join the volunteers.
However he realized that he did not have
his watch nor his family picture. He went
back to where he had been and searched for