The Icelandic Canadian - 01.04.2001, Page 19

Vol. 56 #2
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
57
France. But, what can be seen makes more
sense than a story and there is many a bold
man in this family, especially in
PingeyjarjMngi, but then the family is scat-
tered all over the country as well.
The children of Jon and Kristin are:
Sigurbjorg Isabella, married to DaviS
Stefansson, GuSmundsson (from Kuajjing)
who now lives in Arborg. Second: Jon
Valdimar. He joined the Canadian Army on
Nov. 4, 1915, the Fort Garry Battalion No.
551-242 (?). He went to England in Jan. 1916
and to the front lines in France in June the
same year and has been there since. He has
not been wounded yet as far as men know.
Their third child was named Marino, who
died when he was two weeks old. Kristin,
Jon’s wife, was born at Graenavatn by Myvatn
and lived in that parish until she had been
confirmed. Then she moved to her parents
who then lived at BrettingstaSir in Laxdalur at
that time. Shortly after she moved back to her
parent’s home her father died. Her mother,
Kristbjdrg, married again to Sigurjon
Davidson. Then they moved to Skard in
Reykjahverfi and lived there for a short while
and then later on moved to Hvammur or
Reykjadalur. After that Kristin didn’t stay
with them much. She went to Canada early
on. Kristin became ill with dropsy in 1907
and died in May 1909. She was bom on Feb.
13, 1862 and was buried in the cemetery (the
newest) at Hnausa.
4. Chapter
When Jon worked as a labourer in
Winnipeg, which has been mentioned before,
he studied English at the Central School in
Winnipeg, for only two months. He speaks
and writes English so well that he holds and
performs the duties of an officer for public
affairs. He is very much for all things
Icelandic and speaks and writes pure
Icelandic and reads a lot of Icelandic books in
comparison to what is fashionable according
to Canadian standards.
After Jon took over his parents’ farm he
fished on Lake Winnipeg for eighteen years.
He was either at the fishing station or hauling
fish to market. In those days it was a long way
to haul the fish to market, from far north of
the lake all the way to Selkirk. As time passed
the route shortened a bit more as the con-
struction of the road advanced further north,
first to Winnipeg Beach, next to Gimli and
then to Riverton. This extension took many
The Sigurdson house in 1908.