The Icelandic Canadian - 01.10.2002, Page 12

54
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 57 #2
My mother's side came from the
Borganess region of Iceland with very rich
farm land. They were not driven out but
came for their own reasons. They came
directly to Winnipeg. My mother's eldest
sister, Kristine was the only child born in
Iceland, the rest all being born in
Winnipeg.
My grandfather was Helgi Johnson
(Jonsson) and my grandmother, Asta. They
had a large family.
I've often joked that I am Icelandic on
three sides as my mother married Wilhelm
Kristjanson when I was 13 years of age.
Wilhelm was the author of Icelandic People
of Manitoba an often used scholarly
source. He was from the Lundar area. Both
his parents were from Iceland.
I had a very large extended family in
North Dakota and enjoyed spending my
summers there after my mother moved
back to Winnipeg. I would go back and
forth among the farm families there. My
grandfather's very modest log cabin had no
heating or water but it was in a very beau-
tiful setting where I had many good times.
These were good summers.
In earlier days, Mary had been my only
sibling, so when my mother remarried I
acquired three more siblings. Ronald, who
died from cancer six years ago and two sis-
ters, Evelyn and Dorothy. I had a large
extended family in the West End of
Winnipeg—Neil Bardal and Jean, Magnus
Johnson, his twin brothers and two sisters
and Gordon and Don Olson. I was fortu-
nate to have two such large families—a
good network of kin. Now they are spread
out in the western States and all over
Canada in different directions. We have
had the occasional reunions. One in North
Dakota three years ago and another in
Manitoba seven years ago. My son Stephen
was able to attend both. I've always felt a
strong sense of family with my cousins
both in North Dakota and Manitoba. I
organized the reunion in North Dakota.
I was married twice. My first wife was
Carolyn Weesner. The marriage broke up
after 12 years. She had her Ph.D. in anthro-
pology and taught full time at University of
Winnipeg. Once separated, she returned to
the United States as she was American. We
had adopted an Inuit daughter, Nancy,
when she was six going on seven. In the fol-
lowing year, Carolyn conceived our son
Stephen, so we had two children.
In the separation, both children went
with Carolyn to Arizona for the winter,
returning to me in the summer. Nancy had
many, many problems and so she remained
with me full time. I brought her up as a sin-
gle parent.
Stephen is married to Jill, and they
have two sons, Harry and Kai. Nancy was
married and has two little girls, not little,
now teenagers. They are living with their
father. I see them periodically.
Very importantly, at present there is a
very special person in my life—Bernice
Martinson Lawrence. We have had a won-
derful four-year relationship.
When I was 18 years of age in third
year at United College, which was then a
part of University of Manitoba, I came
down with tuberculosis. This was unusual
for a university student at the time to deve-
lope the disease. Diagnosis sent me off to
the Sanitarium at Ninette, Manitoba, where
I spent a year and half and had major
tjodraeknisfelag Islendinga \ Vesturheimi
PRESIDENT: SIGRID JOHNSON
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#103-94 First Ave. Gimli, MB ROC 1B1
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