Sigurður & María
(Jóhannsdóttir) Einarsson
Benediktson Sigurður and María’s first child, Vilhjalmar Stefán (Villi), was born June 10, 1898 (d. March 16, 1945). He grew up helping Dad on the farm but always stayed with his Grandparents, Mother’s parents and lived with Amma after Jóhann died in 1923. Amma Sigríður died in June 1932. Villi married Ella Benediktson in 1937. They had one daughter, Wilma Stefania, born June 20, 1938 – died May 21, 1999.
Einar Alex was born August 16, 1899. He lived with his father’s parents at Adnum, but moved to our parent’s home after the big house was built. He never married, was very fond of children, and they all loved Uncle Einar. He always had some treats for them.
Haraldur (Harry) the third son was born May 22, 1901. He grew up helping on the farm and also tended fishing. He married Kristjána Johnson in May 1929. They lived in Gimli, but for many years he worked on a farm three miles west of town. He walked to work and back home each day. They had one son, Ken.
Bergthóra (Begga) was the first daughter born March 18, 1903. That was the year after our parents homesteaded their farm, better known as Thórsmörk. Begga finished her High School education in Gimli, boarding with Helgi Benson family. From there she went to Winnipeg to attend Normal School, for teachers in training. Her first teaching position was in Antler, Saskatchewan. She taught there for a number of years.
That was the 1930s when the Depression hit and was especially severe in Saskatchewan where it was so dry, and all the good farm soil was blowing away. While in Antler she boarded with the Magnus Tait family and married Leonard, one of the sons. Stanley, their eldest son was born in Antler.
Due to severe hardships on the prairies during the thirties Leonard and his brothers went to Vancouver and were able to secure employment on the docks. In due time Begga, with Stanley, Clara (Leonard’s sister), and with parents Thórunn and Magnús, packed what they could in their old car and set out to Vancouver to join the boys. Another son, Allan Sigurdur, was born in Vancouver.
Meanwhile some of Len’s brothers had gone to Miami, Florida and established an accounting firm. The family again moved to moved to Miami where they prospered. Stanley and Allan with their families still live there. Begga died in 1975.
Begga wrote her mother weekly and kept her abreast of all the family doings.
Thoroddur Skafti (Doddi), was born on April 14, 1905. He grew up on the farm and also fished. He married Elinborg Eriksson in 1929. They had three children, Eileen, Wallace, and Lois. Elinborg contracted Rheumatic Fever and was semi-invalid after that. The family managed with limited help while Doddi was away fishing. Later Doddi and brother Stanley bought the butcher shop in town. Doddi suffered a heart attack and died May 24, 1949.
Palmi was born on August 10, 1906. Palmi was a very fastidious man. I remember during the 20s when the grasshoppers were so numerous, Palmi refused to eat eggs, which were the mainstay of our diet during the summer months because he said the chickens ate too many grasshoppers. He was very particular about his clothes and belongings. He married Helga Arason and they had many good years together. He really loved children, though he never had any of his own, he and Helga were very kind to nieces and nephews, of which there were many. My girls loved to go stay with them for a few days in the summer, they each had a turn. Palmi would treat them to ice-cream every evening, and the visit always included a trip to Winnipeg Beach, which at the time had a boardwalk and carnival rides.
Stanley Sigurður was born December 3, 1908. He was a very fair and kind-hearted man like his brothers. In his youth he went to live with his uncle Palmi—they only had daughters and needed help with outside chores. After the family moved to the big house he came home to stay. He married Herdis Helgason in 1929 and they had three daughters and one son, June, Lillian, Gail, and Sigurdur or Siggi as he was called. They established themselves in Gimli where Stanley worked at fishing and later was in partnership with his brother Doddi in the Butcher Shop. They later bought a farm in the Minerva district and prospered there. Stanley died on October 16, 1961.
Guðrún Nanna (Runa) was the second daughter born January 7, 1909. She was born with a natural talent as a seamstress, and was making dresses for her sisters at a very young age. She was married to Jóhann Intimae Ingimundson and they lived in Winnipeg. They adopted two children, Bruce and Joanna. Ingi died January 30, 1951 following surgery. Runa went to work for the T. Eaton Co. in their sewing room. There she put her natural talent to work sewing drapes and curtains for many fine homes in Winnipeg. Even as a widow with two young children, a full time job and a house to take care for she still found the time to sew many a dress for my girls and mother depended on her for really all her shopping. Runa also wrote her mother on a weekly basis with all the news form Winnipeg.