Harold & Ágústína Bjarnason
By Dr. Harold F. Bjarnason
Margrét Bjarnadóttir, Gusta’s mother (b. March 24,1866, Viðivellir, Steingrímsfjördur, Strandasýsla, d. September 3, 1938, Gimli), was the daughter of Bjarni Jónsson, (b. November 15, 1824, Reykholdsveit, son of Jón Einarsson homeopathic doctor in Ísafjörðasysla and grandson of Einar, surgeon for north-west Iceland; d. July 27, 1909, Gimli) and Steinunn Hjaltadóttir (b. July 23, 1825, Hólum, Staðardal, d. July 23, 1884, Viðivellir). Bjarni and Steinunn had 8 children. Steinunn and 6 children died from typhoid fever in 1884. In 1888, Guðmundur and Margrét, her sister Júliana and father Bjarni emigrated from Iceland to Canada. Júliana died of illness in Winnipeg two years later.
Harold and Gusta had five children – Margaret Ann (b. June 26, 1936, married Victor Amirault June 16, 1956. They have four children – Kimberly Martinsen, Rachelle Cameron, David Amirault and Susan Ingrid (Hunt) Amirault); Harold Frederick Ph.D., currently Dean of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba (b. August 13, 1938, married Brenda Matthes May 21, 1971. They have two children – Lee Anne and Benjamin John); Carol Guðveig R.N. (b. December 22, 1939, married Bill Foster, June 4, 1966. They have three children, Jón, Margrét Kathleen and Ben Thor); Linda Joan (b. January 8, 1941, married Arnold Birch, December 26, 1963. Linda has one son, Warren Arni); and David Franklin M.D., currently Head of Rheumatology, Marshfield Clinic, Wisconsin, U.S.A. (b. September 28, 1942, married Mary Klingsporn, June 20, 1970. They have two children, Kris and Brynja).
Harold and Ágústína lived in Gimli until 1961, when they retired to Victoria, B.C. Harold died in Victoria, August 2, 1974. Gusta later moved to Vancouver, and died there, October 11, 1995.
(Back) Margaret, Harold (Front) Carol, David, and Linda
This “Book of Life” summary is a tribute to the memory of Harold and Ágústína Bjarnason, and the contributions they made to the town of Gimli. In addition to being a highly successful businessman, Harold was very service and community minded. He served on the Board of the Betel Home for years. He was a school trustee, Treasurer of the Gimli Lutheran Church and the church cemetery for decades, and a founder of the Gimli curling club. He was an active athlete in his youth (a bicycle racing champion and participant in organized baseball, soccer, tennis, and in hockey, he was a spare on the Olympic champion Winnipeg Falcons team). Gusta, who took a job in Winnipeg at age of 17, returned to Gimli shortly afterward to care, during the next 12 years, for her mother, who had become bedridden from a stroke. Gusta was always active in the Gimli Lutheran Ladies Aid, and served in Victoria as President of the Icelandic Club. Both were loving and supportive parents, proud of their Icelandic heritage, and outstanding citizens of our country.