L. Einar & U. Rosalind Vigfusson
Johannes and Olga were married on Aug. 1, 1942, and spent their married life in the Geysir district. Johannes was a gifted musician and had attained his ARCT in violin studies in the 1930s. He was a perfectionist in all his endeavours, and was versatile and gifted in many areas. He taught violin and music theory, tuned pianos, conducted choirs, did violin and piano repairs, was a carpenter, mechanic, welder etc.
Olga is a typical farm wife and mother. She has always been there for her husband, children, and many nieces and nephews. We have all benefitted greatly from her natural problem solving abilities and her optimistic nature. She has had a lifetime love of sketching and painting and has enjoyed taking part in various choirs and musicals. After Johannes died in 1970, Olga married Thorberg Johannesson in 1971. They shared twenty-five happy years of marriage until his death in 1986.
Johannes and Olga had three children: Una Rosalind (b. Mar. 25, 1944), Salin Jona (b. June 28, 1945), and Baldur Johannes (b. Apr. 20, 1952-d. May 6, 1974). I spent my childhood years Geysir, and attended school in Geysir and Arborg. I graduated as an RN from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1965. After working for four years at Winnipeg General Hospital, and spending six months touring Europe, I returned home to work in Arborg. My career at the Arborg Hospital and with Home Care Services has spanned thirty-five years.
I have been fortunate to inherit some of my family’s natural musical ability and have thoroughly enjoyed being involved with choirs, musicals, and playing piano “for fun”. I have enjoyed taking part in community affairs and have spent many years as an Honourary Kinette, as part of the Curling Club Executive, and seven years on the Arborg Hospital board.
I met Einar while he was a patient at the Arborg Hospital in February 1971, and we were married later that year. We have been blessed with two sons: Eric Paul (b. Nov. 22, 1972) and Kristian David Einar (b. Feb. 27, 1986), both of whom have brought us great joy and purpose in life.
The Vigfusson Family:
(Left to Right) Einar, Eric, Kristian, and Rosalind
Einar has also spent time on various community endeavours, such as the Credit Union Board, Manitoba Pool Elevators, and was a councillor for the RM of Bifrost for four years. He has always had an artistic interest and, in 1984, he discovered Realistic Wildfowl carving. He has studied with some of the world’s best carvers, but has retained a style of his own. He is known for a feeling of movement and a placement of time in his pieces. Since 1985, he has competed successfully in Canada and the USA, and in 1999, was invited to mount an exhibition at three different venues in Iceland. This was an unforgettable highlight of his carving career and a wonderful holiday experience for all of us.