A handwritten letter from Bena Freeman to Robin Olason circa 1970's: My mother was Stefania Maria Johannesdottir, her mother was Sigurbjorg Kristjansdottir. My father was Pjetur Finnson, his father was Finnur Finnson. Your amma (Maria) was born at Ljosavatn, in Thingeyarsyslu and as far as I know, lived there until she was twenty. When she was nineteen she contracted typhoid fever and was so ill she lost all her hair and was so crippled she couldn't walk. Everyone thought she would always be a cripple but she was determined she would not, so she tried walking; little by little her legs straightened out, her hair grew back, ringlets all over her head and she made up her mind to go to America. Her sister Sigridur Hall and her husband Steingrimur had already gone (to America) and were living in North Dakota so she wrote to them and they loaned her the money for the fare.

My dad was born at his dad's home, at (his farm), Fitjum, in Hunavatnssyslu. All the farms had names and I guess his farm was quite large, he was considered well off and very well thought of. But he had so many children that, I guess there wasn't enough room for little Pjetur. He was raised by his oldest brother, Jacob.

When dad was fourteen he left home and supported himself from then on. He went to some town on the coast and went fishing, I guess he must have worked on farms between fishing seasons because when he was nineteen he decided to go to America. He had earned some sheep (that's the way they were paid, so he sold his sheep, but when he was ready to go, he couldn't get his money so he had to wait one more year. Well, that was the same ship that took mom so they met.

Well she was seasick all the way over and he helped her all he could and fell in love with her and vowed that she was the girl he was going to marry.

They both went to Winnipeg, Dad's sister Steinunn Baker lived there and mom's sister lived in Gardar, North Dakota. After three years they were married.

When I was two years old they moved to Seattle then to Marrietta. All this time Dad was fishing for a living. They had two boys in this period of time who both died. They then bought a farm in Blaine on Dakota Creek and became farmers, but dad still went fishing.

They had three more children, John, Sigga and Steinie.

I might mention that mother had a beautiful voice, dad had a tenor voice but never sang in harmony (I don't mean his voice was off!) They also loved music, that's probably where you kids get it.

Mom had two sisters, one of whom is still living in Iceland, as far as I know, her name is Disa.
 

------------------------------

Of your other grandparents there is little really that I know.

Chris's mother was Sigurlaug Thorbergsdottir. She had been married and lost her husband, who was drowned at sea as so many men were in those days. Their boats were so small and the ocean so rough. She had lost a son also.

She was born in Hunavatnssyslu. They had one son (Kristjan) when they left for America and he died on the way and of course was buried in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship they came on landed in Halifax, then they went from there to Winnipeg.

I couldn't find out anymore about her except she was a very good mother, the children all adored her.

Afi's dad was born at Eyarfirdi. He must have gotten a pretty good education; he could read Danish, Norwegian and of course Icelandic. He was also very versatile; he made spinning wheels (and) looms for weaving. He had a very good voice, sang in church choirs and at times chanted (tonadi) for the preacher when he was indisposed. He traveled often as a guide with preachers and other learned men.

A short while after they got to Canada, they settled on a quarter section in Argyle, Manitoba. It was very tough going, it was so far from everywhere, but they raised their large family there. Their children were Kristine, Jaccobbina, Johanna, Kristjan, Jonina (Nina), Louis, Carl, Lena (Elin) and Sigridur (Sara).

They moved to Blaine in 1906 and bought the forty acres where they lived until Afi died in 1931 and Amma died in 1935.

One piece of bad luck they had after they came west. They put their money, which they got for their farm, in the Blaine bank and a few years later the bank went bankrupt. That was quite a blow.

Robin dear, I hope you can decipher this, if there is something that needs clearing up, just ask me.

--Amma.