Thanks alot for all the great respond to my last Newsletter (#38). It seems to me that the bigger the gap is between the Newsletters the more of you respond when it eventually appears :-)
This small joke aside, the article about the Church at Grund in Manitoba is obviously interesting to so many. Thanks Russ Lanoway for providing it.
It was interesting to notice the names mentioned in the article, Sigurður Christopherson and Kristján Jónsson who obviously lead so many Icelandic settlers to this "Paradise" in Argyle and the carpenters, Bæring Hallgrímsson and Árni Sveinsson, who built the church or at least oversaw the work.
Sigurður Kristófersson (his surname became Christopherson upon immigration) was born 9 July 1848 at the farm Ytri-Neslönd in the beautiful Lake Mývatn district in Northern Iceland. His parents were Kristófer Andrésson (1810-1865) and Sigurveig Sigurðardóttir (1814-??), farmers at Ytri-Neslönd. Sigurður emigrated to Canada in 1873 and became a well known emigration agent as well as a leader amongst Icelandic settlers in both New Iceland and Argyle. He married Caroline Taylor, niece to John Taylor, an Englishman who was a great helper to the Icelandic settlers, mainly in New Iceland, Manitoba.
Sigurður had many siblings, nine at the least. Six of them emigrated to Canada.
1) Sigríður Kristófersdóttir (1843-1924) married Guðni Jónsson (1835-1909) in Baldur, Argyle. In my files are ten of their children.
2) Sigurjón Kristófersson (1844-1920), farmer in Argyle, married Helga Jórunn Jónsdóttir (1853-1934). I have two of their children.
3) Hernit Kristófersson (1850-1928) married Þóra Sigurðardóttir (1856-1897), their son was Pétur Hernitsson (1881-??).
4) Lilja Kristófersdóttir (1851-1909).
5) Pétur Kristófersson (1853-1922), farmer in Argyle, married Sigurveig Ólafsdóttir (1852-1931), three children.
6) Sigurborg Kristófersdóttir (1855-1923) married Bæring Hallgrímsson (1853-1941).
Kristján Jónsson was born 29 Sep 1854 at the farm Héðinshöfði, near Húsavík, Northern Iceland. His parents were Jón Björnsson (1832-1918) and Margrét Sigríður Bjarnadóttir (1824-1896), farmers at Héðinshöfði. They emigrated in 1879 with five of their children. Kristján Jónsson and his brother Arngrímur had emigrated already in 1874.
Kristján Jónsson (Johnson) became farmer in New Iceland, later at Lundur and Argyle. He was also a merchant in Baldur, Manitoba. His wife was Arnbjörg Jónsdóttir (parents: Jón Eyjólfsson 1824-1873 and Guðlaug Sigmundsdóttir 1815-1901). Kristján and Arnbjörg had four children: Jón Arngrímur, Margrét Guðlaug, Jónína Helga and Thomas Thorvaldur.
Kristján's siblings were:
1) Jónína Þuríður (1855-1887), married Sigurjón Jónsson Snædal (Snidal) in Argyle.
2) Arngrímur Johnson (1858-1928) in Winnipeg and Victoria, his first wife was Helga Sigurlína Thorsteinsdóttir, they had six children, Arngrímur's second wife was Sigrún Jónsdóttir.
3) Jón Johnson (1860-1917) in Smithers, B.C.
4) Kristín Sigríður (1862-1886).
5) Björn Johnson (1864-1885).
5) Halldór Geir Johnson farmer in Argyle, married Hólmfríður Bjarnadóttir.
6) Thomas Hermann Johnson (1870-1927), minister of justice in Winnipeg, married to Aurora Friðjónsdóttir (1877-1954).
Bæring Hallgrímsson was briefly mentioned here above. He was born 8 April 1853 at Vík in Flateyjardalur, Northern Iceland. His parents were Hallgrímur Hallgrímsson (1819-1873) and Sesselja Þorsteinsdóttir (1825-1855) In 1883 he married Sigurborg Kristófersdóttir, Sigurður Christopherson's sister. One of Bæring's siblings was Sigurgeir Hallgrímsson who emigrated in 1893 with his wife Guðrún Rósa Jónsdóttir and five children: Snæbjörn, Kristín, Guðrún, Bæring and Sigtryggur.
Árni Sveinsson was born 6 Nov 1851, the son of Sveinn Árnason and Ingibjörg Björnsdóttir, farmers in Fáskrúðsfjörður in East Iceland. He emigrated in 1876 to New Iceland at the same time as his future wife Guðrún Helga Jónsdóttir (1855-1937). In 1882 they moved to Argyle and later to Glenboro where Árni built his home, regarded as one of the most prominent in the district. Árni and Guðrún Helga had eight children:
1) Jón, farmer in Argyle, later a blacksmith in Baldur. His wife was Sigurveig Sigurbjörnsdóttir Jóhannsson.
2) Sveinn.
3) Guðný, married Gunnar Matthíasson in Los Angeles, son to Matthías Jochumsson, the well known minister and poet in Iceland.
4) Ingibjörg, married to Halldór J. Eggertsson in Winnipeg.
5) Albert, married Anna Theodorsdóttir Jóhannsson in Argyle.
6) Guðfinna, married to Ásgeir J. Hallgrímsson. They lived in Edmonton and later in Los Angeles.
7) Anna, Mrs. Lowe in Westminister, B.C.
8) Sigrún, Mrs. Finley, in Winnipeg.

Above I have only just skimmed the genealogical surface. Those who know the families mentioned and either want to supply further information or ask for something more, please contact me. All pictures are appreciated :-)