The family  

The Osland history

From Hlíð to Osland - the story of Vigfús and family

Osland

Vigfus Bjarnason was born August 6th 1852 at Framnes in Ashverfi east of the banks of the Þjorsá River, Iceland. He, his wife Gudrun Olafsdottir with their one year old son Olafur emigrated to Canada in 1887 from the farm at Hlíð. They settled at Hóll on the east shore of Mikley (Hecla Island). In 1891. Vigfus and Gudrun took up homesteading "Osland" NW 19 24 5 East in the RM of Bifrost, receiving title in 1899. Gudrun died in 1902 after a 17 month illness, leaving Vigfus with 6 children between the ages of 4 - 16, Jon being the youngest. Vigfus married Sigriður Guðný Gudmundsdottir and together they raised an additional 6 children including Sigridur's two sons. There were 14 children raised on Osland. When Vigfus and Sigridur moved to Riverton it was Jon who took over the farm.

Vigfus Sigriður and their children June 1910:
back left to right: Oli, Bjarni, Vigdis, Ingibjorg, Sigriður, Guðmundur, Halldóra, Vigfus holding Ingi
front: Andrés Jónsson from Heytangi, Stefán Gunnarsson and Jón Vigfússon

It is interesting that while it is the custom of the Icelanders to take their father's first name and add son on the end (patronymic) Vigfus actually did register his children under Bjarnason in Canada. It wasn't until Jon (born in 1898 and at the age of 70) sent for his birth certificate to apply for a passport to visit Iceland that he saw he was registered as Jon Bjarnason and not Vigfusson; which he had used all his life. Vigfus's sons called themselves Vigfusson. The third generation carried on Vigfusson while John may well have been John Jonson following the Icelandic practice as his father had.

Sigríður Guðný Guðmundsdóttir second wife of Vigfús Bjarnason. She had three children before she married Vigfús.
Sigurjón Gíslason (1894), remained in Iceland but Þorsteinn Jakob Gunnarsson (1896) and Stefán Helgi Gunnarsson (1897) who is with her on the picture, both two went with her to Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both these pictures are marked Sigríður, which is rather unlikely.
The picture on the right might be of Guðrún, Vigfus' first wife ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ósland

 

Jón and Jónina's family

 

Jónína (Ninna) with her first 3 granddaughters;
Charlene, Louise and Sharon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jon Vigfusson and Jónina.

Picture taken at Donald and Peggy's house on Jon's 80th birthday 1978.

Jon Vigfusson married Jonina Bjorg Gisalson in 1931. Together they raised 10 children. Jon and his brother Bjarni, fished at many locations from the age of 15 (1913 - 1930) and then would freight fish as far north as Berens River. Jon and Ninna remained on the farm until their deaths. They were very proud of their Icelandic heritage and Jon in particular was fond of recalling the early days and his visit to Iceland in 1971. He had vivid recall of political as well as personal events. Nelson Gerrard gives credit to him (and others) as being of great assistance while writing his book "Icelandic River Saga". Jon greatly enjoyed his two visits to Iceland to connect with relatives there.

Jon and Jonina's 10 children taken around 1985.
(Standing left to right) Gilbert, Raymond, Shirley, Donald and Barbara. (Seated) Doreen, Daisy, Margaret, Thora and John.

John Morris Vigfusson

John Morris Vigfusson was the first born child of Jon and Jonina. As well as farming at Osland, he was a welder at the Riverton Boat Works. John was instrumental in saving Osland from high water by building a dike to surround the land from the high waters of Lake Winnipeg. It was the only privately built dike in the area. In the last few years John reinforced that dike as the waters of Lake Winnipeg again threatened the homestead. John retired from farming in 1997. He and his wife Judie still live in the house that Jon built for his family in 1953. They winter in Texas

Donald and Peggy

Jon's youngest son Donald and his wife Peggy live on SE 25-24-4E. Donald has been farming Osland for 40 years, first with his father Jon and brother John, then with John.
Donald and Peggy have two children Jodene and Kevin. Donald and Kevin raise beef cattle, mixed grains and hay. Donald has continued his father's keen interest in politics as a councillor for the Rural Municipality of Bifrost.

Kevin

Kevin now farms with his father. Kevin and his wife April have two daughters, Kylee and Kadence. They live at the farm. Kevin is the fourth generation to continue the family tradition of farming.

Osland - a milestone

Five generations have now lived on the homestead known as Osland that was first settled in 1891 by Vigfus. In 2011 it will be 120 years that one family has lived and farmed the land that was settled by an immigrant from Iceland.

Nelson's book

Nelson Gerrard published a book The Icelandic River Saga about the early settlement of Icelanders in Canada and has kindly given us permission to use text from his book here.

He has also been deeply involved in the genealogy of the settlers at Vesturfarasetrið Hofsós (Iceland) and has often been staying there in recent years.

The family

Ólafur (Óli) Vigfússon the eldest was born at Hlíð in Iceland 1886. Only a year old when his parents emigrated. He grew up at Ósland and began farming with his father. At the age of 19, he filed entry for the quarter east of Ósland, but as it was too low he abandoned this claim in 1909 and refilled for the land north of Ósland in 1912. Óli married Rósa Magnúsdóttir Sigurðsson, they moved to Flugustaðir house, which was their home until retiring to Riverton. At 85, some time after Rósa´s death, Óli remarried to a widow from Alberta, and when widowed a second time some years later, he moved to Betel in Gimli where he died 1973. Óli was a skilled fisherman, hunter and trapper as well as farmer and he was also known for his story telling ability and tall tales of the hunt.

 

Ólafur and Rósa Vigfússon.

 

Ólafur and Bjarni (Barney).

 

Bjarni Vigfusson and Björg married in 1929.
Picture taken on the lakeshore at Hnausa Park at Islendingadagurinn around 1950. Standing in the back are Bjarni Vigfusson (1888 - 1960), his wife Björg Alice (1906 – 1992) and Inga (Ingibjörg) Vigfusson (1896 - 1980). In the middle row son Barney (Bjarni 1939 -1974 ) , Freda (Holmfridur Vigfusson 1891- 1985 ) and her husband Jean Bigourdon (1888 - 1980). In front are Bjarni´s youngest children, Darlene (1948), Lilja (1945) and Victor (1944 -2005).
Bjarni served in the Army during the First World War, and built a house at Riverton. A farmer, fisherman and freighter during his younger years, worked primarily at carpentry and boat building from the time of his move to Riverton.

Halldora Vigfusson (1903 - 1965) with her husband Jogrimur Jonasson (1898 -) and their son Jógrímur Sigurdur, one of 10 childen.They moved to Winnipeg in 1928 and then to Thunder Bay, Ontario a few years later. Jógrimur Sigurður drowned in the early 1960's.The other children are:  Óskar Guðberg(Gilbert), Victor, Violet, Grace all three died young. Rose, John, Raymond, Marjorie, and Shirley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inga (Ingibjörg 1896 - 1980), Disa (Vigdis 1893 - 1944) and Freda (Hólmfriður 1891 -1985).
Freda the eldest daughter was employed in Winnipeg from 1911 as a cook. She married there around 1920. Inga, also know as Inga Vickerson, worked as a domestic in Winnipeg and Port Arthur, Ontario, for many years before retiring to St. Vital where she passed away 1980. Dísa worked as a cook at the Manor Hotel in Winnipeg for some years before returning to Riverton where she married in 1921.

 

 

Hólmfríður and Halldóra Vigfússon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alice and Lillian daughters of Hólmfrídur.

 

 

 

Little Frank (left) and later Frank, Georg and John Bigourdon, sons of Hólmfríður.

Ingimar (Ingi) and Magga Vigfússon (wedding picture left).

(Left) Dorothy (Vigfússon) and Harold Johannsson
(above) Gladys and Neil Laird,
both daughters of Ingimar and Magga.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ísleifur (Leifi) and Rosalie,
wedding picture Nov.19, 1944.

 

 

Runa and John (Sigurjón).

 

Runa with three of her children.

 

 

 

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