Sveinbjörg was Ragnhildur Sveinsdóttir´s mother.

Sveinbjorg emigrated to America in 1887.

Obituary: (Translated from an Icelandic article in "Logberg," December 17, 1914)

Sveinbjorg Sevinsdottir

On October 23, 1914, Sveinbjorg Sveinsdottir, the widow of Sveinn Sigurdsson, a farmer in Mjoifjordur in Iceland, died in Seattle, Washington.

Sveinbjorg's husband never came to this land, but she emigrated to America some 30 years ago and lived for the most part in Winnipeg until just over a year ago when she moved to Ballard, by then in poor health, to live with her daughter Ragnhildur Sveinsdottir, the wife of Gunnlaugur Johannsson, a house builder there. Despite the best care and attention her daughter and son-in-law could provide over the next six months, her illness worsened to the point where she was taken to hospital, and she received the best possible medical care there for another six months.

The late Sveinbjorg, who was buried in the hospital's State Cemetery, was almost 81 years and 10 months of age when she passed away, and an honorable funeral was held for her in accordance with arrangements made by the hospital's administration. Mr. and Mrs. Johannsson were present at the burial.


Note: In the August 28, 1913 issue of "Logberg" is an article entitled "Do You Live in Selkirk or Brandon?", written in Winnipeg by a man named Pall Sigfusson. The purpose of his article was "to dispel the gossip of Mrs. Sigurlaug P. Johnson, spread with the help of Gunnlaugur Tryggvi Jonsson, the editor of 'Heimskringla'..." The subject of the offending article in "Heimskringla" was "...a woman in Winnipeg by the name of Sveinbjorg Sveinsdottir, 83 years of age, helpless and in poor health...", who had nowhere to turn after being turned out by the people who were looking after her - namely Pall Sigfusson, mentioned above, and his wife. The article in 'Heimskringla' stated that Sveinbjorg "is quick on her feet and sees very well, and spins and knits..." The reason, it claimed, that she was turned out, was that she did not pay her rent, and it suggested that all she needed was someone to guarantee her rent for a little while - as she was otherwise able to take provide for herself by spinning and doing handwork. the article also suggested taking up a collection. - Pall felt slandered by the claim that he had turned Sveinbjorg out because she could not pay rent, and he pointed out that he and his wife had provided room and board for Sveinbjorg without payment for the last nine years. His wife, however, was also in failing health, and she was unable to keep up with the housework. It has been at this point that Sveinbjorg, after many years in Winnipeg, moved west to Ballard to live with Ragnhildur.

...end

THORA.doc - housekeeper í Skógum og Borgareyri (Æt.Austf.4335)