by Arden Jackson
Arden Jackson shares with us a story of sincere gratitude, love and heartwarming memories of her family; a memory linked to some of our favourite indulgences as we prepare to celebrate the upcoming holidays. Enjoy this story of Vínarterta from Arden, CVO - Chief Vínarterta Officer, from her company, Vínarterta.
Remembrance of Jóhanna, Hálfdán and Solveig and why my life is a feast.
My family is blessed with few war casualties. The significant people we remember are our courageous ancestors who sacrificed so much and left their beloved country because they had to. They were not running from war; they were running from poverty. Their gift to us is expressed in our united appreciation of the powers of unpredictable weather, harsh living conditions, glaciers, waterfalls, volcanoes, northern lights, unstoppable beautiful nature, traditional cuisine, and of course, Vínarterta.
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, (27 Feb 1820 -10 Feb 1905, IR#I167516), my three times Great Amma, left Iceland for New Iceland in Manitoba, Canada in 1879 with her third husband Sigmundur ‘Ýngri’ Þorgrímsson (IR#I167515 ) when he was aged 59. A son, Sigurjón (IR#I578287), from her first marriage also came to Canada and settled in Minnesota, US. A son from her second marriage, Benedikt (IR# I386497) with his first wife, Hólmfríður (IR#I43634), and a four-year-old son settled with them in New Iceland.
This Canadian pioneer was the youngest of five children in Iceland. Hólmfríður's oldest sister, at the age of 67, came to Canada with a son. Many families came together, but many others were broken by immigration. By the time Jóhanna came to Canada her parents and grandparents had all died in Iceland. Many members of the extended family had died also due to age and hardship.
Hálfdan Sigmundsson (20 Jun 1849 – 04 Jul 1935, IR#I167517) her most important son of all, my Great-Great Afi, and his wife, Solveig Árnadóttir (IR#I203192 ), and their daughter Anna Sigriður Hálfdanardóttir (28 Mar 1876-08 Jan 1932, IR#I203193 ), mother of my Amma, Anna Eastman Sigvaldason, (13 Aug 1905-14 Jun 1986, IR#I8461775 ), had already emigrated in 1876. They were founding pioneers in New Iceland at Lundi, which became Icelandic River, and then Riverton, which is situated 137 km north of Winnipeg on the Icelandic River that flows into Lake Winnipeg. After their arrival with 1200 other people from Iceland, Riverton became a thriving community for farming, fishing, lumber, boat building, schools, churches, and newspapers.
Hálfdán was known as a fast runner and transported the mail on foot in every kind of weather to four postal stops along the 193 km round-trip route which took three or four days on foot. He is quoted as saying: “The trips were often very treacherous owing to lack of roads, bad blizzards and very few landmarks.”
In an account of one of these trips, he documents a blinding snowstorm while running on frozen Lake Winnipeg and almost missed Gimli, where there was a postal representative with a small glowing light visible.
He battled severe blinding snow and a ‘Torrential storm looking a lot like an endless Icelandic waterfall.’
Hálfdán was born at Mana, Þingeyjarsýsla (Thingeyjarsýsla) at the top of the Tjornes Penninsula in Iceland north of Husavik. I’ve been there with my sons and met the farmers now on the land who also have an interesting folk museum Mánárbakki Museum. The farm is at a stunning location on the edge of the North Atlantic.
Solveig Árnadóttir was born at Hjalli, Reykjadalur, close to Goðafoss Waterfall, on July 4, 1850, and was known for her generosity. This particular Great-Great Amma is 'the seat of the soul ' of our Vínarterta. When visiting a restaurant in her Icelandic home area with our tour group, I met a server in a restaurant who cried when I shared with her my own Vínarterta. She said it was just like her Amma’s, seven layers and all. A heart-warming story is told about Solveig providing a basket of food on Christmas for a family in Riverton. The family, who were the ultimate benefactors of her generosity, have descendants who are my dear friends in Toronto.
Ancestral stories have a way of easily taking over my mind. I am fascinated with descriptive images of their lives that almost 150 years later still endure. They inspire me and remind me that months of long Vínarterta-making days in the fourteen weeks leading up to Christmas have nothing on our ancestors’ experiences. The immigration story is not easy, but surviving in Iceland had not been easy either. It’s an exceptional story of championing the good and making the best of everything while preserving the integral authenticity of culture.
Culture is all the ways we remember, tell and celebrate our stories. I’m remembering Jóhanna, Hálfdán and Solveig and all who came before and after them with great love and gratitude. And I'm remembering to be ready and proud to take on a ‘Torrential storm like an endless Icelandic waterfall’ with grace. I have nothing to complain about. My life is a feast.
Editor's Note: If you wish to visit Arden's site, click here : Vínarterta You will learn about Arden, her ventures and see an amazing line of goodies to set you in the holiday mode. If you wish to place an order, be aware that there is a time limit in which to have it placed.
Order at: ardenjackson.com and vinarterta.ca
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