Vigdis Gudmundsdottir - A brave early settler

Vigdis Gudmundsdottir

Vigdis Gudmundsdottir was born December 29, 1834. At 19 she married Magnus Thorkelson, and they lived at Grimsstudum, Iceland for 18 years, then moved to Auðnum, Vatnleysastrund (across the bay from Reykjavik).


Through family records (my grandfather Magnus B. Magnus), verbal stories and historical archives I have been able to capture part of her life below:
Vigdis and Magnus had eight children who lived to adulthood.

Vidgis and Magnus lived in Auðnum for nine years, until a fire changed their lives.  Unfortunately, her husband Magnus perished in a house fire on October 2, 1885

In 1887, with tremendous strength and bravery, Vigdis gathered her family and moved to Canada to start a new life in a new country.






She went to America with her children Thorkel (Charlie), Grimur (Jim), Ingibjorg, Gudrun, Bjorn, and her grandson Sigurdur (Sam / Siggi Magnusson). Records indicate that they arrived on the ship Romney.  

Magnus and Vigdis children:

• Margaret, stayed in Iceland, married Sigurdur Sigurdsson and had three children (she later came to Canada);
• Gudmundur, father of Sigurdur (Sam), died in Iceland and Vigdis fostered Sam and brought him to Canada with her;
• Vigdis (daughter), had two children;
• Gudrun married Sigudur Sigurdson and had 7 children;
• Thorkel (Charlie) married Palina Hjalmarsdottir (no children); 
• Grimur (Jim) married Elin Arnason and had eleven children;
• Ingibjorg married Thomas Johnson (no children);
• Bjorn married Ingibjörg Hordal Thorsteinsdottir and had two children.

Vigdis settled in Arnes, New Iceland. Later she lived with her son Jim at his homestead near Ideal P.O. Shoal Lake where she died in 1908.