Lögberg-Heimskringla - 17.03.1995, Page 22

Lögberg-Heimskringla - 17.03.1995, Page 22
22 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 17. mars 1995 MIVIA’S PENNI The flags flying in the Scandinavian Park in Minot, North Dakota PHOTO COURTESY DILLA NARFASON, OIMU ichard Beck, the late Pro- fessor of Scan- dinavian Lan- guages at the University of North Dakota said it well, “The sons and daughters of the original Icelandic pioneers indeed did make their mark” as they continued to establish and cultivate the new land their forebears had settled. He spoke specifically of one man, Freeman M. Einarson, who lived his lifetime at Mountain, N.D.. Over the years Mr. Einarson came to be known for his community service as a part of this second genera- tion. They were the ones who built the roads, established rules and laws, refined the democratic process. As a member of the state legisla- ture for 16 years, from 1946 to 1952, he brought with him a thoughtful, careful dem- eanor, ready to do what was just for his neighbours. A farmer by profession, he still found the time to be on boards and committees both on local and state levels. The Vikur Church at Mountain, the oldest Icelandic church in North America, was his church and dear to his heart. His membership on the Borg Home Steering Committee was far-reaching in that the present generation benefits 50 years later. They say “behind every good man there stands a good woman” and so it was for Mr. Einarson. He was married in 1911 to Hallfridur Snowfield. She did her part in preserving history as a charter member of the Pembina County Pioneer Daughters, whose primary effort was to record the histo- ries of pioneer mothers. They were a far-sighted couple. To this union were bom 4 children. Freeman Jr. died in 1945, but 3 daughters are still in the area: Judy Bernhoft at Mountain, Effie Stefansson at Grand Forks and Freda Stefansson at Bismarck. These daughters remember another side of this public father of theirs. Adversity was not unknown. The hard depres- sion years were tough for eveiyone no matter their sta- tion. A fire took the home of the Einarson family in 1929, leavjng them with only the .clothes on their backs. A new structure was gradually built, with the family cooking and eating in a granary and sleep- ing in tents in the farmyard. Their father was a quiet, unassuming man, not given to outward displays. He liked to remain anonymous as he helped people. One group he helped were young peo- ple who wanted further education and needed financial assis- tance. To him and his wife, education was important and they were always willing to help someone get a start. Perhaps the most impor- tant thing he did and that anyone can do was to be a good listener. He was always there for someone to talk to and bounce ideas off. He rarely gave advice, but encouraged and befriended, keeping all he heard in confi- dence. Freeman M. Einarson wore many hats. He was a father, a husband, a neigh- bour and friend, a farmer, a co-member of county and state committees, a leader, a church member, a mentor, a benefactor, a patron. He was a part of the history of the North Dakota Icelandic Community. By Ethei Thorlacius Rock Island State Park The 900 acre wooded island was once the summer home of elec- trical inventor C.H. Thor- darson. (See below for a bio- graphical sketch on the life of Mr. Thordarson.) The estate’s buildings dot the south western edge of the island. Included in the struc- ture are several small build- ings and a large boathouse. Although one was planned, a mansion never was built. The large assembly hall above the boathouse pro- vides a view of the waters of Green Bay and Washington Island. Potawatomi Lighthouse stands on the island’s north- ernmost point, warning lake Michigan’s ships of the island. Commercial transporta- tion is available to Rock Island from Jackson Harbor on Washington Island. A public boat launch ramp is available to Rock Island from Jackson Harbor on Washington Island. Visitors may take their boats directly to Rock Island, but caution is urged since Lake Michigan and Green Bay can be hazardous due to reefs and storms. There is a mooring fee for all boats moored at Rock Island. Rock Island has 40 camp- sites, all of which are reserv- able. Pit toilets, picnic tables and fire rings are provided. The picnic area and drinking water are located near the dock and boathouse. No motorized vehicles are permitted on Rock Island. There are no carts or equipment provided for hauling camper supplies and equipment. Rock Island s C. H. Thordarson Chester H. Thor- darson, one of America’s great in- ventors in the electrical field, was born in Iceland and brought by his family to Milwaukee in 1873. Two months later when Chester was five his father died. After many years of struggle to help support his family, Chester, then 18, left the farm to join a married sister in Chicago. Within two years he completed the fourth through seventh grades. He then went to work winding armatures for an electrical firm. At the age of 27, he had saved $75, got married, and started his own business. The St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 brought Thordarson his first great distinction for presenting the world’s first million volt trans- former, which he had de- signed and built. Eleven BREAKFAST ♦ Overnight Lodging -4 Continental Breakfast “A good place to stay when you visit Stephen, Minnesota!" Call Ethel Thorlacius (218) 478-2743 (evenings) 138 Riverside Drive Stephen, MN 56757 years later he received an- other award for a unit which tested the practicality of transmitting high voltage electricity over long dis- tances and, with this, his fame continued to grow. Thordarson bought Rock Island in 1910 for $5,725 (775 acres). In 1914, he restored one of the early settler’s houses on the east side of the island. In the early 1920s, he cleared, landscaped, and built on approximately 30 acres of the Bouthwest side of the island. The remaining 745 acres were to remain un- disturbed throughout Thor- darson’s 55 years of owner- ship. Thordarson had a tremendous interest and thorough knowledge of botany. When the President of the University of Wisconsin presented the honorary degree of Master of Arts to Chester H. Thordarson in 1929, he said, “On your pri- vate holdings in Wisconsin you have given the state a dramatization of what fore- sighted philosophy of con- servation may mean.”

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