Sigurður Gíslason was born in E. Skaftafellssýsla on August 31, 1849. He died at Betel in Gimli on December 14, 1923. He took the last name Thorarensen in the west.
Spouse: Solveig Jóhannesdóttir b. in Húnavatnssýsla on June 6, 1873, d. in Selkirk, Manitoba on February 25, 1955.
Children: 1. Sigríður Jakobína Jórunn b. September 22, 1901 2. Ingunn Valdena Elízabeth b. February 21, 1903.
Sigurður was the son of Gísli Thorarensen, a priest, and Ingibjörg Pálsdóttir. He studied at the Lærðir School in Reykjavík from 1868-1870. He then became a teacher and taught first at the Eyrarbakki primary school from 1878-1881 and later at the Akranes primary school from 1883-1884. He moved to Manitoba in 1889 and became principal of the new primary school in Gimli the same year. He was musical, founded the singing group Gígjan at Gimli, played the organ and taught music after the turn of the century 1900.