Magnús Björnsson came west with his parents in 1884 and the family settled in the Thingvalla settlement in N. Dakota south of Mountain. Magnus was 15 years old when he came west and received some education in the settlement until he went north to Winnipeg to study medicine. He graduated from the University of Manitoba then returned south to N. Dakota and worked as a doctor in the town of Hensel, southwest of Cavalier. He moved west of the settlement to the town of Souris where his children were born. From there, they headed north to Winnipeg, where they lived after that.
Þórstína Þorleifsdóttur’s book, “Saga Íslendinga í N. Dakota” published in 1926, says this of Halldór: “As a specialist in medicine, Dr. Halldórsson has mainly dealt with chest diseases of various kinds. He is a very sociable man. He is remembered in the Dakota settlement, who, like the young men who grew up there, played a big part in building society and promoting public entertainment. He is also remembered by many as a particularly good schoolteacher, who prepared and encouraged many young people to achieve a higher education. Dr. Halldórsson is very involved in the association of Icelandic Unitarians in Winnipeg.”
English version by Thor group.