Ketill Valgarðsson Photo: VÍÆ ll
Ketill Valgarðsson was born on October 29, 1861 in Snæfellsnessýsla. He died in Gimli, Manitoba on February 20, 1945.
Spouse: 1) December 17, 1887 Soffía Sveinbjarnardóttir b. in Dalasýsla on March 10, 1857, d. January 28, 1938. 2) December 19, 1941 Steinunn Sigurðardóttir b. in Rangárvallasýsla on June 20, 1867.
Children: With Soffía: 1. Sveinbjörn b. in Winnipeg on October 17, 1890 2. Kristín b. in Winnipeg on December 18, 1892 3. Valentínus b. in Winnipeg on April 16, 1896.
Ketill came west in 1878 with his father, Valgarður Jónsson and his housekeeper, Kristína Jónsdóttir. They settled near the Icelandic River (Íslendingafljót) in New Iceland the same year, but then moved a year later out to Sandy Bar. Ketill worked various jobs in New Iceland but moved to Winnipeg around 1887. There he ran a dairy store until 1903, then moved to Gimli. He lived either in town or on his land west of the village for the rest of his life.