Þorsteinn Einarsson settled in Winnipeg in 1878 and quickly got along with his compatriots in the city. He immediately started teaching singing and in 1881 he had founded a choir, but it was not for him to live long in the West. Friðrik J. Bergmann remembered him in the 1905 Almanak and wrote: “It would be meaningless to try to gather together all those from our country who died here at this time. But we want to mention one person who was very prominent in the group of Winnipeg Icelanders in the early years. It’s Þorsteinn Einarsson, organist…He died of typhus on January 15, 1884 and it was a sad death for all who knew him. He was born in Tungusel in Norður-Þingeyjarsýsla in August 1857 and was therefore still a young man, at the age of 27. He was the brother of Sigfús and Sigurður Einarsson (Anderson), who have a painting business here in the city, and are well known to all Winnipeg Icelanders. He had grown up with his parents in Iceland until he was 16 years old. Then his father died. He then spent several years with archdeacon Gunnar Gunnarsson, who was then in Svalbard in Þistilfjörður and enjoyed learning from him in various general studies. It seemed to him that Þorsteinn had good talents and other qualities; this well-known cleric wanted to raise Þorsteinn to manhood and let him study to become a priest. But then they died around the same time, Rev. Gunnar and Þorsteinn’s father, and then the schooling ended. Þorsteinn then took it upon himself to take care of his mother and siblings and it went exceedingly well until his death. He was early inclined to singing and playing instruments; he tried to study both subjects and had finished studying to play the organ, according to what was customary in Iceland at the time. In addition, he had taken up painting before he left Iceland; but then he was only 22 years old. He sponsored his mother to travel west two years before he died, and she stayed with him here. He had been married to Elín Kjærnested for three years and had two children with her; only one of them was alive when Þorsteinn died.”
Þorsteinn and social affairs: “Above we have briefly discussed this man´s career because he was a unique and unforgettable character in the settlement life of the Winnipeg Icelanders during those first years. Þorsteinn Einarsson was a lively and funny man, energetic and sociable, in favor of everything that could be done better, and a good man. He excelled in all important social matters and was especially a good supporter of social activities. He was better at singing and playing instruments (organ playing) than anyone else among the Icelanders at that time. He managed to bring together people who can sing in Icelandic for singing exercises so that people learn to sing together. It was worthy of praise, because the minds of the young people were too much inclined to dance and mindless carousing, which rather made people to lesser men than greater. At his passing so early in his career, most felt a hole in the Icelandic society in Winnipeg. Both he was a man of the best age, exceptionally well-off, and the most likely of men, to have a good start in life and become one of the leaders of Icelandic society in the city.”
English version by Thor group.