Jóna Grímsdóttir Laxdal Photo: VÍÆ II
Jóna Grímsdóttir Laxdal was born in Húsavík in Þingeyjarsýsla on September 2, 1894. She took the last name Thorlacius with marriage.
Spouse: October 15, 1920 Bjarni Jónsson b. in the Lögberg settlement in Saskatchewan on May 30, 1891. He had the last name Thorlacius in the west.
Children: 1. Rósbjörg Margrét b. October 31, 1922 2. Jón McRae b. July 15, 1928.
Jóna’s parents were Grímur and Sveinbjörg Laxdal who moved west in the first decade of the 20th century. Jóna pursued an educational path, completing high school in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, and a teaching degree from the University of Saskatoon. She taught in both Saskatchewan and Alberta. Bjarni was the son of Jón Sigfússon Thorlacius in the Lakes settlement (Vatnabyggð) in Saskatchewan and Guðrún Rósa Jóhannesdóttir. Bjarni grew up near Kristnes in Vatnabyggð and was a farmer in the settlement near Foam Lake from 1922-1940. Later he became a merchant in Kuroki, Saskatchewan, from 1940-1956, moving that year to Lethbridge, Alberta, and was a merchant there. Bjarni and Jóna last lived in Foam Lake, Saskatchewan.