Björn J Austfjörð was born in eastern Iceland in 1864.
Spouse: 1) Halldóra Eggertsdóttir b. September 29, 1866 in Barðastrandarsýsla, d. August 31, 1916 in Hensel, N. Dakota. 2) Þórey Magnúsdóttir b. in Skagafjarðarsýsla on August 8, 1884, d. in Los Angeles on March 18, 1970.
Children: With Halldóra: 1. Eggert (Eikard) b. 1889 2. Soffía (Sophia) b. 1894 3. Jónína Sigríður b. April 5, 1897 4. María (Mary) b. December 16, 1899 5. Haraldur (Harold) b. 1907. With Þórey: 1. Jósefína Þorbjörg b. October 10, 1918 2. Halldóra b. May 27, 1919 3. Janice b. 1923 4. Sigurlaug Aldís b. May 10, 1924 5. Margaret Evelyn b. March 28, 1924.
Western sources do not mention Björn’s origins, but the western census states that he came to the United States in 1881. It is unclear whether he went to Canada before, but Western sources say he lived in Manitoba at some point. He first lived in N. Dakota but moved to Minnesota in 1898. The 1900 census states that he was a farmer in Pohlitz Township, Roseau County, Minnesota, but moved from there on February 13, 1905. He filed an application for land in the land office in Crookston, Minnesota, but in 1910 he returned to the Akra Settlement in N. Dakota where he worked as a salesman. He lived in N. Dakota the rest of his days.