Hannes Kjartansson Photo: VÍÆ III
Hannes Kjartansson was born in Reykjavík on February 27, 1917.
Spouse: March 31, 1941 Elín Guðrún Jónasdóttir b. August 15, 1914.
Children: 1. Kjartan Jónas b. June 11, 1942 2. Stefanía Margrét b. November 18, 1944 3. Anna Elín b. January 16, 1948.
Hannes graduated from Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík in 1937, studied engineering in Germany 1937-1939, and business studies at the University of Iceland 1939-1940. He founded and headed the General American and Dominion Export Corporation. He was Iceland’s Consul in New York from 1948, Iceland’s representative to the UN General Assembly, and Iceland’s Ambassador to the United Nations from 1965. Elín was the daughter of Reverend Jónas Ari Sigurðsson and Stefanía Ólafsdóttir. She lived with her parents in Washington until 1918, in the Þingvalla Settlement in Saskatchewan until 1927, and then in Selkirk, Manitoba. She graduated from Winnipeg with a degree in commerce and teaching and taught for a time in Manitoba. She worked at the Icelandic pavilion at the world exhibition in New York 1939-1940 and there she met Hannes.