Runólfur Runólfsson Photo: FVTV
Runólfur Runólfsson was born in the Westmann Islands (Vestmannaeyjar) on April 10, 1851. He died on January 20, 1929.
Spouse: 1) October 29, 1871 Valgerður Níelsdóttir b. May 27, 1847 in Rangárvallasýsla, d. April 6, 1919. 2) September 16, 1921 Björnlaug Eyjólfsdóttir b. June 13, 1861, d. November 23, 1942
Children: With Valgerður who reached adulthood: 1. Albert Loftur b. March 5, 1876, d. November 10, 1950 in California 2. Sigríður Jóhanna b. November 16, 1878, d. January 6, 1960 3. William Marenus b. September 14, 1882, d. November 12, 1944 4. Andrew Christian b. November 18, 1884, d. December 19, 1944. Born in Iceland, but died young: 1. Árni Kristján b. 1873 2. Níels b. 1881 died on the way across the ocean. Runólfur and Björnlaug had no children together.
Runólfur emigrated west to Spanish Fork, Utah with his family in 1881. They first went to N. Dakota and planned to settle there, but Runólf’s brother, Björn, strongly encouraged him to come to Spanish Fork in Utah and they settled there in late 1882. Runólfur worked away from home and, in the Mormon tradition of the time, he took another wife. When he returned to Spanish Fork, Valgerður was not happy, she did not like the idea of sharing her husband with another woman let him know: give up the other woman and the Mormon faith or you will never come into this house again. Runólfur left the faith and second wife and became the pastor of the Icelandic Lutheran congregation in Spanish Fork. They moved west to Seattle in 1904, but Runólfur’s Lutheran countrymen did not warm to him there, so he returned to Iceland and remained there until 1916. He then returned to Spanish Fork and served his countrymen.