Sigurjón Svanlaugsson was born on December 4, 1842 in S. Þingeyjarsýsla. He took the name John Swanson in the west.
Spouse: Elísabet Guðmundsdóttir b. 1851, d. April 28, 1925
Children: 1. Guðmundur b. April 20, 1873, d. same year. 2. Elísabet b. 1874 3. Þorbjörg b. April 29, 1877 in Markland 4. Alive Eliza b. 1878, d. April 13, 1894 5. Guðrún b. July 10, 1879 6. Solveig b. c1880 7. Eyjólfur b. February 23, 1882 8. Sigríður (Sarah/Sigga) b. March 14, 1884 9. Stefanía Jóna b. July 18, 1886 10. Svanlaugur b. July 10, 1888 11. Ólafía Rósa b. May 19, 1890 12. Guðný Sigurlaug b. October 30, 1891 13. Lillian Lee b. 1892.
They came west to Canada in 1875 and settled in Markland, Nova Scotia, calling their land Sólheimar. About 1880, they moved to Minnesota and settled in Marshall.