Soffía Sveinbjarnardóttir Photo: VÍÆ ll
Soffía Sveinbjarnardóttir was born in Dalasýsla on March 2, 1857. She died in Gimli in New Iceland on October 6, 1846.
Spouse: December 17, 1887 Ketill Valgarðsson b. October 29, 1861 in Snæfellsnessýsla, d. in Giml, Manitoba on February 20, 1945.
Children: 1. Sveinbjörn b. in Winnipeg on October 17, 1890 2. Kristín b. in Winnipeg on December 18, 1892 3. Valentínus b. in Winnipeg on April 16, 1896.
Soffía came west from Stykkishólmur in 1886 and came to Winnipeg. Ketill came west in 1878 with his father, Valgarður Jónsson, and his housekeeper, Kristín Jónsdóttir. They settled near the Icelandic River (Íslendingafljót) in New Iceland the same year but moved a year later out to Sandy Bar. Ketill worked various jobs in New Iceland but moved to Winnipeg around 1887. There he ran a dairy store until 1903, then moved to Gimli. He lived either in town or on his land west of the village for the rest of his life.