Gearing up for the

108^th Annual Deuce of August Icelandic Celebration

August 3^rd, 4^th& 5th

Mountain, ND

THOUGHT YOU’D LIKE TO KNOW:

Our celebration will always be held on the weekend preceding the first Monday in August!

This enables visitors to also attend the Islendingadagurinn in Gimli on the first Monday in August.

2007-108th Deuce of August Celebration--Friday, Saturday, & Sunday--August 3rd 4^th & 5th

2007 is the 129th anniversary of the settlement of the Icelandic Communities in Northeastern North Dakota!

ICA Officer Contact Information

President, Curtis Olafson-13041 84^th St.NE-Edinburg,ND 58227-Ph. 701-993-8240-E-Mail-colafson@polarcomm.com

Vice-President, Leslie Geir-8517 Hwy. 32-Edinburg,ND 58227-Ph. 701-993-8367-E-Mail-lesgr@polarcomm.com

Secretary, Loretta Bernhoft-P.O. Box 204-Mountain,ND 58262-Ph. 701-993-8282-E-Mail-bernhoft@polarcomm.com

Treasurer, Richard Wild-12450 Co. Rd. 1-Edinburg,ND 58227-Ph. 701-993-8612-E-Mail-rjw8612@polarcomm.com

Editor, Duane Halldorson-P.O. Box 064-Mountain,ND 58262-Ph. 701-993-8116-E-Mail-halldor3@polarcomm.com

I would like to remind you that if you have any friends you think might enjoy getting this newsletter have them drop us a line with their mailing address or e-mail address and a brief note on how they heard about us. Please feel free to contact us at any time at the Icelandic Communities Assoc., PO Box 063, Mountain, ND 58262-0063, Phone# 701-993-8268 - E-Mail (august2@polarcomm.com) - Fax,(701-993-8239) Also, don’t forget to check out our Web Page (www.august2nd.com) for up to date information on our celebration plans and other activities.

The 2007 Membership drive is underway.

Membership runs from Jan. thru Dec.

$10.00 per person

Any Membership payment that arrives after November 15^th of that year will be applied to the following year.

NOTE: Membership dues are not tax deductible, but any contributions over and above that is tax deductible.

ICA has 501 c 3 (tax-exempt non-profit) status from the Internal Revenue Service.

NOTE: You may pay your dues in advance.

“Please note on your check which year’s dues you are paying”

2006 Deuce of August

$1000.00 & $500.00 ICA MONEY RAFFLE.

Drawing was held August 6^th after Tractor Pull

2006 winners were

Larry Houser-- Park River, ND

Sonja White-- Monroe, WA

President’s Message

Curtis Olafson

Greetings to all friends of ICA! The 107^th Deuce of August Celebration is now in the history books and it was by any and all accounts a huge success. From my vantage point, I thought that the level of volunteerism and dedication was as high as it has ever been since the 100^th Celebration in 1999. I also believe that the number of people attending over the Celebration weekend was the highest ever since the 100^th. This success is, of course, the result of a lot of hard work on the part of a lot of great people, and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who worked, attended and enjoyed.

We also need to say a sincere thank you to our keynote speaker, Iceland’s Ambassador to the United States, Helgi Ágústsson. Helgi and his wife “Heba” were once again a warm and wonderful part of the Celebration weekend. They have ended their tenure in Washington, D.C., and have moved back home to Iceland, but we gave them strict orders to come back and visit us again soon, and they assured us that they certainly would!

Some other events that were new and created a lot of interest were: The Spirit Lake Dancers from Devils Lake, the Vietnam Veteran’s Wall display, the State Tractor and Pickup Pulling Contest, and we even brought back the Old Time Dance!

As we remember our past successes, we are always looking forward to the future. The community of Mountain has been working for quite some time exploring the possibility of building a new community center. We received some very exciting news recently by being approved for two major federal funding grants which should fund approximately half of the building project. This is certainly an ambitious project for a small community, but if any small community can do it, with your help, we can! Please read Mayor Tim Moore’s article in this edition of the Fjalla Blað for more information on this badly needed community facility.

Looking forward to next year’s Celebration, we have already heard from two choirs from Iceland that will be performing during the Celebration weekend, and I am sure that we will soon be hearing from several tour groups from Iceland as well. Another event of interest that is already on our tentative schedule is the dedication of the Thingvalla Church Memorial. For more information on the Memorial, please read the update immediately following this article. It is never too early to begin making plans to attend the 108^th Celebration in 2007!

During this Holiday Season as we gather together with family and friends, may we always remember the greatest Celebration of all-the Celebration of Christ’s birth. From all of us here at ICA, best wishes for a Blessed Christmas and for Peace and Happiness in the New Year.

Until next time……. “Hvað er svo glatt sem góðra vina fundur?”

Thingvalla Church Memorial Update

Submitted by: Curtis Olafson

Progress continues on the development of the Thingvalla Church Memorial. We are planning to have the dedication of the Memorial on Friday evening during the Celebration weekend in 2007. A 6.5 foot tall bronze Christus statue has been sculpted and is now on storage in the sculptor’s warehouse awaiting shipment to us. The statue will replicate the Christus statue which stood on the altar in the church, and is the work originally sculpted by Bertel Thorvaldsen, who was the son of an Icelander who settled and worked in Denmark. The statue will be the centerpiece of the memorial site and will once again give the site “landmark” status. As many of you know, a composite replica of the statue was here for the 2006 Celebration weekend, and was on display for a short time on Saturday on the Vikur church grounds. All who viewed the statue were visibly moved, and I know that it will be especially moving at the Thingvalla site once the bronze version is installed.

Work is underway to assemble text, photos, and historical information which will be used to create interpretive panels that will be distributed around the grounds. The site will not only commemorate the Thingvalla Church, but will also help tell the story of the rich history of our pioneer ancestors. We will keep providing more information as the Memorial development moves forward. We also would invite you to visit our new website for more information on the Memorial plan. Our special thanks to Pam Furstenau for designing and maintaining the website. The web address is: www.thingvalla.org

From the Secretary’s Desk

Loretta Bernhoft

“Icelanders in Dakota” debuts at 107^th Icelandic Celebration

The production of the video “Icelanders in Dakota” has been a work in progress for several years through the cooperation of PlusFilms in Iceland (under the direction of Sveinn Sveinsson) and the Icelandic Communities Association. A grant from the North Dakota Humanities Council helped fund the English texting of the film, which is narrated in Icelandic. Almost 100 visitors attended the local debut of this video on Saturday and Sunday, August 5^th and 6^th in Mountain and Gardar. This video supports one of the primary goals of the ICA, which is to promote the Icelandic heritage and culture. We have currently sold over 150 copies of this story and if you are interested in purchasing a copy, you can contact Jeanne, our souvenir chairperson, at jeanne1@polarcomm.com. The DVDs are selling for $15 each and the VHS copies sell for $12. Special thanks to Shirley Olgeirson for all her work on this project and to Jeanne Halldorson who spends many hours year round to ship souvenirs like this around the world!

From The Mayors Desk

Tim Moore

Mountain, ND USA

Greetings to everyone! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. This last year has been very busy and exciting. Mountain is again the official site of the North Dakota State Tractor and Pickup Pull. Except for a downpour at the end of the parade, the celebration was another success.

We have some very exciting news in regards to our new community center project. Early last spring, we applied for two USDA grants; Rural Business Enterprise, and Community Facilities to assist the City of Mountain in building a new community center and fire hall. Only two applications on the state level are considered to be sent on to Washington DC. Our application was a strong one as it left the state of ND as the #1 grant application! The City of Mountain’s application scored highly on the national level, and has been funded!

USDA has given the City of Mountain a time frame to utilize these funds. Currently, we have secured Architectural and Engineering Services and set up steering and fundraising committees. Floor plans and elevations are nearing completion.

Please look forward to more information to be sent to you in the near future.

Genealogy Center …………………………………………………………George Freeman

Time for reflection and Planning………………………………… gfreeman@gra.midco.net

The Genealogy Center this produced two remarkable stories this year. First, one of the greatest contributions I have seen to date happened this year. Tim & Sue Sigurdson Powers bought a house and fixed it up with the expressed purpose to provide a place for the Genealogy Center. Many people helped getting the house ready. Just before the weekend Tim became ill with an extended illness and then sisters Judy Olafson and Kathy Thorlackson and her son Eric helped us get ready for the Celebration. They even had food in the refrigerator for us. Then Jana, Andrea, and Karen Abrahamson helped packing up when it was over. I told the ladies I felt like a “kept man” and I kinda liked it! Erling Davidson deserves many thanks for bringing his computer equipment to help. Pam Furstenau had a special event in the Genealogy Center. The below article was reported in Lögberg-Heimskrinkla of Winnipeg and Morgunblaðið of Reykjavík, Iceland.

An Unexpected reunion in Mountain

By Pam Furstenau

A surprising coincidence at the annual Deuce of August Icelandic Celebration in Mountain, ND resulted in an unexpected family reunion. Two sisters who grew up one mile east of Gardar, ND and a man from southeastern Iceland were reunited in the Genealogy Center.

The Genealogy Center had a new location this year. Tim and Susan (Sigurdson) Powers had purchased a house in Mountain and renovated it in time for the celebration. Tim, Susan, and numerous other volunteers spent many hours preparing and modernizing the home for the Genealogy Center. The high speed internet access for three computers, in addition to the tables, bookcases, chairs, couches and air conditioning, were wonderful assets for the genealogists and also for the visitors.

The Laxdal sisters, Norma Thompson from Onamia, MN and Laurel Bowles from Milton, ND, came into the Genealogy Center looking for information on their grandmother, Sigríður Jónatansdóttir. She had left Iceland in 1888 and her family ties to Iceland had vanished.

A volunteer found the names of Sigríður's parents and facts about their wedding and Sigríður's baptism in the church records for Myrká, Eyjafjörður, Iceland. All this information is located on a microfilm and the Laxdal sisters were advised to get this microfilm for a wealth of family information.

Sigþór Guðmundsson came to Mountain with a tour group from Iceland. He entered the Genealogy Center and waited for an available volunteer. The Laxdal sisters thanked the volunteer and started to leave. Sigþór set down his paperwork on the table and said, "I am searching for information on my grandfather's family that left Iceland in the late 1880’s.

The volunteer scanned the first page of his family tree to see if any names looked familiar, and quickly discovered that his grandfather and the Laxdal sister's grandmother were brother and sister.

With much excitement, she cried out to the Laxdal sisters as they were leaving the center, "Come back, come over here! You are second cousins!" It took a few minutes for the Laxdal sisters and Sigþór to understand the genealogist's explanation, because they were so surprised and overcome with emotion.

Laurel Bowles and Norma Thompson attend the Icelandic Celebration annually to visit with friends and relatives. They are the daughters of Leo and Sophie Laxdal. They both attended school and graduated from Gardar High School, Norma in 1949 and Laurel in 1956. They have been working on their family history for over 20 years; this time their persistence paid off in a wonderful way.

Many years ago, a book was put together on the paternal lineage of the Laxdal family, but the girls continued to be interested in the maternal line. They had a copy of the Laxdal book with them and gave it to Sigþór. One of the difficulties that confronted Sigþór was that Sigríður's husband was named Sigmundur Sigurðsson in Iceland but went by the name Sigmundur Laxdal in America.

Sigmundur and Sigríður settled on a farm near Gardar, ND and an uncle, Jon, went to the Mozart area in Saskatchewan, Canada where he wrote letters back to the family in Gardar. There were so many Sigurðssons in the Gardar area that Jon suggested changing their name to Laxdal. The family agreed because they had emigrated from the Laxárdalur area in Iceland.

George Freeman and Pam (Olafson) Furstenau are the primary genealogists that volunteer their time and resources each year during the Icelandic Celebration. They have access to many Icelandic resources but they can also search for ancestors of any nationality. Countless others volunteer their time, energy, and resources to produce a wonderful celebration each year to honor our Icelandic heritage.

Other families reunite with each other during the celebration, but with the help of the Genealogy Center at the Icelandic Celebration, two families are now reunited.

See you in August!

GARDAR TOWNSHIP RECORDS DISPLAY

By Rosemarie Myrdal

More than fifty people came to the Gardar Church on Sunday afternoon, August 6, 2006, to look at Gardar Township Records and share memories with friends. The Records on display covered about 100 years (1880 to 1980) of township history. An extensive collection of items related to the Gardar School District 26 from 1880 to 1963.

On Saturday the Icelandic Tour buses brought Mountain Celebration visitors to the Gardar Church. Of special interest to the Icelanders were the church and Ladies Aid records written in Icelandic. Visitors also found interesting collections of information about the many Gardar Community organizations and business ventures.

These records have been sorted and organized by Ingeljorg Johannesson, Dorothy Thomasson and

Rosemarie Myrdal.

This collection of township records will be preserved in the archives at the Heritage Center at Icelandic State Park. Anyone wishing to look at the records or researching Gardar family history is welcome to use the material in the conference room at the Park.

ICA PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

2006 PRESERVATION NORTH DAKOTA “BOARD AWARD”

PRESENTED TO SUSAN SIGURDSON

The Preservation North Dakota Honor Awards recognize outstanding achievements and excellence in historic preservation across the state of North Dakota. Recipients are selected by the awards committee from a pool of nominations, submitted by professionals and citizens from across the state.

The “Board Award” recognizes the PND Board Member of the Year, and is presented to an individual for extraordinary dedication to the work of the organization in promoting historic preservation in North Dakota. It was created to recognize the efforts of PND board members, while keeping the annual Honor Awards available for the general public. The award recognizes the volunteer efforts of an individual who has demonstrated a passion and dedication to historic preservation in North Dakota.

The Preservation North Dakota 2006 Board Award was presented to Susan Sigurdson of Moorhead, MN and Mountain, ND; a dedicated preservationist. Her enthusiasm, commitment, effort, and passion are evident in the time and energy she has displayed in shaping the future of Preservation North Dakota.

Susan Sigurdson has served the organization as a board member since 1998. She has fulfilled the duties of three elective executive offices, and is currently co-president of the non-profit organization. Susan was instrumental in organizing the 12^th Annual Historic Preservation Conference in Fargo in 2005. She co-chaired the silent auction for the conference in Valley City in 2006. She has attended board member training out of state, and numerous strategic planning and educational retreats across North Dakota. She is always there for volunteer projects, and has helped shape Preservation North Dakota into its present form.

Susan is married to Tim Powers of Moorhead and has two sons. She is a member of the Fargo-Moorhead Icelandic Club and the F-M Scandinavian Festival.

From the Editor’s Desk

CURTIS OLAFSON APPOINTED DISTRICT 10 STATE SENATOR

Curtis Olafson, of Mountain, ND, has been appointed to the North Dakota Senate by the District 10 executive committee. Senator Olafson will be filling the remainder of the term left vacant by the resignation of Tom Trenbeath who has become Chief Deputy Attorney General for the State of North Dakota.

Senator Olafson, a lifelong resident of Pembina County, is the grandson of Icelandic immigrants. Curtis is the father of two children, Renata of Fargo, ND, and Drew, of Argyle, MN. He is married to Bjork Eiríksdóttir and has three stepchildren, Heimir of Reykjavik, Iceland, Einar, a freshman at Edinburg High School,and Linda, a freshman at Mayville State University. Curtis is involved in many community organizations which include the Icelandic Communities Association, the Mountain Community Center Capital Campaign Committee, and the Thingvalla Cemetery Association. (Continued)

He has worked extensively to promote tourism in northeastern North Dakota. The 10^th Legislative District is made up of most of Pembina County, all of Cavalier County, and the north portion of Towner County. Senator Olafson is looking forward to serving the constituents of District 10 and would appreciate hearing from you regarding any concerns you may have. He may be reached at 1-888-635-3447 or colafson@nd.gov.