Ever since I was a little girl I knew I had relatives in the States – I was just about 8 when I found out – looking through some stuff in my fathers desk that I certainly wasn’t supposed to do. But I’ve never been much for doing what I’m told.
Well anyway I found a letter from someone who called my father a son! That was strange I thought and I ran to my mother in the kitchen and asked her about these amazing news I just learnt!
She told me I had a grandfather in California but my father could never forgive him that he left. My father always had that image in his mind that my grandfather Eiríkur left him and my grandmother here in Iceland – or maybe he felt that he should have stayed – not leave to live in the USA. It wasn’t simple or easy to grow up with out a father in the beginning of last century. It wasn’t easy to get a decent job in Iceland in 1911 so it is understandable that people tried to have a better life overseas.
These were tremendous news and I found it really interesting to have a grandfather all of a sudden and I even thought of writing to him but somehow I never did. I guess I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea.
Later I learned that my grandmother was going to go to the States later when my father was a bit older but she didn’t want to go. My grandfather always sent letters to Iceland and tried to keep in touch and certainly with his sisters and parents. And he sent my father letters and Al told me he was always very proud of his oldest son and never concealed his excistence.
He had many sisters and my father stayed with one of them in Reykjavík when he was learning and her daughters – Maggy and Jóna were always very close to my family and a dear part of it. Their father was Ásmundur and died at sea – one of my brothers has his name.
This story has always lured at back of my brothers’ and sisters’ minds and we have often thought of the people in San Diego. And we’ve certainly talked a lot about letting them know we think of them.
For the last years we have often talked about how much fun it would be to go to California and try to meet our father’s brother and sisters – has no other siblings here in Iceland so the people in San Diego are important part of our family. Somehow we have never gotten into full gear with that subject but last Sunday I and my sisters decided that now was the time to write to USA – but then I asked why we didn’t just phone Magnus Albert and speak to him – let him know of us? I found his phone number and just phoned him 😉
And what a pleasure it was to hear his voice and talk to him – and just imagine this is my father’s half brother! Who could have imagined?
Al is 90 years old to day – nothing less and I think there is a birthday party and 58th street in San Diego ;-). Well at least I know his children and grandchildren are coming! I hope they will all have a pleasant day. It certainly is a big accomplishment to live for 90 years! That is something that is worth celebrating!
Hopefully we will keep in tough I have his email and perhaps we will get a family story, names of relatives and so on. There must be a quite a list of names!
The reason I write this in English the fact that I’ve been seeing a quite a few visits from California these past days since I sent them a link to the pictures on my site. Maybe someone will read this and even comment that is relative of mine ;-).
But anyway these are remarkable times – finally to get in touch with the people overseas, Al, Aldís and Jakobína – and all your families we hope you are in good health!
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