Johann (Joe) & Lilja (Lila) Josephson

After the great war was over Joe acquired land in 1919 and built a lavish house for Lilja and his family on SW.24.32.18, four miles East of Dafoe.  He was willed half of the quarter section by his father Johan Sigur Bjorn Josephson, and the other half was purchased from the Manitoba and North Western Railway Company of Canada.  Construction was completed by Icelandic carpenters who were unemployed because of the Winnipeg General labor Strike.  Previous to this Joe, along with friends Ingrav Olafson and Eric Halldorson had purchased all of section 23.32.17 in the Mountain District from the CPR in 1918.

In 1934 Joe and his friends were one of the first to group purchase a CASE "One-Way Disc", which revolutionized the traditional way of plowing, disking, harrowing and then seeding.  By attaching a seeding rack to the One-Way, everything was accomplished in one pass.

I record a tragic event in my diary on Wednesday June 7th, 1933 when Joe's wife Lilja died giving birth to her son, Clarence V. Thor, when she was 36 years old.  The funeral took place at Wynyard on Monday, June 12th. and she was buried at Kandahar Cemetery.  Her son Clarence survived the birth, but died very young at 22 years old after marring Thelma K. Allen.  This was not the only tragic event for the Josephson family, as Joe's Aunt died of typhoid fever and his father Johan went blind.  Joe was the eldest sibling in his family, but had three younger brothers and three sisters.  He lived in the house until 1942.

Joe and Lilja's house is now a Heritage Property called "Amma's House" which means Grandmother's house in Icelandic.  It is now run as a bed & breakfast by Eric and Karen Olafson.

Johann (Joe) Josephson 1889?/1906?-1981  Wife: Lilja Josephson 1897-1933
Son: Clarence V. Thor 1933-1955  Daughter-in-law: Thelma K. (nee Allen) 1929-1971
Father: Johan Sigur Bjorn Josephson 1856-?    Mother: Gudney Josephson 1872-1949
Brother: Helgi 1895-?