"The Olafson Family"

I mention the Olafson family six times in my diaries.  On February 1st. Clarence and I tracked four stray horses through Olafson's property, which was the East half of section 28 about two miles north of our farm.  On March 23rd. and 25th., I talk about Louie fixing the fan for our wind generator.  On June 9th. Clarence and I went to a dance in Olafson's truck to Regik's farm at 11pm and returned late at 4am.  On September 22nd. Louie cut timbers for Dad's machinery rack with his small sawmill located on their property.  Louis was a blacksmith by trade, as well as an excellent woodworker.

Louis' older brother Bjarni (Barney) and sister Gudny were born in Iceland and came to Canada with their father and mother Johannes and Margaret Olafson in 1886.  Louis was born in Selkirk Manitoba a year later in 1887.  After his father died, Louis (17yrs) came out west in September 1906 with his mother and siblings and they filed for patent on quarter section SE.28.31.18.  Louie married Helga Gunnlaugson of Wynyard in 1920 when he was 33 years old.  When I wrote my diaries Louis was 46 years old and his 5 children were all under 12 years of age.  His brother Barney (when 19yrs) had filed for patent on section NE.28.31.18 in 1906 after traveling from Sheho (the end of the rail line) and traveling 60 miles to their homesteads.  Seven years later Barney married Olgereina (Olga) Kjarval.  By 1933 they had 5 children who were aged 10 to 18 years.  Their kids were closer to my age than Louie's children.  Their names were Joe, Carl, Helgi, Norman and Gestur who died in childhood.  Barney later had a son Marino with is second wife Kristine, who moved to British Columbia and became a carpenter.

In the dirty thirties, Louie and Barney made custom farm machinery and sold at modest cost to Foote/Copeland farmers who could not afford to buy commercially due to the financially constraints of the depression.  Barney was also construction Forman when the Copeland community hall was built in 1935.  School Sports Days were often held at Louie's and Helga's farm, which combined Foote-Copeland, Mimer and Big Quill school children.

My family (Hatton) valued highly the Olafson family for their personal friendship and good neighborliness, especially in times of need in the depression years.  Years later, I (Gordon) worked for Barney when he had a fuel outlet in his yard.