Memorable Manitobans: Einar Sigurjon Jonasson (1887-1935)

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Einar Sigurjon Jonasson
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Municipal official, MLA (1933-1936).

Born at Mountain, North Dakota on 7 June 1887, son of Einar Jonasson and Jonina Sigfusdottir, he was educated at Vernon, British Columbia and Gimli. His father came to Canada from Iceland in 1874 with the first Icelandic colony in Canada, located at Kinmount, Ontario. The location did not prove suitable and Jonasson and others were delegated by the Canadian Government to come in Manitoba and survey a suitable location. This they did at Gimli on Lake Winnipeg in 1875.

On 24 August 1915, he married Anna Tergesen (?-?) and they had three children: Olof Anna Jonasson (1916-?), Margaret Inga Jonasson (1918-?), and Einar Jonasson (1921-?). He was the first clerk of the village of Gimli, from 1908 to 1920, and was Secretary-treasurer of the Rural Municipality of Gimli for fourteen years, and Mayor of Gimli from 1924 to 1926. He was a member and Chairman of the School board, and was elected Mayor of Gimli from 1924 to 1926. He ran unsuccessfully for election to the Manitoba Legislature in 1914 and 1927 but was elected in 1932. He did not seek re-election in 1936. He was President of the Gimli Athletic Association.

He died at Gimli on 8 July 1935 and was buried in the Gimli Cemetery.

Sources:

Marriage and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

1921 Canada census, Library and Archives Canada.

Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.

“Einar S. Jonasson, M.L.A. for Gimli, dies Monday after lengthy illness,” Winnipeg Free Press, 9 July 1935.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

We thank Oliver Bernuetz (Legislative Library of Manitoba) for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 26 January 2021

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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