Kristen Enarsdottir; Daughter of Iceland

Loftsalir where the arrow is pointing in this picture is where Kristin was born.

Kristin Einarsdottir

Kristin Einarsdottir is born on November 6, 1855 in Loftsalir, Dyrholar, Vesturskaftafell, Iceland.[1]Her father was Einar Jonsson who was born in 1790 on the family farm of Loftsalir, the parish of Dyrholar in the county of West Skaftafell, in Icelandic, Vesturskaftafell. Loftsalir was a small farm on the southern shores of Iceland close to the landmark called Dyrholar or “hole in the rock”. Dyrholar is a large outcropping of rock, which extends out into the ocean and a large hole is in the side of the cliff so large boats can pass through. This is where Einar Jonson was born in 1790. He married Kristin Arnadottir on October 23, 1835 in Asar, Vesturskaftafell, Iceland.[2] Children soon followed as Arni or Outna as it is pronounced in Icelandic was born on July 15, 1837 and Vigfus followed the next year on July 13, 1838 in Loftsalir. Other children followed Einstinvieg in 1839, Thoreylin in 1847 both daughters who never married. Kristin was born on November 6, 1855 in Loftsalir and the last child to be born was her brother Gunner who was born on April 4, 1857.[3]Here is a list of all of their children:

1.      Son Einarson  August 26, 1836  Loftsalir Died

2.      Arni  July 15, 1837                     Loftsalir

3.      Vigfus  July 17, 1838                  Loftsalir

4.      Einstnveig  December 15, 1839  Loftsalir

5.      Einar 1841                                   Loftsalir  Died

6.      Thoreylin  July 26, 1847             Loftsalir

7.      Son    March 25, 1852                 Loftsalir Died same day

8.      Kristin        November 6, 1855     Loftsalir

9.      Gunner   April 4, 1857                Loftsalir

 Gunner lived and died in Iceland on March 30 1935. He married and had a daughter in Erarbakka named Jonina who was born on November 1, 1907.[4]

            Kristin’s father came to an early death on July 9, 1859 when Kristin was only three and her younger brother Gunnar was two. This may have been the end of the farm Loftsalir and splitting apart of this family to different parts of Iceland. Kristin’s brothers Arni and Vigfus moved to a small island off the south shore of Iceland by 1864. This island is the Westman Islands or in Icelandic Vestmannaeyjar. In 1867 Kristin moves to the Westman Islands to work for her brother Vigfus and his family as a maid. In 1875 Kristin’s brother Arni dies from pneumonia in the Westman Islands.[5]

            Kristin moves to another household to work as a maid by 1870, which appears to be her occupation during this time. In 1879 she meets a Mormon missionary named Einar Eirikson. Missionaries had been coming to Iceland since the 1850s. For whatever reason the only place they had success was on the Westman Islands, so this is where the missionary effort was based. If Kristin had not lived on the Westman Islands she never would have met Elder Eirikson. She was baptized on April 10, 1879 by Elder Eirikson and began planning her move to Zion to be with the saints and to leave the persecution many Icelanders faced when they joined this new church.[6]

            Kristin is finally able to leave for Utah in 1881 and leaves with 22 other saints and Elder John Eyvindson who is the leader of the small group of Icelandic saints traveling to Salt Lake City. Elder Eyvindson and his companion Elder Jacob Johnson had started their mission in Reykjavik but came under severe persecution and spent time in jail for preaching. These two men would lead Kristin’s group to Utah.

The Icelanders left Iceland on the Steamer “Camoens” from Reykjavik. They arrived in Granton, Scotland and then traveled to Liverpool, England. In Liverpool they set sail for Utah on the “SS Nevada” on July 16, 1881 at 1:00pm. The Icelanders sailed from Liverpool, England to New York City and arrives in New York on July 23, 1881. Twins were born on July 20, 1881 two days before arriving in New York to the wife of Halldor Jonson. They named the children Atlantic and Victoria Nevada. On the evening of their arrival Kristin’s group boards a train in New York and travel’s by rail all the way to Utah. A sister passed away on their travel across the country and Elder Eyvindson stays behind to assist in her funeral on the North Platte. The rest of the group arrived in Salt Lake City on August 7, 1881 under the leadership of Elder Johnson. This group moves on to Utah County where they settle in the first Icelandic settlement in North America, Spanish Fork.[7] 

Kristin who is 25 years old meets Michael Christensen and on November 17, 1881, Kristin and Michael are married in Salt Lake City in the Endowment House.[8] Michael and Kristin make their home in Spanish Fork, Utah. One-year later Kristin gives birth to a son. She names him after her Father Einar Jonsson. Einer is born on October 5, 1882 one year after Kristin arrived in Utah.

            Kristin has her first daughter on October 8, 1885 and calls her Hannah Catherine. Another boy named Mickle Ephraim who is born on January 8, 1888 in Spanish Fork soon follows Hannah.[9]

Kristin’s brother Vigfus has a son named Arni who was born in 1875 who leaves Iceland in 1887 and travels to Utah at the age of 12. Arni arrives in Utah and goes to Spanish Fork where he is baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His father follows in 1888 and the rest of Vigfus family immigrates to Utah by 1890 and 1891. I have no record of wheather Vigfus stayed with his sister and her family or had some type of contact with her. Living in the small town of Spanish Fork, I would assume they were in contact. In just a few years Kristin’s children will be moved out to different families but not to Vigfus or any of his children. One can assume that Vigfus and his wife were elderly and being new to the country they did not have the means to care for Kristin’s children.[10]

            On June 4, 1890 Kristin has another daughter named Grace who dies that same day. Her last daughter Christina is born on October 19, 1891 and is a healthy and happy baby. However, her mother Kristin never recovers from this birth and on October 26, 1891 she passes away leaving Michael alone with four young children to care for in his old age.[11]

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     [1] Dyrholar, Vesturskaftafell, Iceland, film #0073374, LDS Family History Library Archives.

     [2] Census Loftsalir, Dyrholar, Vesturskaftafell, Iceland, 1855 Iceland LDS Family History Library Archives film #0073374.

     [3] Ibid.

     [4] Eyrarbakki, Iceland parish records, LDS Family History Library film # 0073399,

Bjorn Magnusson,  Vestur-Skaftfellingar 1703-1966,  Vol. II, Reykjavik 1970 Pg. 98, LDS Family History Library Archives,  Scand 949.1272 D3m cl.

     [5] Westman Islands parish, Iceland 1875, Film # 0074169, LDS Family History Archives.

     [6] David Ashby, Icelandic Mission Records, Iceland Mission History; February 2001,

Icelandic Association of Utah. Pg. 20.

     [7] Ibid

     [8] LDS Church Records, Spanish Fork Forth Ward #292, film # 0027315, LDS Family History Library.

     [9] Nora W. Carter, Cemetery Records Spanish Fork, Utah LDS church Archives,  979.224/s3.

     [10] Nora Allred, The Icelanders of Utah, The Icelandic Association of Utah p. 49-50. Westman Islands parish  Iceland, LDS Film # 0074169.

     [11] Nora W. Carter, Cemetery Records, Spanish Fork Utah, LDS Archives  979.224/s3