The Stowaway’s Granddaughter: The Life and Legacy of Guðrún Vióla Bjarnason Hilton

Authors

  • Katrín Níelsdóttir

Keywords:

Guðrún Vióla Bjarnason, Icelandic immigrants, Icelandic-Canadian History, New Iceland, Stowaway stories, Immigration History, Saskatchewan Icelanders, Heritage and memory, Intergenerational memory, Childhood memories, cultural preservation

Abstract

The Stowaway’s Granddaughter: The Life and Legacy of Guðrún Vióla Bjarnason Hilton explores the remarkable life of a woman shaped by Icelandic immigrant history, rural prairie life, and the enduring power of family memory. Drawing on oral history interviews conducted just one month before her 90th birthday, along with family photographs and documents, this article traces Guðrún Vióla’s upbringing, homesteading experiences, and the legacy of her grandfather who arrived in North America as a stowaway. Her story offers an intimate portrait of Icelandic settlement on the Canadian prairies, illustrating themes of resilience, community, migration, and intergenerational identity. Through her recollections, the narrative connects personal history with the broader cultural experience of Western Icelanders and highlights the ways in which heritage is preserved, reinterpreted, and carried forward across generations.

Image commemorating 150 years of New Iceland with an Icelandic style church and a combined flag for Iceland and Canada.

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Published

18.02.2026

Issue

Vol. 75 (2025): 150 Year Issue

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Katrín Níelsdóttir

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