Linda Brandson Coates

Linda is a lifelong resident of Victoria, BC, Canada. Her paternal grandparents, Einar G Brandsson and Sigridur Einarsdottir of the Myrdal area near Vik, emigrated in 1886. After a year in Pembina, North Dakota, they made their home in Victoria among a group of other Icelandic emigrants.

Born years after her grandparents passed, Linda didn't know the family stories or Icelandic traditions, but she has had a keen interest and a willingness to learn. Over the years, with more research using the Internet and especially Icelandic Roots, she has added much more to her family stories. She and her husband, Bob, have travelled twice to Iceland to visit an ancestral farm and cemeteries and meet several cousins.

Linda retired over 35 years ago as an Early Childhood Educator and Director. She volunteered for 10 years at a long-term care home for vulnerable seniors until Covid intervened. She has been a member of Icelandic Roots for several years and is a regular contributor of old family photos and articles. Linda is part of the genealogy team that works to make the Icelandic Roots database such a valuable resource.