Geysir District Midwives

By Blair Swanson

While compiling profiles for his Facebook page, “Geysir Cemetery,” Blair has gathered

information about the women who served as midwives in the Geyser District of Manitoba. Their skill and compassion were vital in the early days of the region. All of the following information was taken from Faith and Fortitude: A History of the Geysir District 1880s–1980s.

Midwives were common in every community. It was a necessity to have someone trained to deliver babies since a lot of the babies were born on the farm and the local doctor couldn’t always arrive on time due to weather, poor roads, etc. Sometimes, there was no choice but to have the baby delivered by an untrained person. Here are some of the ladies who lived in the Geysir district and delivered babies:

Olina Erlendson (I481532) and her husband, Erlendur, arrived in Canada in 1889 and two years later settled in Geysir on their homestead, Haland, which they farmed for over 30 years. Olina was known for her midwifery skills and on one occasion, when there weren’t any proper instruments available, she used a pair of silver spoons to carry out a successful delivery. (p166)

Joseph and Herdis Benjaminson (I464665) moved to Canada in the late 1800’s and eventually took up residence in Geysir. Herdis was not a midwife but when a neighbor ran over to their place begging for help for his wife, who had just had a miscarriage. Herdis rushed to their farm and ended up staying for a few days until the woman was out of danger. (p123–4)

Sigmundur and Jonina Gunnarsson (I309261) lived in a log house on their property in Geysir called Grund. They immigrated to Canada with their five children. Jonina was a trained midwife who would be called upon to deliver a baby when the doctor was unavailable or could not be reached. She would often stay with the new mother for at least ten days after the birth. (p210)

Bjarni Olafson and his wife Solveig (I529062) came from Iceland and lived in Winnipeg for three years before starting their new life in Geysir on their homestead, Gullbringa. Solveig was an "excellent midwife" and delivered many babies in the area. (p266)

Kristjon and Indiana Sigurdson (I187906) were married in 1924 and farmed at Helluland in Geysir. Indiana was born in Iceland, coming to Canada when she was 15 years old, and was to make her way to Geysir to stay with family, Hallgrimur and Sigridur Fridriksson. Immediately after her arrival, Indiana wanted to learn to speak English and get herself a job. She enrolled in a 14-month course in Obstetrical Nursing at the Grace Hospital in Winnipeg. After graduation, she worked as a midwife and as a nurse. With her training and her willingness to help people, Indiana was often called upon to aid in a medical emergency or childbirth. (p288–290)

Gudrun Jonasson (I190947) was the daughter of Jonas and Lilja Thorsteinsson of Djupadal. At an early age, she worked as a housekeeper and a cook. If a baby was expected, Gudrun assisted the attending midwife and then cared for the mother and newborn. She studied obstetrics on her own and with a midwife but was denied the opportunity of formal education. Despite the lack of formal training, Gudrun gained the trust of many patients and medical professionals with her growing reputation as a superb nurse. She delivered babies on her own when neither a doctor nor a midwife was available, she cared for patients with various types of illnesses, including the terminally ill, and she also prepared many corpses for burial when an undertaker was too far away or the service too expensive. (p334)

These are just some of the many women who provided valuable medical assistance to a growing community of new pioneers.

Editor's note: Members will find a report called Midwives in the Icelandic Roots Database under the left sidebar items "People" and then "Midwives." The report notes all the known Icelandic midwives from the early 17th to mid-20th century. It includes both formally and informally trained midwives and those who lived out their lives in Iceland or emigrated to North America and continued their midwifery careers there. Most of the information was obtained from the book Ljósmæður á Íslandi, Volume I (1984: by Björg Einarsdóttir. Other sources included Icelandic parish records, obituaries, and Icelandic and North American histories.

Sources

Geysir Historical Society. Faith and Fortitude: A History of the Geysir District 1880s–1980s. 1983: Arborg, Manitoba. Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.lib.umanitoba.ca/

islandora/object/uofm%3A2264802#page/1/mode/2up : 27 Jun 2025.

Swanson, B. “Geysir Cemetery” in Facebook [Facebook page]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/geysir.cemetery/