TIME TO GO TO ICELAND!

Shortly after arriving on the morning ferry on a gloomy day, Icelandic visitors
Thordur Bjarni Gudjonsson and his wife, Jorunn Kristinsdottir, posed for
a photo with Hoyt and Richard Purinton at the ferry dock.

Detroit Harbor, Washington Island -

Last week I received an email from Almar Grimsson, an Icelandic friend (and cousin to Mary Jo) who has visited here several times in the past few years.  He said we might be paid a visit by a couple from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Thordur Gudjonsson is the Icelandic Consul General, an official representative of the Icelandic government, who has been positioned in an area with perhaps the greatest concentration of Icelandic descendants of anywhere in North America.  He and his wife had driven to Minneapolis and would "drop by" for a visit if we could arrange things.   It was a pleasure getting to know them, even though their visit was just for one day.

Their visit comes as plans were being developed to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Icelandic settlement on Washington Island in 2020, a date with worthy potential both here and in Iceland, we're hoping to provide the framework for an exchange of citizens.   A contingent from Washington Island plans to visit Iceland in early June, and, in reciprocation, a group from Iceland will visit here in early October, when we will be the hosts.  Almar Grimsson has been my primary contact in planning activities for those occasions.

However, our visit with Thordur and Jorunn was only coincidentally related to our 2020 plans.  In his Consul General role, Thordur travels to many places in Canada and the U. S., primarily to assist in such celebrations or functions that are intended to help preserve Icelandic culture through activities, including language, poetry, music, food, dress and customs practiced by those who immigrated in the late 1800s.

Over 20,000 Icelanders are believed to have emigrated from Iceland over a period of 40 years, starting in 1870 and ending with the onset of WWI.   Among the very first were four young men who traveled from Eyrarbakki to Washington Island (via Milwaukee).  They were soon followed by others, adding to the numbers of pioneer immigrants already living here from other nations.

Explaining our Island's particular heritage, and in describing what those connections might mean for today's Island descendants, was my goal during their one-day visit.  Washington Island's story of Icelandic settlement has been largely overlooked beyond the midwestern United States.  But the story of this little island enclave is a good story, and one worth elevating through documentation.  This is not my opinion alone.  It has also been echoed in recent years by noted Islanders such as  Hannes Andersen, Ted Jessen, Jeanine Ronning and Arni Richter, to name a few.  A challenge is keeping those connections with Washington Island and Iceland fresh and in the forefront of today's Washington Island citizenry, through preservation of history and culture.

Aside from making numerous stops at Island points of interest (and many were closed in this late season), we also stopped at the Island Archives prior to their departure for the ferry and their long drive back to Winnipeg.  Steve Reiss had graciously laid out several early plat maps and photos, and he explained to our guests what might be found within our Washington Island Archives in terms of Icelandic history.  Thordur and Jorunn have each been exposed to similar materials and artifacts during their stay in the Winnipeg and Gimli centers of Icelandic culture.  Gimli is often considered "Little Iceland," one of the first places settled in Canada by those immigrants.  Their visit to our Archives might encourage communication with archival facilities in Canada, enhancing knowledge for each organization.

Archivist Steve Reiss (R) and I posed with Thordur Gudjonsson
with an "pioneer quilt" as backdrop, made by Dee Brown.  
Prominent Island family names and their corresponding decades 
are represented on the quilt. (photo by Jorunn)

This December will bring to a close Thordur's four-year posting as Consul General in Winnipeg.  The couple will prepare to return to Iceland soon after their return to Winnipeg. Thordur will continue his work within the Ministry of Culture in Iceland, until such time as another overseas position is offered.

I encourage anyone interested in traveling to Iceland early next June (2020) to get in touch with me. Or, please read my blog postings of late winter and early spring of this year.  We encourage not only those of Icelandic descent, but anyone with an interest in a cultural exchange, to consider spending two days within their larger vacation block to learn more about Iceland, and to be a representative of Washington Island for this notable, 150th anniversary, occasion!

-  Dick Purinton

WHAT'S THE BUZZ?

Washington Island -

It's difficult to stand still long enough to take a photo demonstrating crazy, if typical, winged insect activity, and I was fortunate to get this one on the second try, with one of the critters appearing to be pasted to my mouth.

These same little bugs (maybe 1/4 of an inch at most) hatch this time of year and swarm anywhere it's warm and away from the breeze.   In this case, they found the sunny, lee side of the kiosk at Jackson Harbor to their liking.

I had just finished placing more Karfi to Rock Island brochures in the display pocket on the sign board when I heard the high-pitched whine of hundreds of pairs of beating wings.

It's a trick not to inhale them when they're so thick, because they're tiny and they don't fly away very fast.

There are several reasons why this annual phenomenon isn't all bad, and here are ten reasons under the heading…


I TELL MYSELF I LIKE THESE BUGS BECAUSE:

  1.  they signal warm Island weather, at long last
  2.  birds like to eat bugs (swallows and martins especially)
  3.  while they do smear when you brush them off your clothing, these bugs don't bite!
  4.  birders like the birds that like the bugs
  5.  fish like the bugs
  6.  birders and fishermen visit the Island to bird and fish
  7.  birders and fishermen bring $$ and they purchase services and goods
  8.  we like to eat, and $$ helps us in the grocery department
  9.  these bugs are here for a relatively short duration (maybe one month).  When they disappear,  mosquitos and biting flies replace them.   I prefer these lazy - if pesky - daytime cousins of mosquitos.  These bugs like to settle down after dark.
  10. I can avoid the thickest clouds of these bugs by staying indoors with the windows closed, or I can face into the wind when outdoors, or I can carry a portable fan.


I'm also guessing protein might be gained by eating these bugs.   When swallowed - and I ate several today - there are no ill effects.

Putting up with them, ignoring them or making light of them:  this may be the best we can do.

  -  Dick Purinton

VETERANS DAY

Although this photo was taken on a Washington Island Memorial Day, a
parade of pipers, Legionnaires and members of the public led
by a color guard, tomorrow's tribute is similar, but to honor all veterans.

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

For the past several weeks I've been collecting photos of Island veterans.  Some of those photos had been in the upstairs of the Legion Hall for years, but most were recently dug from photo albums or taken down from wall frames for image scanning.

Chuck and Jewell Lee Grandy have collaborated with me on this project.  They've contacted many veterans or their families, and they've also sifted through the Island Archives, searching for photos of men and women in uniform.  I think we now have well over 100 individuals represented.

As it happens, many photos were lost or misplaced and can't be found, or there were none taken of an individual to begin with.  If possible, we want photos showing the veteran in their military uniform, posed in dress uniform, or in their work uniform, or both.  They provide an interesting contrast, the young soldier or sailor compared to the image of someone we're currently familiar with now, who may be in their 60s, 70s or 80s.

Despite our best efforts (and an admittedly late start without public announcement), this Power Point project-in-the-works, despite being incomplete, will be shown on screen during this year's Veterans Day program:   Monday morning, 10:30 a.m., at the Trueblood Performing Arts Center.  Because the photos to be seen will represent only a fraction of the many veterans with a Washington Island connection, this project will continue.

As more photos come in - either emailed in digital format or as physical photos that we can scan - we'll add to this file.  Eventually, this file of photos, accompanied by names, branch of service and perhaps key enlistment dates, will be donated to the Island Archives.  Family members and researchers in future generations might find those photos to be a useful connection with their island past.

John Gay, who is a veteran and an Island summer resident, has conducted numerous interviews with island veterans during these past several years. John volunteered to participate in a Library of Congress project designed to capture the stories of as many veterans as possible.   John records his interview with each veteran using a prescribed template of questions, and then the audio record is transcribed by others.  As you can imagine, each interview takes time, including scheduling an appointment with a willing veteran.  Later, there is a follow-up to review the transcribed interview for accuracy.  These photo images recently obtained in our project will add to John's efforts, because for many veterans', especially those persons no longer living, photos might well be the only information available about their military service.  (One completed binder will go to the Library of Congress, and a second binder will go to the Island Archives.)

During the course of this photo project, I had the chance to visit with a number of veterans, and in one meeting in the Ferry Office a week ago I was introduced to Mike Kumnick of Colorado.  Mike is a Viet Nam veteran whose parents, Fred and Lou Kumnick retired to Washington Island in the 1980s.  Fred was an active American Legion member and for a time served as Post Commander.  Although Mike and I might have met briefly, years ago, it was through this blog that Mike kept in touch with the Island.

Published here is a photo of Mike's father, Fred Kumnick, U. S. Army, WWII.

In order to make our file more complete, please consider allowing Chuck Grandy, or myself at the Ferry Line office, to scan your military photo, or one of an Island veteran in your family.  The scanning process takes about five minutes, and you keep the original.

-  Dick Purinton

Note:  About one week ago I had difficulty with my password to access this blog site, and with no clue to overcome this, I waited for help.  Coincidentally, in an unrelated error of movement my irresponsible forefinger, I eliminated my entire photo file in one "Poof."    My hope for help rested in Chris Haertig, who with his expecting wife Megan, had left for Sturgeon Bay in anticipation of their second child.  They have since become parents to Gideon Joseph.  When Chris returned, he restored my photos from the trash and fixed my password problem, which put me happily back in business.