Mothers and Daughters

Bella, Julianna, and Poppy share great-great-great-grandparents with a mostly matriarchal heritage. They are fourth cousins.

A family tree using indentation for the successive generations:

Guðbjorg Goodman = George Freeman
    Sigridur Lilia (Sigga) = Asmundur Benson
        Margaret Luverne ...*
        Gudbjorg Georgine = David Coleman
            Kathleen Lilia ...*
            Kristin Margaret = Joseph Richmon
                Yona Anne = Eric Roberts
                    Isabella Grace (Bella)
                    Corbin David*
                    Isla Elizabeth*
                Joanna Elizabeth ...*
            Matthew Benson ...*
            Penelope Isabelle ...*
    Elisabet Helga (Beta) = Thorleifur Thorleifson
        Gudmunder Freeman ...*
        Yona Solveig = Allan Bjornstad
            Elin Olivia = Joseph Ovick
                Joseph Bjorn = Marissa Romeyn
                    Joseph Rory*
                    Julianna Cecilia
                Jon Michael = Robin Rowley
                    Penelope Jean (Poppy)
                    Landon Leif*
            Jon Gregor ...*
            Leif Bernard ...*
        Harriette Helga ...*
    John Freeman ...*
    William Freeman ...*
    Victor Julius Freeman ...*
    George Valtýr Freeman ...*
    Ellen Mae ...*
    Mabel Emily ...*
    Victor Valtýr Freeman ...*
    Esther Bjorg ...*
    Carl Julius Freeman ...*

The many * above represent other children.
Click anywhere in the tree to reveal (or hide) them.
The many . . . represent pruned branches of the family tree.

L to R: Asmundur Benson, Sigridur Lilia (Sigga),
Guðbjorg Goodman, Elisabet Helga (Beta),
Thorleifur Thorleifson, 1st grandchild (Betsy)

Sigridur Lilia (Sigga)

Elisabet Helga (Beta)

David,
Yona, Elin, Georgine,
Kristin,
Penelope
~ 1960

Robin

Marissa

Yona (with Bella)

Penelope Jean (Poppy)

Julianna Cecilia

Isabella Grace (Bella)

Sigga and Beta's sister was Ellen Mae.

Elin & Ellen
"A Study in Green"

Ellen Mae and her grandson Matthew Lowell made a BIG family tree in 1982.
Yona was not born yet and Bjorn and Jon were very young.

Matthew Lowell Fafnis 1964-2009

Ellen Mae's husband was Reverend Egill H. Fafnis.
A tribute to him appeared in an Icelandic Community Newsletter in August 2013.

Bella's mother, Yona Anne Richmon, was named for Yona Solveig Bjornstad, Poppy and Julianna's great grandmother.

Gudbjorg Goodman and George Freeman (the great-great-great grandparents) were born in Iceland and emigrated to the United States settling in Upham, North Dakota. They had different names in Iceland:

Guðbjorg Helgadóttir and Guðmundur Jonsson They changed their names to feel more integrated into their new country. Their gravestones in Upham, North Dakota:

The Icelandic character ð is pronounced with a voiced th. The difference in English is between either (voiced) and ether (not voiced).

A Romantic Story about Sigriður Eyvindsdóttir and Jón Jonsson - the parents of George Freeman

Julianna and Poppy's paternal grandmother, Elin, wrote a story entitled "Growing Up in North Dakota". You can read it by clicking on this picture:

Finally, a postcard from Iceland in 1984. I drew it with colored pencils when I visited
the farm (Kaldakinn or Köldukinn) where Jón Jónsson grew up: