Passed away at the Baldur Personal Care Home on Friday January 29, 2016 at the age of 90 years, Thora Sigrun (Thorleifson) Gunnlaugson (nee Johannesson), of Baldur MB. Thora was born to Ingolfur Johannesson and Sigrun Kristjana Reykdal on Coffee Street (Schulz Street) in Baldur on August 1, 1925. Her father, Ingi, worked with the butcher, Lyne, at the time. She moved with her parents to three different farms when Ingi decided to go farming. She went to school at Thor and Hola Schools, north of Baldur. In 1941, she completed her grade nine. When it was time to go to high school, they were living on the farm four miles north of Baldur. Thora would use her bike whenever she could and ride back and forth. Siggi Johnson would often rearrange his schedule so he could give her and her bike a ride whenever possible. A broken arm ended this year - with recommendations on to the next grade. Thora worked for her board at Hunters and graduated from Grade 11 in 1942. Thora moved to Winnipeg that autumn to study at the Success Business College. In early 1943, Thora moved back to Baldur to work in the Bank. Thora remembered the long hours working with numbers and finding lost pennies in the ledgers. She also remembered Mr. Bridge, the bank manager, telling her and the other clerks - "If you have nothing better to do, write the boys overseas." She remembers writing many letters along with Alice Craik, to the soldiers in Europe - telling them all of the brattish things that were going on - and calling to Mr. Bridge to tell him all the stuff they were putting in their letters. He never discouraged them; he just smiled. In early 1944, Thora took a clerical job in Moosimin. She took a second job at the Co-op where she met Ada Drewicki. She worked mostly with the accounts - sorting through the dividend records, which had been long neglected. In the fall of 1946, her brother Pall asked if she would come out to Calgary to take care of their son Karl while his wife Rene was pregnant with Brian. Thora did so, and really enjoyed her time there. She rememberd especially one trip she made with Karl to buy groceries in a snow storm. As they were coming over the Hillhurst, the snow was so deep, Karl could no longer walk. Thora carried him in one arm and the groceries in another through the deep snow. After Brian's birth, Thora came back to Baldur and spent the spring of 1947 working with Ingi on the farm. That July, Thora remembered being in town one July Saturday night and seeing a young man sitting on a cream can in front of Steini Johnson's Electrical Store. She asked her cousin Clifford who he was and was told his name was Allan Thorleifson, a mechanic at Anderson's garage. The next morning, at church service, Clifford again loudly pointed Allan out, and then that evening, she happened to go visiting at the Goodman home and was introduced to Allan there. The next Sunday, Herman Arason invited Thora to go for a drive with him and Alice Craik, and one of his friends - who turned out to be Allan again. The next weekend, Allan invited Thora to a dance at Rock Lake. Within a month, they were engaged, and they were married by Rev. Eric Sigmar on October 12, 1947. Allan and Thora lived first in a small apartment over what was later Hill's Store later known as Craik's and then MacMillan's Store. Allan and Thora's first baby, Waverlie Allan, was born on August 21, 1948. He died the following day as a result of a lung disorder. From 1950 to 1959, five other sons were born to them: Allan Oliver, Ian Clive, Roderick James, Leonard Harvey, and Neil Thor. The boys loved the fenced in yard around their home and, as they became more adventurous, the Oak Creek, a block away became a favourite haunt. Countless picnics and hikes in the woods usually included Thora lighting a fire - the hearth was a key symbol for her. Thora had a tendency to adopt other people. The best example was in 1942 when Andy Johannesson's mother, Fjola, died. Thora found him crying out in the fields. He was terrified that he would now be sent to an orphanage. Thora assured him he could stay with them on the farm. Amma Runa told Thora that Andy would be her responsibility. So when Thora and Allan got married, Andy went to live with them in their little second storey apartment until he was old enough to make his way in the world. Once Thora had decided you were one of hers, she would defend you in the face of all comers. This was a two-edged sword, though, as Thora was always known to be able to express her opinions, and did so quite effectively with her sons. In some cases, the sons did not agree with Thora's opinion of what was best for them. This may have contributed to her sons' skills as negotiators. Thora was always willing to care for others in need; even with her little children in tow, she nursed her Amma Karolina through her last days. During the 1960s, Thora was very involved in the Baldur Recreational Association, both in the sports and the cultural areas. As well, she worked with the Lutheran Ladies Aid. As her sons were in school, Thora was very involved in the Baldur School Committee - which worked tirelessly to keep the schools from grades one to twelve both viable. This work was encouraged by the threat by the school board to close several of the divisional schools and to send the students to school in Glenboro. In 1964, Thora and Allan sold their little home at 2nd Street and moved to the corner of 4th and Elizabeth. Mr Trulove built the skeleton of the house there, and Thora and Allan finished it with the help of their boys. In 1967, Allan became ill and was eventually diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. He was unable to work at the garage and, when the Baldur Sundry Drug Store became available, they bought the business. They ran this business until 1975, when Allan's health failed and Thora was caring for his needs. Allan died on May 23, 1977. In about 2001, Thora noted an entry in Allan's army pass book which indicated he had been required to volunteer for mustard compound and gas chamber experiments. She researched the effect of these experiments and joined a campaign to require the Canadian Government recognize that Allan had, in fact, died as a result of his service to Canada overseas. The Department of Veterans' Affairs finally admitted that these experiments had probably led to Allan's death and they awarded Thora a Silver Cross which is given to the next of kin of soldiers who die in the service of their country. Thora had met Charles Ray Gunnlaugson at his aunt, Lena Dunning's home in Winnipeg in 1944. She heard nothing of him again until 1977 when Thora was on her way to visit Ada Drewicki in Alberta and dropped Veiga Johnson off to visit her brother Barney at D'Arcy, Saskatchewan. They renewed their acquaintance and the next spring, in 1978, they married. Ray, it seemed, needed a carpenter's helper! They spent the next few years doing carpentry together in D'Arcy, Saskatchewan. They maintained two homes - in Baldur and Darcy. They also traveled extensively, to Iceland, Europe, Australia and New Zealand and across Canada. Thora was well known to speak a pure 19th Century Icelandic. She became, for her generation, one of the more well known genealogists; much of the material now collected in the Spruce Grove Archive on the web is due to her research and support. When she wasn't traveling, Thora embroidered quilts and knitted sweaters, mitts, and socks, keeping her grandchildren (and many others) warm as they grew. In 1987, Ray and Thora moved to Elphinstone to ranch with Ian and Barb. There, Ray fulfilled a dream of building a log house, which they enjoyed together until Ray, himself, became ill with multiple myeloma. Thora, again, cared for Ray, as she had for Allan, until Ray's death on February 17, 1997. Following Ray's death, Thora lived on in her home in Baldur. She spent a lot of her time visiting old and new friends, both the healthy and those whose health was failing. She loved to drive the countryside, knew the history of every farm and at age 80, she drove to Canada's East and West Coasts, all in one year. She also volunteered her time to help out her sons and their families. Amma saw many games, concerts and performances by both her children and her grandchildren. Alzheimer's disease became a problem for Thora in her eighties and, after having to give up her house, she came to reside in Prairie View Lodge in Pilot Mound, then in the Baldur Manor where she had so often spent hours as a visitor. Thora celebrated her 90th birthday on August 1, 2015. On January 29th, 2016, after contracting pneumonia, Thora passed away in her sleep at the Baldur Manor Personal Care Home. Thora leaves to mourn her passing her five Thorleifson sons: Allan (Loretta) of Manitou MB, Ian (Barb) of Onanole MB, Roderick (Sue) of Winnipeg, Harvey (Rosemary) of Minneapolis, MN, Thor (Donna) of Manitou; eight grandchildren: Erin, Skye, Mullein, Heather, Cara, Rachael, Paul and Olivia; three great grandchildren: Leif, Rowan and Willow, her sister Salin Beaufoy of Winnipeg, and sister-in-law Edna Lovett of Sun City, CA. She was predeceased by her first husband Allan Thorleifson (1977), her second husband Ray Gunnlaugson (1997), parents Ingolfur & Sigrun Johannesson, brothers Pall & Bjorn Johannesson & by an infant son Waverlie Allan. A Celebration of Thora's life was held on Thursday February 4, 2016 at 11:00 am in the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Baldur MB, with Pastor Laurel Seyfert officiating. Reception followed in the Baldur Memorial Hall. Friends that so desire, memorial donations can be made in Thora's memory to a charity of their choice. Thora's ashes will be laid to rest between her two beloved husbands in the Baldur Cemetery. The family would like to thank the past and present staff and residents of the Baldur Manor for their dedicated care and friendship.

Service Information

Thursday, February 4th, 2016 11:00am, Immanuel Lutheran Church

Interment Details

Baldur Cemetery