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Benedikt Samson He was not famous, as it is understood; nevertheless my friend
Benedikt Samson - for a long time a blacksmith in Selkirk, cannot be buried
without saying something. I hope that Heimskringla, a paper that he cherished
and bought for a long time is willing to publish these lines, since the papers in I saw Benedikt for the first time when I
came to Reykjavík in March 1886, and I noticed the man more than others that I
met in town. He was about 5 foot and 9 inches tall, but so stout and muscular
that it was obvious that he was exceptionally robust. He was fair haired, blue
eyed and big-boned, broad-faced and with high cheek bones. He had rugged
features and not expressly handsome but far from being considered bad looking.
He looked frank and kind and had the overall neat and clean appearance that
attest to the honorable traits that grace all men. He was limber in all movements, had a
manly appearance, and he was naturally cheerful and pleasant in conversation.
This is how he appeared to me, then at our first meeting and after having had
close acquaintance with him until death - nearly 40 years - I think he deserves
to be mentioned with a few words. Benedikt was born in Miðfjörður in Húnavatnssýsla July 10, 1857.
His father was Samson Samsonarson. The elder Samson, the grandfather of
Benedikt was the brother of Jón Samsonarson from Frostastaðir in Blönduhlíð in
Skagafjörður who became the first Member of Parliament from Skagafjarðarsýsla;
his son was Jónas from Keldudal, the father of Samson and
Jón who have for a long time worked as policemen in The mother of Benedikt was Margrét Gunnlaugsdóttir, and her mother
was Oddný Ólafsdóttir who lived at Enni in Refasveit in Húnavatnssýsla. The
mother of Oddný was Margrét the sister of Mrs. Oddný the mother of Guðrún who
was married to Sheriff Björn Blöndal. This overview demonstrates that Benedikt
was well descended and it was evident in his inner and outer person. When he was three years old he was brought to the couple Helgi and
Guðrún who farmed at Miðhús in Vatnsdalur, he grew up there until adulthood. He
learned blacksmithing from the mastersmith Tómas Jónsson from Brekkukot and
later married his daughter Guðríður. Benedikt moved with her to Reykjavík in
1882, during the first year he worked in commerce for the partners Vídalín and
Eggerts. He then bought a house in town, built a smith´s shop and began his
trade as a blacksmith and continued doing so all the years that he stayed in
Reykjavík. Benedikt had 4 daughters with his wife, 3 of them are married and
live in the town but the fourth - Svanlaug passed away there a few years ago. Benedikt immigrated to Shortly thereafter Benedikt married for a second time to Miss
Þórdís Jónsdóttir, who is descended from Rangárvallasýsla and they had one
daughter - Jónína, who is married to Þórður Thompson, this couple lives in Benedikt had one son who is almost an adult by now with a
domiciled woman in The established home of Benedikt was always in Selkirk. He did
however work for a few years in the city of Benedikt did not meddle in other peoples affairs and was reserved
about his own. He did not attend to public matters, but he did have determined
and grounded opinions and he expressed those views firmly when he was prompted
and earned for that and all his conduct in general the trust and respect of his
fellow citizens. Benedikt was an uneducated man, however by natural disposition he
had great intellect and sound judgment. He had a temper though I personally never
noticed it, but I knew that he held firmly to each decision that he considered
correct and never surrendered his position to any man. He did not cultivate
church attendance and never joined a congregation,
nevertheless he did have a definitive religious believe and conviction about
the afterlife but while he didn’t attend church he made considerable
contribution to the Lutheran congregation in Selkirk when he was approached and
he also made some contribution to the building of the congregation´s new church
there. As physically and temperamentally inflexible as he was he was just as
childlike in his sensitivity for the condition of the poor and I´ve been told
that he was very helpful to many when it mattered the most to them. Benedikt enjoyed good health until the beginning of 1924 when he
noticed the illness that would later lead to his death. A disease of the liver
made it inescapable that he undergo an extensive and dangerous surgery, in
March that year. He was forced to permanently close down his smith´s shop at
that time. When he was released from Selkirk hospital he needed to secure
housing where he would be comfortable, he was hired by Mrs. Elín Emsten who ran
a store in town and she took care of him with full dignity until the end. The
great surgical wound never healed but with secure bandaging he was able to walk
and perform light work in the store, until he became bedridden and passed away
November 11. His funeral was in every respect dignified and the funeral
procession was one of the largest seen in that town. B. L. Baldwinson.
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