SGSIS AGM Recap and Highlights

Stephan G. Stephansson Icelandic Society’s 52nd AGM was held March 13th, a day late after needing to postpone to allow for a little snow shovelling. A few people were unable to make it due to prior commitments but the revised meeting date was well attended.
It was a great time to renew your membership, and then dig right into the coffee and dessert portion of the evening. Thank you to Donna, Marie, LA, Adele, Dirk, and d’Arcy. The selection of desserts was a hit with everyone!

The meeting began promptly at 7:00 with a reading of the Land Acknowledgement, and a “thank you” message to Society Members read by John McKechnie, President:

On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the members of the Stephan G. Stephansson Icelandic Society for your continued support and dedication.

Your contributions of funding, volunteer time, and committee work play an essential role in preserving and celebrating the heritage and history of our community. Because of your generosity and commitment, we can continue sharing the story and legacy of Historic Markerville with visitors and future generations.

Many of you give not only financial support, but also countless hours of your time — serving on committees, helping organize events, cleaning, hosting, and volunteering wherever needed. Your passion and willingness to step forward make a lasting impact on the success of our programs and initiatives.

Historic Markerville is stronger because of this partnership, and we deeply value the collaboration and friendship gained within this society.

With sincere appreciation,
SGSIS Board of Directors

Over the hour, attendees were taken through the provided notes and reports, a bylaw amendment, and the SGSIS Strategic Plan January 2026. The meeting adjourned, and several stayed a while longer to visit and enjoy a more coffee and dessert.

VISION:
Enrich the culture of Alberta and Canada by honouring the legacy of Markerville’s Icelandic heritage.

MISSION:
To preserve the heritage of Historic Markerville through the management and maintenance of its facilities and the provision and support of high-quality programming.

INLNA Residency Award 2026

Announcement image for the 2026 INLNA Residency Award, featuring portraits of Karen Gummo, Signy Holm, and Lisa Meuser, alongside logos for Historic Markerville and the Icelandic National League of North America.

SGSIS CHOOSES 2026 INLNA AWARD RECIPIENTS!

We received 11 applications for 2026, and the committee chose three artists to share the award:
KAREN GUMMO — SIGNY HOLM — LISA MEUSER
Download the official announcement at https://tinyurl.com/INLNA-AWARD-2026

CALLING ALL ARTISTS:
Check out our Buttermaker’s House Artist Residency, available all year long.
INLNA Artist Residency Award applications for 2027 will open September 15th.
More information is on our website:
https://historicmarkerville.com/buttermaker-house

Historical Society of Alberta

Central Alberta Branch

Thirty years ago the Central Alberta branch of the Historical Society of Alberta was formed.

Formalized on January 26, 1995 at the Red Deer and District Museum and Archives, they celebrate the history of central Alberta stretching from Ponoka to the north, Olds to the south, and the provincial boundaries to the east and west.

Over the years they have hosted speakers’ series on subjects of local and provincial interest, promoted and published historical works, and developed educational and programming activities related to Alberta history.

Some of those publications include Aspenland 1998: Local Knowledge and a Sense of Place, Aspenland II: On Women’s Lives and Work in Central Alberta, and Settlement Tales of West Central Alberta: The Markerville Story – all of which have some connection to Stephansson House and Markerville.

Copies available in the Stephansson House gift shop!

Reposted from Stephansson House Provincial Historic Site Facebook Page

A book cover and description for Aspenland 1998: Local Knowledge and a Sense of Place, with stylized aspen trees and a summary of its content, including essays on Central Alberta history from the Historical Society of Alberta.
Book cover and description for Aspenland II: On Women’s Lives and Work in Central Alberta, featuring a sepia photo of a river and trees on a textured background, with summary text beside it. A tribute to Alberta heritage from the Historical Society of Alberta.
An old sepia photo shows people in pioneer-era clothing by a log-hauling machine, capturing Alberta heritage on the cover of Settlement Tales of West Central Alberta: The Markerville Story by Carl Morkeberg.

Giving Tuesday 2025

Buy Tickets to Fensala Hall concerts!

This Giving Tuesday, make a difference right here in Markerville.

Our community fundraisers are a wonderful way to take part in this global movement of generosity, while also treating yourself or someone you love.
Choose from our upcoming music concerts and enjoy them in the New Year, or gift the experience to family and friends. Your support helps strengthen our community and keeps the spirit of Giving Tuesday alive all year long.
Give a little, get something beautiful back…music that brings us together.

On Giving Tuesday, December 2, 2025 you could make a donation and designate where it gets spent, or you could join Stephan G. Stephansson Icelandic Society as one of our 25-Dollar-Icelanders. Visit historicmarkerville.com and click on the Giving Tuesday banner to discover other options of how to support us, or follow the link: 

Make a donation or take out/renew your membership!

Volunteering at Historic Markerville is one of the most rewarding ways to give back to our community. From summer events (directing traffic, helping with set-up and take-down, and lending a hand at events like Cream Day or the Icelandic celebration), to winter tasks like Christmas in Markerville and the Cookie Walk, our volunteers keep Markerville’s traditions thriving year-round.
Whether you can spare a few hours or a full day, every bit of help makes a real difference. It’s a chance to meet great people, learn new skills, and be part of the fun that brings our little hamlet to life.
This Giving Tuesday, we’re celebrating the generous hands and big hearts that make it all possible. Join us, and add your story to the slideshow in the years to come.

Contact volunteer@historicmarkerville.com if you’d like to hear of upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Calgary Eyeopener: Artist in Residence

d’Arcy Gamble, Residency Co-ordinator with Stephan G. Stephansson Icelandic Society, talks about the Buttermaker’s House Artist Residence. Application deadline for the INLNA Award is Nov. 30, 2025, but the residence is available year-round for applicants.

Calgary Eyeopener with Loren McGinnis, Angela Knight
Nov. 25, 2025: Buttermaker’s House seeking artist in residence

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-5-calgary-eyeopener/clip/16183748-buttermakers-house-seeking-artist-residence

Lutheran Church [~ 1905 to 1907]

Helga, like Stephan, had been raised within the tenets of an orthodox Lutheran Church in Iceland. Unlike Stephan, however, Helga continued to engage with her faith throughout her life. While both she and Stephan attended church in Wisconsin and Dakota, by the time they were settled in Markerville Stephan had cut ties with the church and organized religion. Even so, “it appears that Helga was concerned for her children’s moral upbringing. Family members, sans [Stephan], partook in readings from the Bible and attended the Markerville church whenever Hjalmsson or another minister preached.” (Poet of the Rocky Mountains, p.108)

Perhaps she may even have attended an Easter service at the Markerville Lutheran Church.

Image courtesy Provincial Archives of Alberta, “Markerville, Alberta”, [between 1905 and 1907]. A4661.

Obtained from an Easter 2025 post on the Stephan G. Stephansson Facebook page.

A black-and-white photo from between 1905 and 1907 shows a group gathered in front of a white wooden Lutheran Church with a tall steeple. Men, women, and children stand in formal attire on the grass and church steps.
A black-and-white photo from between 1905 and 1907 shows a group gathered in front of a white wooden Lutheran Church with a tall steeple. Men, women, and children stand in formal attire on the grass and church steps.

Baldur Stefánsson

Happy birthday, Busi!

Baldur Stefánsson was born on September 25 in 1879 at Shawano, Wisconsin. At the age of ten he would leave with his family for their new home near Markerville, in the North-West Territories (now Alberta).

The photo below was taken in Dakota, shortly before they left. Baldur is on the left, Gudmundur in the center, and Jakob on the right.

Image courtesy Provincial Archives of Alberta, PH75.28.3.

Three young children in old-fashioned clothing pose for a vintage black and white studio portrait; Baldur is on the left, Gudmundur is seated in the center, and Jakob on the right.
Baldur is on the left, Gudmundur is seated in the center, and Jakob on the right.

Creamery Closes in 1972

On September 15, 1972, the Markerville Creamery closed its doors. It would re-open as a historic site in 1986.

The Creamery was started by the Tindastoll Butter and Cheese Manufacturing Association Limited, which was formed in August 1899 in Tindastoll, now Markerville, Alberta. The association was composed of a board of directors, which included a president, vice president, and three directors. The members of the first board of directors included Dan Morkeberg, J.M. Johnson, S. Goodman, J. Benedickson, and G. Thorlakson, with Stephan G. Stephansson as the first secretary. On March 5, 1910 the name of the association was changed to the Markerville Butter and Cheese Manufacturing Association.

Images of Dan Morkeberg at the Creamery, 1899 P7725, the Markerville Creamery [1901], P7726 and Markerville Creamery [1908], P7726 courtesy Red Deer Archives.

Black and white photo of the creamery. Two people stand in the doorway.
A black-and-white photo of a wooden house with people on the porch. Two horse-drawn carriages are parked in front on rough, unpaved ground—a rural scene reminiscent of the early 20th century, possibly before the local creamery closes in 1972.
A black-and-white photo of the Creamery, wood piles, and a chimney. Three people stand outside the Creamery, and a horse-drawn carriage is on the right near a fence and trees.