Thordur Dedrickson was one of the first Icelandic settlers in Spanish Fork in 1856. Because of drops out at Florence, Nebraska, Thordur was able to join the second handcart company in 1865, as part of Captain Daniel D McArthur’s company. In crossing the plains, Thordur in his journals reports that when the company had gotten 150 miles out on the plains some began to get stomachaches to some extent due to the fact that the small portion of meat, which was 3/4 pound, wasn’t enough for a hungry man for one meal, let alone for a whole day. Starting out with four people assigned to his handcart, by the time that he had arrived in Salt Lake Valley he was pulling the handcart by himself, Because of the lack of proper nutrition Thordur had lost over a hundred pounds in weight during the ninety-day trek. Thordur homesteaded 160 acres on land on the east bench. Here he built an adobe yard, which furnished materials for many of the homes that were built in the early days of Spanish Fork. The adobe was made of mud and straw, and it is said of Thordur that he ate his breakfast by candlelight. Long before dawn, he would be at his yard, ready to work. Returning late, he would eat his evening meal by candle’s flame. On January 2, 1858, he married Helga Jonsdottir, who had arrived in 1855 with Samuel and Margaret Bjarnasson. Mr. Dedrickson married Maren Jacobsen on July 17, 1866, at Danish lady who became the mother of Theodore Dedrickson and Grace Dedrickson Taylor. In November 1880, he married an Icelandic lady Ranngeig Jonsson. Thordur was a leader of the Icelandic colony and presided at the majority of their meetings. He was called to perform a mission to his homeland in 1875 and labored there until 1877. A goldsmith and a poet in Iceland, much of writings are still being used in the Icelandic schools today. Upon his return to Utah, his missionary writings on Faith, “Pordi Didrikssyni,” were published in 1879 as a tract and were used in missionary lessons as late as the 1970's. Many of the Icelandic people who came in later years found food and shelter beneath his roof. With he help, they secured homes of their own. Those who knew him best gave evidence that he was a truly a great man, willing to sacrifice that others might find happiness in their new home. Thordur’s death occurred on September 9, 1894.
Published in Spanish Fork (Utah) Press, Thursday, July 4, 1996.
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cemetetry record shows (DEDRICKSON, THEODORE) owns adjacent plots of probable family members below; identifies parents (INGAR CHRISTIANSEN and JACOB CHRISTIANSON,) birth-death locations and burial date ()
VALGARDSON, CHRISTIEN M --b.07/16/1835 -d.10/12/1880
BJARNSON, CARTIUS --b.09/07/1883 -d.09/24/1883
DEDRICKSON, JOHN O --b.03/28/1875 -d.05/26/1876
DEDRICKSON, ALBERT --b.05/30/1873 -d.05/21/1876
DEDRICCKSON, MARY JACOBSON --b.05/30/1839 -d.05/06/1910
DEDRICKSON, HELGA --b.07/14/1812 -d.09/28/1905
DEDRICKSON, THEODORE --b.03/25/1828 -d.09/09/1894
GRANT, HILDA MARGARET --b.01/13/1884 -d.05/14/1914
DEDRICKKSON, JOHN --b.08/15/1889 -d.08/03/1940
DEDRICKSON, GRACE --b.07/27/1877 -d.03/21/1942
JOHNSON, BJARNI G --b.07/11/1873 -d.06/01/1896
BJARNSON, AUDBJORG --b.06/19/1842 -d.01/15/1921
JOHNSON, GUDMUND J L --b.10/02/1848
DEDRICKSON, GLENDA LEE CHAPMAN --b.12/20/1907 -d.03/01/1975
DEDRICKSON, ROYAL BRAITHWAITE --b.05/12/1903 -d.03/08/1982
JAMES, MARY ANNA SORENSON --b.01/04/1888 -d.11/05/1937
JOHNSON, HALDOR T --b.07/25/1881 -d.08/31/1881
JOHNSON, VICTORIA NEVADA --b.07/25/1881 -d.09/02/1881
DEDRICKSON, SARAH --b.11/29/1868 -d.09/23/1869
DEDRICKSON, MARY HARRIET --b.06/12/1867 -d.09/16/1868
Published in Spanish Fork (Utah) Press, Thursday, July 4, 1996.
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cemetetry record shows (DEDRICKSON, THEODORE) owns adjacent plots of probable family members below; identifies parents (INGAR CHRISTIANSEN and JACOB CHRISTIANSON,) birth-death locations and burial date ()
VALGARDSON, CHRISTIEN M --b.07/16/1835 -d.10/12/1880
BJARNSON, CARTIUS --b.09/07/1883 -d.09/24/1883
DEDRICKSON, JOHN O --b.03/28/1875 -d.05/26/1876
DEDRICKSON, ALBERT --b.05/30/1873 -d.05/21/1876
DEDRICCKSON, MARY JACOBSON --b.05/30/1839 -d.05/06/1910
DEDRICKSON, HELGA --b.07/14/1812 -d.09/28/1905
DEDRICKSON, THEODORE --b.03/25/1828 -d.09/09/1894
GRANT, HILDA MARGARET --b.01/13/1884 -d.05/14/1914
DEDRICKKSON, JOHN --b.08/15/1889 -d.08/03/1940
DEDRICKSON, GRACE --b.07/27/1877 -d.03/21/1942
JOHNSON, BJARNI G --b.07/11/1873 -d.06/01/1896
BJARNSON, AUDBJORG --b.06/19/1842 -d.01/15/1921
JOHNSON, GUDMUND J L --b.10/02/1848
DEDRICKSON, GLENDA LEE CHAPMAN --b.12/20/1907 -d.03/01/1975
DEDRICKSON, ROYAL BRAITHWAITE --b.05/12/1903 -d.03/08/1982
JAMES, MARY ANNA SORENSON --b.01/04/1888 -d.11/05/1937
JOHNSON, HALDOR T --b.07/25/1881 -d.08/31/1881
JOHNSON, VICTORIA NEVADA --b.07/25/1881 -d.09/02/1881
DEDRICKSON, SARAH --b.11/29/1868 -d.09/23/1869
DEDRICKSON, MARY HARRIET --b.06/12/1867 -d.09/16/1868
Thordur Dedrickson was one of the first Icelandic settlers in Spanish Fork in 1856. Because of drops out at Florence, Nebraska, Thordur was able to join the second handcart company in 1865, as part of Captain Daniel D McArthur’s company. In crossing the plains, Thordur in his journals reports that when the company had gotten 150 miles out on the plains some began to get stomachaches to some extent due to the fact that the small portion of meat, which was 3/4 pound, wasn’t enough for a hungry man for one meal, let alone for a whole day. Starting out with four people assigned to his handcart, by the time that he had arrived in Salt Lake Valley he was pulling the handcart by himself, Because of the lack of proper nutrition Thordur had lost over a hundred pounds in weight during the ninety-day trek. Thordur homesteaded 160 acres on land on the east bench. Here he built an adobe yard, which furnished materials for many of the homes that were built in the early days of Spanish Fork. The adobe was made of mud and straw, and it is said of Thordur that he ate his breakfast by candlelight. Long before dawn, he would be at his yard, ready to work. Returning late, he would eat his evening meal by candle’s flame. On January 2, 1858, he married Helga Jonsdottir, who had arrived in 1855 with Samuel and Margaret Bjarnasson. Mr. Dedrickson married Maren Jacobsen on July 17, 1866, at Danish lady who became the mother of Theodore Dedrickson and Grace Dedrickson Taylor. In November 1880, he married an Icelandic lady Ranngeig Jonsson. Thordur was a leader of the Icelandic colony and presided at the majority of their meetings. He was called to perform a mission to his homeland in 1875 and labored there until 1877. A goldsmith and a poet in Iceland, much of writings are still being used in the Icelandic schools today. Upon his return to Utah, his missionary writings on Faith, “Pordi Didrikssyni,” were published in 1879 as a tract and were used in missionary lessons as late as the 1970's. Many of the Icelandic people who came in later years found food and shelter beneath his roof. With he help, they secured homes of their own. Those who knew him best gave evidence that he was a truly a great man, willing to sacrifice that others might find happiness in their new home. Thordur’s death occurred on September 9, 1894.
Published in Spanish Fork (Utah) Press, Thursday, July 4, 1996.
--------------
cemetetry record shows (DEDRICKSON, THEODORE) owns adjacent plots of probable family members below; identifies parents (INGAR CHRISTIANSEN and JACOB CHRISTIANSON,) birth-death locations and burial date ()
VALGARDSON, CHRISTIEN M --b.07/16/1835 -d.10/12/1880
BJARNSON, CARTIUS --b.09/07/1883 -d.09/24/1883
DEDRICKSON, JOHN O --b.03/28/1875 -d.05/26/1876
DEDRICKSON, ALBERT --b.05/30/1873 -d.05/21/1876
DEDRICCKSON, MARY JACOBSON --b.05/30/1839 -d.05/06/1910
DEDRICKSON, HELGA --b.07/14/1812 -d.09/28/1905
DEDRICKSON, THEODORE --b.03/25/1828 -d.09/09/1894
GRANT, HILDA MARGARET --b.01/13/1884 -d.05/14/1914
DEDRICKKSON, JOHN --b.08/15/1889 -d.08/03/1940
DEDRICKSON, GRACE --b.07/27/1877 -d.03/21/1942
JOHNSON, BJARNI G --b.07/11/1873 -d.06/01/1896
BJARNSON, AUDBJORG --b.06/19/1842 -d.01/15/1921
JOHNSON, GUDMUND J L --b.10/02/1848
DEDRICKSON, GLENDA LEE CHAPMAN --b.12/20/1907 -d.03/01/1975
DEDRICKSON, ROYAL BRAITHWAITE --b.05/12/1903 -d.03/08/1982
JAMES, MARY ANNA SORENSON --b.01/04/1888 -d.11/05/1937
JOHNSON, HALDOR T --b.07/25/1881 -d.08/31/1881
JOHNSON, VICTORIA NEVADA --b.07/25/1881 -d.09/02/1881
DEDRICKSON, SARAH --b.11/29/1868 -d.09/23/1869
DEDRICKSON, MARY HARRIET --b.06/12/1867 -d.09/16/1868
Published in Spanish Fork (Utah) Press, Thursday, July 4, 1996.
--------------
cemetetry record shows (DEDRICKSON, THEODORE) owns adjacent plots of probable family members below; identifies parents (INGAR CHRISTIANSEN and JACOB CHRISTIANSON,) birth-death locations and burial date ()
VALGARDSON, CHRISTIEN M --b.07/16/1835 -d.10/12/1880
BJARNSON, CARTIUS --b.09/07/1883 -d.09/24/1883
DEDRICKSON, JOHN O --b.03/28/1875 -d.05/26/1876
DEDRICKSON, ALBERT --b.05/30/1873 -d.05/21/1876
DEDRICCKSON, MARY JACOBSON --b.05/30/1839 -d.05/06/1910
DEDRICKSON, HELGA --b.07/14/1812 -d.09/28/1905
DEDRICKSON, THEODORE --b.03/25/1828 -d.09/09/1894
GRANT, HILDA MARGARET --b.01/13/1884 -d.05/14/1914
DEDRICKKSON, JOHN --b.08/15/1889 -d.08/03/1940
DEDRICKSON, GRACE --b.07/27/1877 -d.03/21/1942
JOHNSON, BJARNI G --b.07/11/1873 -d.06/01/1896
BJARNSON, AUDBJORG --b.06/19/1842 -d.01/15/1921
JOHNSON, GUDMUND J L --b.10/02/1848
DEDRICKSON, GLENDA LEE CHAPMAN --b.12/20/1907 -d.03/01/1975
DEDRICKSON, ROYAL BRAITHWAITE --b.05/12/1903 -d.03/08/1982
JAMES, MARY ANNA SORENSON --b.01/04/1888 -d.11/05/1937
JOHNSON, HALDOR T --b.07/25/1881 -d.08/31/1881
JOHNSON, VICTORIA NEVADA --b.07/25/1881 -d.09/02/1881
DEDRICKSON, SARAH --b.11/29/1868 -d.09/23/1869
DEDRICKSON, MARY HARRIET --b.06/12/1867 -d.09/16/1868
Inscription
Iceland. Scholar - Aurthor - Poet.
Gravesite Details
Thordur Didriksson (Dedrickson), son of Didrick Jonsson, was born March 26, 1828, in Holm Austur, Landeyjum, Rangarvallasysla, Iceland. Pioneer, pushing hardcart across the plains. Arrived in Utah in 1856.
Family Members
Spouses
Children
