SAMÚEL BJARNASON Born 22 April 1823, the son of Bjarni Jonsson, born 21 February 1799, died 25 April 1857; and Margret Gisladottir, born 6 May 1797, died 15 May 1837. He married Margret Gisladottir, born 20 November 1822, the daughter of Gisli Andresson, born in 1791, died 23 December 1855; and Sigridur Gudmundsdottir, born about 1794, died 30 October 1833. Samuel Bjarnason and Kristin Palsdottir had a child in Vestmannaeyjar, 25 April 1843. The girl, Kristin Samuelsdottir, died 2 May 1843. On 10 September 1844, Halldora Samuelsdottir was born to Samuel Bjarnason and Halldora Jonsdottir. Samuel married Margret Gisladottir 10 November 1848 in Vestmannaeyjar. Samuel and Margret Gisladottir had a daughter, Sigridur Samuelsdottir, born 14 July 1850, died 24 Nov 1851. Samuel and his wife Margret were early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Iceland; they were baptized by Elder Johan P. Lorentzen 3 June 1853 at Vestmannaeyjar. Samuel, Margret and a friend, Helga Jonsdottir, born 12 July 1814, left Iceland in 1854 to go to Zion, in Utah. They arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley 7 September 1855. Brigham Young, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, directed these Icelandic pioneers to make their new home in Spanish Fork, Utah. Samuel and Margret built a home on 300 East and 200 North; they also homesteaded 160 acres of land in the fields west of Spanish Fork, near the settlement of Palmyra. Samuel became a successful farmer; soon he owned a large herd of sheep and many cattle. He built two homes on the property that he acquired east of Main Street in Spanish Fork. One of these homes was large and spacious, and was considered among the best in town. Brigham Young, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, again directed Samuel and Margret to help settle a new part of Utah; they were asked to settle parts of Wayne County. They immediately accepted, and Samuel sold most of his property in and around Spanish Fork, retaining only one of his homes in Spanish Fork. He was much less successful at this new location. In 1875 Samuel and Thordur Didriksson were called as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to serve in Iceland, where they labored until 1877. Their labors were mostly confined to the capital city of Reykjavik and to the western and northern parts of the mainland. They did visit the Saints in the Westman Islands. They did not baptize any people but made many friends and caused a number to investigate the gospel. Samuel was a kind and generous man who helped many Icelandic pioneers establish homes in Spanish Fork, Utah. He died 16 August 1890 and is buried in the Spanish Fork City Cemetery. In Utah he was known as Samuel Bearnson.