Sigfus Olafson

Sigfus Olafson was a major author of the updated content to Ragland's book A History of Logan County, History of Logan County Centennial: The Early Years and was a founding member of the Mingo County (WV) Genealogical Society.

The dedication of Volume 1, Number 1 (March 1978) of the Logan County Genealogical Society Newsletter (later called "Ancestree") was to Sigfus. Based on the below he was born about 1897 and died in 1987 at 90.

DEDICATION: We woudl like to dedicate this, the first issue of the Logan County Genealogical Society Newsletter, to SIGFUS OLAFSON, who is the most knowledgable living individual on the subject of local history in Southern West Virginia.  We are especially indebted to him for his collection and unselfish distribution of genelogical data from the organization of Kanawha and Cabell counties through their many territorial divisions.

Likewise, Vol. 7, No. 2 of the Ancestree Newsletter had this about Sig, Summer 1984 when he was 87.

SIGFUS OLAFSON

The following article is about an outstanding member of our society, Mr. Sigfus Olafson.

Mr. Olafson has made many genealogical contributions to Logan and surrounding counties. Although he is 87 years old, he is always eager to help anyone in pursuing their family history and can relate years to genealogy and archaeology and we feel blessed that we have this great man in our lifetime.

Sigfus Olafson was born November 1, 1896, in Roseau County, Minnesota, the son of Grimer and Bjorg (Sigfusdottir) Olafson.  Both his parents were born in Iceland and immigrated, as children in Dakota territory, where his parents met and eventually married.

At about this time, Northern Minnesota had been purchased from the Ojibway Indians and opened for homesteading, and it was there that they settled and raised their family of nine children, Sigfus being the second oldest.

His father went ahead with another man and the two helped each other build log houses. Sig's father returned to Dakota and got his wife and together they headed for the new homestead.

At that time, it took about five days (which today takes only several hours). His mother drove the wagon, with all their possessions, and his father drove the cattle and sheep to their new home.

On their first night in the new homestead, wolves killed eleven of the twelve sheep his father had brought from Dakota and the next night, the wolves got the twelfth one.

Sigfus grew up in much the same circumstances as the early pioneers of this area. Everyone had to necessarily be pretty-sufficient. There were no stores to buy necessities.

When he enlisted in World War I, he was places he had only read about in books; and a house or other building that was a great deal older than he was fascinated him, since all houses and buildings in the area where he had been raised were no more than a couple years older than he was.

Part of the Icelandic heritage is an interest in one's own heritage, so Sigfus was born "this way." This also stimulates one's interest in history, in general, and a curiosity about where people come from.

With this background, he came to West Virginia and began his “love affair" with Boone County and the surrounding area.

After World War I service, he worked for the state of Minnesota in the iron mines on the Mesabi Range. It was here he met and married his wife, Alma Johnson, daughter of Henry and Marorett (Hendrickson) Johnson. Her parents were born in Finland of Swedish parentage and came to this country after their marriage.

It also was here that he accepted a position with the Yawkey family, which was to last for the next 46 years, and continue into retirement as a consultant, a position he presently holds.

It was the Yawkey family that brought him to West Virginia and with their interest here, for a short time, he debated whether to live in Logan or Madison. His "Boss" here in West Virginia, Judge Fleming Leftwich, was probably influential in his decision to settle in Madison in 1922. It was in Madison that they raised their three children: Dick, Bob, and Jean. His daughter, Jean Harmon, makes her home with Sigfus and is also interest in genealogy and is President of the Boone County Society.

Sigfus has always been active in local and community affairs in this area and after living in Madison for 24 years, the Yawkeys transferred him to their New York office where he worked until he and his wife returned to Madison in January 1969 after his retirement. In September of 1969 his wife died and is buried in the Boone Memorial Park.

In 1930, he began copying the Boone County Census Records and soon thereafter, the Logan County Census. As they became available at 10-year intervals, he continued in this work and has endeavored to find out about those listed, to add information which would be helpful to others.

This all began because of his work, which involved land records, and he wanted to find out more about the people whose names appeared in these records. In this endeavor, he has heard many stories and anecdotes about these individuals which do not appear in the records but many who visit him enjoy reminiscing with him.

In the late fall of, 1975, at the urging of Janet (Barker) Hager, he founded the Boone County Genealogical Society and is a CHARTER MEMBER of the Logan County Genealogical Society, the Kanawha Valley Genealogical Society, the KYOWVA Genealogical Society and the Lincoln County Genealogical Society, all of which he encouraged others to start.

His "love affair" with Boone County has extended far beyond her borders. It is his wish that all our surrounding counties also become interested in preserving our rich heritage because we all "spill over" into our neighboring counties.

While the archaeological heritage of this area has also been of prime interest to him, age has taken its toll and he has left this project to those more physically able to pursue this "hobby."

That's one thing about genealogical pursuit. You can do this with physical infirmities and most of his days are now spent in trying to record all the information he does not now have written down.

And finally, in Vol. 10, No. 1 (Sprin 1987) of the Ancestree Newsletter they carried this obituary for Sig.

SIGFUS OLAFSON
SIGFUS OLAFSON of Madison, a noted ,d archaeologist-historian, died Saturday, February 28, in the Boone County Health Care Center, Danville, He was 90.

Mr. Olafson was considered an authority on Boone County history. He also was known for scouring the hilltops of Southern West Virginia in search or Indian artifacts.

A native of Minnesota, Mr. Olafson lived in Boone County for nearly 60 years. He was the founder of the Boone County Genealogical Society which has published several books of Boone County history.

Mr. Olafson was past president of the W. V. Archaeological Society and the Eastern States Archaeological Federation. In November of 1986 he was inducted into the Order of the 35th Star, an order originated by State Treasurer A. ‘James Manchin recognizing persons 80 years of age or older who have given 50 years of service to the people of W. V., the 35th star on the American flag.

Mr. Olafson was a former employee of Yawkey-Freeman Corp. with 48 years of service. He was a veteran of World War I and a member of the Daniel Boone Post 5578, Veterans of Foreign Wars in Madison. He was a Mason and a charter member of the Madison Rotary Club.

Survivors: son, Robert M. of Larchmont, N. Y.; brothers, Oliver of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Louis S. of Vienna, Va.; six grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren.*


*Hometown Advertiser, Monday, March 9, 1987, Madison, W. V.