Olof Wood
Curious, clever, and still showing up

Auther: Katrín Níelsdóttir, Winnipeg, MB

When Olof Wood begins telling the story of her life, she starts right at the beginning: “I happened to be born right here in Winnipeg.” It is a simple opening, matter-of-fact and unassuming, much like Olof herself. But as her memories unfold, what emerges is the portrait of a truly remarkable woman whose life reflects resilience, intelligence, humour, and determination across nearly a century of change.

Born in Winnipeg in 1928 to Icelandic parents, Olof’s story soon moved from the city to the fishing communities of Lake Winnipeg. Her mother had been a teacher, and her father, despite a serious leg injury from an accident in his youth, worked in the family fishing business, Magnusson Bros. Fisheries. After her parents married, they moved to Winnipeg to run a fish shop selling the family’s catch. But when the economic crash of 1929 hit, that chapter ended. Her father returned to fishing, and the family eventually settled in Gimli, where Olof began school, and later Hnausa.

Her early life was shaped by both hardship and perseverance. When she was eleven, tragedy struck. Her father fell while building a chicken house, shattered his already injured leg, and later died after complications. Suddenly, her mother was left with four children and no steady income. The family moved to Baldur, Manitoba, to be near relatives, beginning again under difficult circumstances.

For many young girls in rural Manitoba at that time, the path ahead would have been limited. Olof’s teachers, however, saw something exceptional in her. She excelled in school, and when the time came to continue beyond Grade 11, something that required tuition, the school and community took an extraordinary step: they created a scholarship specifically so that she could not only complete Grade 12, but she was voted valedictorian. It was a recognition not only of her academic ability, but of her potential.

From there, Olof continued to distinguish herself. She earned a full scholarship to Success Business College in Winnipeg, which covered her tuition in exchange for entering government service after graduation. For a young woman from a widowed household with little money, this was no small achievement. It was a path she carved through determination, discipline, and the faith others had placed in her.

She began her career working in the Manitoba Legislative Building, later transferring to another government office across the street. It was there, in a repurposed university building, that she met her future husband, Jim. He was seven years younger than she was – enough at the time to draw criticism. Olof recalled that some predicted the marriage would last “a year at the most.” Instead, it endured for decades.

Like many women of her generation, Olof quietly performed the extraordinary work of building a life from very little. She and Jim began by renting a small apartment downtown, saving carefully while starting their family. Olof, having grown up with very little, was determined to be careful with money. She saved diligently – through her earnings, through Victory Bonds, and through sheer discipline. When the time came, she used those savings, along with her superannuation, to make the down payment on their first home in Transcona. It was not luck. It was planning, restraint, and persistence.

As their family grew to five children, Olof managed a busy household while, in the early years, Jim often worked away in the North for weeks at a time as a land surveyor. Years later, friends would tell her they had nicknamed her the “Energizer Bunny” because she never stopped. She raised children, organized schedules, supported activities, built community with neighbours, and kept everything moving – often on her own. Yet her energy extended far beyond the home. She frequently accompanied Jim to his work-related conventions, where she was not simply present but actively involved, helping wherever needed. In 1975, she was named Convention Queen – a recognition that reflected not only her enthusiasm and presence, but the warmth and vitality she brought to every gathering.

Her life also reflects the cultural richness of the Icelandic community in Manitoba. Olof grew up speaking Icelandic with her grandmothers, neither of whom learned English. As a child, she read Lögberg aloud to her nearly blind grandfather, who would gently correct her pronunciation. Those early experiences stayed with her. They remain with her still.

Today, Olof continues to attend weekly Icelandic conversation classes at the Scandinavian Centre, keeping the language alive in both memory and practice. In a moment that perfectly captures her spirit, she even dressed up with the group to create TikToks for Halloween – embracing something entirely new with the same openness that has marked her whole life.

Her story is also one of remarkable physical resilience. At the age of three, she underwent surgery to remove an eye due to a tumour on the optic nerve – an extraordinary experience for a child in 1932. Later in life, at just 54 years old, she was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis after enduring numerous fractures. One doctor told her she had “the bones of an eighty-year-old.”

Once again, Olof responded not by withdrawing, but by contributing. She became an active volunteer with the osteoporosis society in Winnipeg, serving for twenty years, speaking publicly, and sharing her story to help others.

What makes Olof Wood so compelling is not just what she endured, but what she built. She was a scholarship student whose community recognized her promise. A young woman who entered the workforce at a time when such opportunities were not easily available. A careful saver who created stability for her family. A mother of five who carried the weight of daily life with quiet strength. A preserver of language and culture. A volunteer and advocate. And still today, a learner, a participant, and – on occasion – a TikTok creator.

Her life reminds us that extraordinary achievement does not always arrive with recognition. Sometimes it looks like perseverance. Sometimes it looks like responsibility. And sometimes it looks like showing up, week after week, still curious, still engaged, still willing to learn something new. Olof Wood has done all of that – and more.