Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 426
Ron Winters, 81, of Wrangell, passed away peacefully on Aug. 14 from complications of diabetes and heart disease. He was born in Astoria, Oregon, in 1940 and went to high school in Forest Grove. He served in the U.S. Air Force. He had been in Alaska for more than 50 years, living in Anchorage, Homer, Cordova and Wrangell. He worked on the North Slope as a welder for several years and owned his own machine and welding shop in Homer, where he met his wife. They spent 20 years owning, operating...
Former Wrangell resident Leatha Vada Aitken "went home to her Lord" on July 19, in Juneau surrounded by family. Vada, as she was known, was born Nov. 12, 1931, to James Virgil and Maude Briscoe in Healdton, Oklahoma, and grew up in nearby Fox. The farm life was not easy, but Vada had happy times, her family wrote, especially with cousins Judy and JoAnn. Vada had two daughters with first husband, George Vaughan: Vicki, born in California, and Sandi, born in Juneau. After divorcing, Vada met and m...
Melville "Mel" John Bjorge, 53, of Wrangell, passed away on Sept. 12, 2021, from natural causes, the family said. Mel was born June 25, 1968, at Bishop Rowe Hospital. He was the last baby born at Bishop Rowe before the new Wrangell hospital opened. He was a 20-year employee of the hospital. "He was loved by all at the hospital, especially the long-term care residents," his family wrote. "He will be missed by all." He is survived by his father, Melville B "Bucky" Bjorge, and his mother, Carol...
Richard “Rick” Wiederspohn, 72, of Wrangell, passed away on May 27. Rick moved to Wrangell in 1966. He was a Vietnam veteran with the U.S. Army and a lifetime member of the Elks Lodge. Rick had a brief battle of pneumonia. He was surrounded by loved ones, his family said. No celebration is planned....
Robert "Bob" Wickman, 76, of Wrangell, passed away on Jan. 13. A celebration of life and potluck picnic will be held at 11 a.m. July 6 at Shoemaker Park. Bob was born in Ketchikan to Robert Wickman Sr. and Helen Gross Barr on March 3, 1945. The family moved to Wrangell shortly afterward. He went to Wrangell High School. Bob fished many years, worked as a longshoreman and worked in construction around town and on the North Slope. The jobs he most enjoyed were working for Campbell Towing and...
Terry Whittlesey, 81, "a man of great faith, was called home to be with his Lord and Savior" on June 6 in Spanaway, Washington. He had served as pastor at Harbor Light Church in Wrangell from 1979 to 1990. "He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend. He had an unconditional love for his family, and leaves behind a lasting legacy with many cherished memories," his family wrote. He served more than 50 years as a minister and teacher, bringing him great fulfillment. Terry and his fami...
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. July 6 at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church for Rosemary Pagano (Kalkins), who passed away at the age of 87 on Nov. 7, 2021, in Anchorage, leaving behind two children and four grandchildren. Rosemary graduated from Wrangell High School and was a cheerleader for the Wrangell basketball team when they won the 1952 state championship. After graduating in 1955, she attended college in Corpus Christi, Texas. She then became a flight attendant for Pan American...
Glenda L. Gillen, 79, passed away in her home surrounded by her husband and children "and lots of love" on May 18 in Wrangell. Glenda's family will hold a private church service for her. Glenda was born to Harriet and Alton McAllister in Ketchikan on Nov. 6, 1942. She lived several years in Kasaan with her family and loved spending as much time as she could with her grandfather James Peele. She is the granddaughter of Chief Son-I-Hat of the Whale house of the Yaada tribe. She is Haida eagle of...
Rose May Offley Shilts Sundberg, 92, passed away on Jan. 4, 2022, in Wrangell. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Rose was born in Vargas, Minnesota, on May 31, 1929. She moved to Wrangell in May 1962 with her husband Earl Shilts and their five children and never regretted the move. "Rose loved Alaska and seemed to fit right in," her family wrote. Rose worked for several years at Wrangell Seafoods and at the Wrangell General Hospital. She was a member of the Emblem Club and Red...
Former Wrangell resident Mary Delia Hoyt, 84, died Jan. 11, 2022, at her home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. She was born March 19, 1937, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Sabina and John Weber, one of five children. “Mary met the love of her life, Herb Hoyt, while attending Marquette University,” her family wrote. They were married in 1956 and later camped their way across the country “like gypsies,” the family wrote, finally settling in Ketchikan. Together they raised seven children. “Mary always claimed her father’s family were Romanian gypsies, an...
Former Wrangell resident Carroll Merritt, 86, died July 21, 2021, in Fort Benton, Montana. He was born in 1935, the first child of Bonnie and Ves Merritt, of Sturgis, South Dakota. During elementary school the family lived a short time in Deadwood, S.D., but most years were in Sturgis, where both sets of grandparents and other family were close. Carroll Merritt lived in Wrangell about 20 years, from the late 1960s to late 1980s, working as a teacher, said his widow, Agnes Merritt. They were married 51 years. He excelled in sports in high school...
Former Wrangell resident Randy Charles Maygard, 68, died March 2. He was born Sept. 14, 1953, to Charles and Nancy Maygard, of Seattle. Randy grew up part of his life in Seattle, where he attended Jane Adams Junior High, then Nathan Hale High School. The family moved to Wrangell, where he completed his schooling. Randy spent his life working in the sawmill and commercial fishing industry. He started out in commercial fishing with his grandfather on the KED, and ended up owning his own boat, the...
A celebration of life for former Wrangell resident Craig William Campbell will be held May 7 at the Wrangell Elks Club. He died Jan. 23 in Oregon. Craig was born on April 26, 1945, in Pierre, South Dakota. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Seaside, Aloha and other Oregon communities, where his father, John Campbell, could find more opportunities for logging work. At 3 years old, Craig was joined by younger sister Carolyn (Cari). They lived next to a grade school in Aloha, where Craig...
Dave Jack, 78, died Feb. 23 at home in Wrangell. Services will be held at noon Saturday, March 5, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, followed by a graveside vigil at 1 p.m. at Sunset Gardens Cemetery. He was born Oct. 10, 1943, to Jesse David Jack and Mae Dell Wagoner in Manassa, Colorado. "In his younger years he followed the usual boyhood pursuits of hunting and fishing, and anything outdoor related." His family wrote. The Jack family moved around following work, eventually...
A memorial gathering for David "Dave" James Matelski will be held 2 p.m. March 19 at the pavilion in Coffman Cove. He died in his home June 20, 2021. David was born in Petersburg on July 16, 1969. He and his family lived in Wrangell before moving to Palmer. David graduated from Palmer High School in 1987. He was a member of the Palmer swim team. After graduating, David moved to Denver to attend a school for small engines. While there, he enjoyed skiing, his family wrote. Meanwhile, back on...
Billie Foust, 65, died Jan. 14 in Ketchikan, where she had lived the past couple of years. She was born April 1956 in Arcata, California, to Ethel Miller and Bill Foust. Billie spent most of her life in Wrangell. She went to high school in Wrangell, then left town for a short time in Hoopa, California, and Shelton, Washington, before returning in her 20s to Wrangell. "Candy, or 'Babe' as she was called, leaves behind many friends and family who will remember her as the voice of KSTK, where her...
Willy Eyon passed away on Oct. 31, 2021, at the Wrangell Medical Center long-term care facility at the age of 91. Born in Wrangell on Sept. 27, 1930, Willy would go on to graduate from Wrangell High School before being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1950. He spent two years of active duty at the Elmendorf hospital in Anchorage as a clerk typist. Willy eventually returned home, where he was employed by Wrangell Farwest Fish Co., working onboard fish packers, and running the Eloise, picking up gill...
Gilbert Gunderson passed away on Dec. 22, 2021. He was born June 24, 1930, in Wrangell on Shakes Island, as was his sister Nellie Torgramsen, to Margaret Shakes and Gunnar Gunderson. Their grandparents, Chief George and Mary Shakes, cared for Gilbert and Nellie until Gilbert was 5 years old, at which time Mary passed away. From there they were sent to Juneau, where their dad worked at the AJ Mine. There Gilbert started school, which didn't go well because he couldn't speak English, only Native...
Clarence "Chuck" E. Helland died Dec. 6 at Wrangell Medical Center. He was 82 years old. "Cancer came back and it took over quickly," the family wrote. He was born April 28, 1939, to Joseph and Leah Helland, in Roosevelt, Montana. Chuck Helland lived in Wrangell for 38 years. He worked as a chipper operator at the 6-Mile sawmill, then as a cannery worker and later served as a steward for the Alaska Marine Highway System. He retired from the state ferries, and with Julie Wigg, "the love of his...
Leona Kohler Davidson, a 15-year resident of Wrangell, died Nov. 22, at age 86. She was born May 30, 1935, to Leo James Kohler and Delia Nikolai, in Talkeetna. Davidson moved to Wrangell in 2006 after retiring as a statistician for the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage. She was an avid gardener all her life. "We did moose hunting trips and fishing trips, camping too," her family wrote. She believed in God and was a spiritual person, but was not affiliated with a church. Her husband,...
Former Wrangell resident Warren Deville Powers Jr., 85, passed away Dec. 3 in Azle, Texas. Powers was born in Seattle on Dec. 4, 1935, to Warren D. and Isabelle Powers Sr. He grew up in Wrangell, commercial fishing with his dad and working in the logging industry. He later moved to Anchorage and then to Texas with his wife, Sylvia. He lived in Texas for 34 years and was a long-haul truck driver, mostly driving to the East Coast but also all 50 states and Canada. Powers was preceded in death by...
After a courageous four-year battle with cancer, Mark Dwayne Seimears passed away on Nov. 26, 2021, in Wrangell, at age 65. Mark was born on Feb. 20, 1956, in Everett, Washington, to Margaret and Robert (Bob) Seimears. He grew up the youngest of three children including Gail Ottesen and Robert Seimears. In 1960, the family headed north to Alaska along the Alaska and Cassiar highways to Telegraph Creek, British Columbia. From there, they boarded his grandfather's riverboat, the Judith Ann, to...
Linda Sue Jack, 71, a 49-year resident of the community, died Nov. 25 at Wrangell Medical Center. She and her husband, David Jack, moved from Oklahoma and arrived in Wrangell on Nov. 19, 1972 - on their anniversary. Linda Jack was born Oct. 23, 1950, in Medford, Missouri, and attended high school in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She worked about 40 years at the Wrangell Medical Center, retiring a few years ago from her job handling insurance claims, her family said. She was active in The Church of Jesus...
"It is with great sorrow that we share the death of Robert Wickman III, 58, on Sept. 21, 2021, in Anchorage, from complications of COVID-19," his family wrote. "A resident of Ketchikan, he was devoted to his wife Roseanne, and his son, Robbie, and was a steadfast supporter for all his extended family. He took pride in being a leader in both Yellow Taxi Co. and his beloved Boy Scout Troop." Bob was known for many things, including a boisterous laugh, dedicated work ethic, and always putting...
Long-time Wrangell resident Lester Allan Schultz, 60, died Oct. 23 at the Wrangell Medical Center. A memorial service and celebration of life is planned for 1 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Elks. The event is a community potluck. His family will spread his ashes at the family cabin at Olive Cove. Schultz was born July 27, 1961, in Petersburg, but grew up and lived in Wrangell. "His whole life was here," daughter Shayna Schultz said. He fished commercially with friends in his 20s, and enjoyed hunting with...