Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 427
Patti was presented as a Christmas gift to her three brothers Bob, Dave and Jim. She was born in Vancouver, B.C. and came home to Petersburg in December with her parents Loyla and Earl Ohmer. Her childhood was a happy one. She traveled to many states visiting family and friends with her mother. Summers were spent at Bum's Retreat near Green Rocks. Her father Earl would join the family there on weekends bringing the mail and groceries from town. Her first business venture at age 12 involved... Full story
John Allen Gordon, born in Bakersfield, California in 1947 and affectionately known as The Boating Buddy, passed away peacefully in Spokane, Washington on March 25, 2022. To all who had the joy of knowing John, and even those who had only heard of him, John was undeniably bigger-than-life and full to the brim with what true riches are all about. He really was "All That!" John married the love of his life, Kathie, and in their forty-three years together they moved from Mexico to Alaska and many p... Full story
Thomas Andrew (Tommie) Willis, age 31, of Juneau, Alaska passed away unexpectedly on Monday, March 1, 2022. Born in Juneau, Alaska on October 25, 1990, Tommie was raised in Petersburg before moving to Columbia, Missouri. He returned to Juneau during high school. Tommie was a state champion swimmer with his beloved Viking Swim Club. His relay team still holds the state record. He was an active boy scout, gifted and talented student, enjoyed playing drums, attended Petersburg Presbyterian Church,... Full story
Bud passed away February 26, 2022 in Palmer, Alaska. He was born May 27, 1924 in Elmwood, Illinois to Claude Sr. and Elizabeth File. The family moved west to Renton, Washington in 1938. In 1941 the family moved north to Petersburg, Alaska. Later in 1944 Bud joined the Army, completing boot camp at Ft. Richardson, Alaska, and was later stationed at Adak, Alaska. Bud was honorably discharged in 1946 as a Sergeant. Bud returned to Petersburg after his military service and worked in timber,... Full story
David Roy Lyons died peacefully at his home in Sitka on February 28, 2022 after a long battle with cancer. He will be laid to rest on Wednesday, March 2, at Sitka National Cemetery in a private service. He was attended at the time of his death by his wife and dear friends and crew members Suzanne Fuqua and Jeff Robinson of Petersburg. Born in Petersburg, Alaska in 1939 to George and Mary Lyons, he was the youngest of eleven children. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Deborah, of Sitka. He... Full story
Lifelong Petersburg resident, fisherman, educator, and line cook, Roy Otness passed away at age 93 Monday, February 14th at Mountain View Manor. The 5th of 6 children, Roy was born in his parent's home on Front Street (N. Nordic Dr.) on July 29th, 1928 along with his twin brother, Ralph. Roy was born second and when he arrived, he wasn't breathing. The doctor told the nurse to "Just leave him. This poor woman has enough children!" but the nurse disobeyed the doctor and gave him mouth to mouth... Full story
Former Petersburg resident Gertrude Irene Reeser passed away peacefully at home in Yuma, Arizona on September 30, 2021. She was born August 7, 1928 to George and Evangeline Emmert in Molalla, Oregon. Gertrude grew up mostly in Sweet Home, Oregon, attending school there and in Heston, Kansas. She married Maynard Reeser of Albany, Oregon in 1946. In 1953 she boarded the steamship Baranof in Seattle with their two young daughters, sailing north to join Maynard in Petersburg. Gertrude bought the old... Full story
Doris Gregg Smith passed away from Covid on December 25, 2021, Christmas Day, at North Cascades Health & Rehabilitation Center in Bellingham, WA. She was 101 years old, just a month shy of 102. Doris was born Doris Ruth Gregg in Oak Park, Illinois on January 26, 1920. She graduated from Denison University as a Registered Nurse, then served in the Army in France as a nurse in WWII. She was a Lieutenant. She met her future husband in France, Tarleton (Tee) Smith, also a Lieutenant, from Waco, Texa... Full story
The following was mistakenly omitted from the obituary in last week’s Pilot: Myles (Mike) Harai passed away peacefully on December 21, 2021 in Petersburg from congestive heart failure....
Myles (Mike) Harai was born January 27, 1933, in Kealakekua in the Territory of Hawaii to Minoru and Fusano Harai. The Harai family farmed Kona coffee on the rich slopes above Kealakekua Bay. Mike, along with his three brothers and parents, worked on their farm as a close-knit family. He loved to go fishing in Kealakekua Bay with his family and run barefoot through the coffee fields. Mike graduated from Konawaena High School in the Territory of Hawaii in 1951. He was the first of his generation... Full story
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... Full story
William Roy Nannauck, 79, passed away peacefully on Nov. 29, 2021. He was born in Petersburg, Alaska on Dec. 31, 1943. He was raised in Kake until the family moved to Petersburg so that his dad could work at Petersburg Shipyard. He and school mutually parted ways when he was in the 8th grade. Willie went to work commercial trolling with his dad early on. He made a life of commercial fishing (often as the cook) and working in the local canneries. He proudly fished with John and Dick Eide for... Full story
Tanya Lee Roundtree, 65, now rests in peace. She passed away Nov. 16, 2021 after living with ALS. She was born April 27, 1956, to Juanita (Arthur) and Charles Deffenbaugh Sr., in Lebanon, Oregon. Growing up one of five siblings, Tanya was always hard-working, helping take care of her older sister Cathy and whatever was needed of her. In 1974, she graduated from Sweet Home High School in Sweet Home, Oregon, leaving the very next day with two of her friends, Carleen (Lyons) and Lori (Roberts),... Full story
Ben (Claud Benjamin) Bishop, as of November 9, 2021, now rests in peace. He was born in Kelso, Washington on December 20, 1939. He served in the Army from 1958-1962 spending time in France and Alaska (which he fell in love with.) After the Army, he met Geneva, the love of his life, and began his career as a fish culturist in Oregon until he got the opportunity to return to Alaska in 1974. He worked for and retired from Crystal Lake Fish Hatchery in Petersburg. Everyone who met this... Full story
Kenneth "Ken" E. Caulum, 69, passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by his family, on November 3, 2021. He was born with his twin brother Kevin, on October 25, 1952 in Sparta, Wisconsin to Lawrence and Junella (Hanson) Caulum. At a young age his family moved to a dairy farm in Cashton, Wisconsin where he graduated from Cashton High School in 1970. In 1972, he married the love of his life Linda Abrams who he had the blessing of dancing through life with for 49 years. In 1974, Ken... Full story
On May 15, 2021, our mom, Florence May LeRoy peacefully passed away at the age of 101 years, on the island of Kauai, where she had been living the past 10 years. Her family that misses her support, love, and fresh baked bread includes us, Linda and Debbie, along with our husbands, Jim Kephart and John Barklow. Her grandchildren, Derek and Jennifer Thynes, Troy Thynes and Megan O'Neil, Kristoffer and Trisha Thynes, Kevin Thynes, Carina Squire, Talya and Gilbert Miranda, and Melissa and Anthony... Full story
Arlayne was born in Seattle, Washington. When she was 13, her family moved to Walla Walla, Washington. There, she played in the high school symphony and marching band, and was active in the Baptist church. She worked her way through college as a nanny, bank teller and farm worker. At Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington she had three majors: education, social studies and music. Growing up, she had heard many stories of Alaska because her parents had worked in a cannery there,... Full story
Theodore Merwin Smith, 84, died on October 3, 2021 at the Petersburg Medical Center in Petersburg, Alaska. He was born in Seattle, Washington to Ben and Margit Smith on April 5, 1937. He graduated from Petersburg High School in 1955 then went on to two years of college. He decided to join the Navy in 1957 where he served aboard the USS Dynamic and later the USS Lawrence. He was married to Lynn on Aug. 1, 1959. They were blessed with the birth of their daughter Renee Sept. 5, 1960 and son Rory... Full story
Mary Ann (Miller) Erickson, age 61, of Everett, Washington passed away Thursday, September 16, 2021 after courageously battling breast cancer for 16 years. Born in Detroit, Michigan on March 28, 1960, Mary Ann attended Redford High School during which time she swam competitively and rowed for the Detroit Boat Club. She chose to spend her senior year with the American Field Service (AFS) in Salzburg, Austria. Her Austrian family and their subsequent three generations, shaped Mary Ann's love of... Full story
Steve Toth, 55, passed away on July 26, 2021 surrounded by his wife and two children. He was born in Highland Park, Illinois on Aug. 1, 1965, to Istvan Toth Sr. and Mary Toth. After his birth, the family moved to Chicago, where he lived for the first part of his childhood. After graduating from Wilmot Junior High, he went overseas to Ireland and attended the Royal Caravan School for four years and graduated high school there. Afterward, he moved back to the states, and then on to Petersburg,... Full story
Palmer Haakon Thomassen Sr., 79, of Petersburg, Alaska, passed away suddenly on July 19, 2021 from pneumonia due to COVID-19 in Anchorage, Alaska. Palmer was born in Petersburg to Haakon Thomassen and Eleanor Stahl Thomassen on Aug. 31, 1941 and married Patty Thomassen on Oct. 27, 1961 in Petersburg. He started fishing on his father's boat at the age of 14 and from there worked as a carpenter, logger, owned Little Toot Construction, the F/V Sabra Raean as a troller, and worked for the City of... Full story
Jane Michel Roberts, 61, died on Aug. 7, 2021, in Coeur d'Alene Idaho, following a year-long battle with declining health issues. She was born the fifth child of Dr. Warren and Marion Roberts, in Topeka, Kansas, on Oct. 4, 1959. She attended Topeka Public Schools. After high school in 1977, she moved to Petersburg, Alaska, where she spent over thirty years of her adult life. She is survived by her daughters Lydia, Jessica, and her beloved grandchildren Evelyn and Ely; and siblings Steve, Dan,... Full story
Lifelong Petersburg resident Jerald (Jerry) Alan Kvernvik, 82, passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by loved ones on July 22, 2021. He was born in Petersburg, Alaska, January 15, 1939 to Anna (Mathisen) and Marvin Kvernvik, the oldest of three children. He attended school and graduated from Petersburg High School. He always said he graduated in 1957, 1958, and 1959 - but only his friends would know why that was. He had many great hunting stories with friends (and pictures to prove it)... Full story
James "Jim" Albert Bodding joined his parents on July 29, 2021 after a valiant battle with lung cancer. He was born in Ketchikan, Alaska on August 8th,1948 to Gerald A. "Bud" Bodding and Dorothy E. "Betty" Bodding (Hofstad). His first love was the sea where he spent much of his life searching for the next productive fishing grounds. The sea was in Jim's veins from the age of 5 when he became hopelessly addicted after catching his first coho salmon on a baitless treble hook while boating with his... Full story
Rose Ormbrek Menish, 93 passed away on March 20, 2021 surrounded by family at her son Bill's house. She was born on August 18, 1927 in Centralia, Washington and was the youngest of 10 kids. She grew up in Centralia, went to grade and high school there and attended one year at Centralia Community College. She married William E. Menish on December 21, 1946 and they had two children, Marilyn and William Jr. They spent from 1946-1959 living and logging on the Olympic Peninsula. After working on the... Full story
