Sweeney, Dorothy "Dora" M. Lundstrom

Association: Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Women's Igloo

Role: President

Years: 1939, 1940, 1953

Biography

Dorothy “Dora” M. Lundstrom Sweeney was a prominent Juneau civic leader, legislator, and a three-time President of the Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Women's Igloo, serving in 1939, 1940, and 1953.

She was born on June 19, 1907, in Biwabik, Minnesota, to Alfred E. Lundstrom and Mae S. “Maki” Lundstrom. As an infant, she moved with her parents to Juneau, Alaska, where she was raised and educated. After graduating from Juneau High School, she attended business college in Seattle and returned to Juneau to work for the law firm of Hellenthal & Hellenthal.

Dora married Edward Charles Sweeney on December 17, 1927. During the early years of her career, she held several public service positions in Juneau, including work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs from 1930 to 1940, the Territorial Health Department from 1940 to 1942, and the Shattuck Insurance Agency from 1942 to 1952. Beginning in 1958, she also worked part-time for Sommers Construction Company for approximately twenty-six years.

Her career in public service expanded significantly during Alaska's territorial and early statehood years. In 1953, she served as Secretary of the Alaska Territorial Senate. She later served in the final two legislatures of the Territory of Alaska and was elected as a delegate to the Alaska Constitutional Convention of 1955–1956. At the convention, she served on the Committee on the Legislative Branch and was one of the fifty-five delegates who signed the Alaska State Constitution.

Sweeney was one of only six women among the constitutional convention delegates, a group sometimes referred to as the “Fifty-Five Club.” She later served three terms in the Alaska House of Representatives and concluded her legislative career in 1965.

Following her legislative service, she continued working in government and public history. From 1965 to 1970, she served as Legislative Historian for the Alaska Legislative Council. In 1966, she became the first woman to serve as Sergeant-at-Arms of the Alaska State House of Representatives.

Throughout her career, Dora Sweeney was widely respected for her dedication to public service during Alaska’s transition from territorial government to statehood. She also served as one of Alaska’s commissioners to the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education, was a charter member of the Juneau Community College Advisory Council, and served on the Juneau City Charter Commission.

Her civic leadership was recognized with numerous honors. The Juneau Rotary Club named her the first recipient of its “Woman of the Year” award in 1957. The Alaska Press Club presented her with its “Outstanding Citizen Award” in 1964, 1965, and 1966. She was also listed in the first edition of Who’s Who of American Women. Later, Governor Jay Hammond honored her with recognition from the Joe Kappler Senior Citizens’ Hall of Fame for her many years of service to Alaskans.

Sources

• Alaska legislative and constitutional convention historical records
• Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Women's Igloo records
• Juneau historical archives

Primary Name: Jenne, Crystal Brilliant Snow
Filed as: jenne_crystal_brilliant_snow
Also known as: Crystal B. S. Jenne, Crystal Snow Jenne
Occupation / Association: President (1937), Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Women’s Igloo No. 6
Born:
Died:
Parents:
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Juneau, Alaska
Keywords: Crystal Brilliant Snow Jenne, Crystal Snow Jenne, Jenne Crystal, Juneau Women’s Igloo No. 6 President 1937

Biography

Crystal Brilliant Snow Jenne served as President of the Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Women’s Igloo No. 6 in 1937.

Sources

Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Women’s Igloo No. 6 records

Crystal Brilliant Snow Jenne Crystal Snow Jenne C B S Jenne Jenne Crystal Snow

Primary Name: Laughlin, Gertrude Lydia Bentley

Filed as: gertrude_lydia_bentley_laughlin

Also known as: Gertrude Bentley; Gertrude Laughlin

Occupation / Association: Charter Member, Juneau Igloo Auxiliary No. 6; President, Juneau Igloo Auxiliary No. 6 (1930, 1936); Confectionery Proprietor

Born: September 30, 1871, Allegan County, Michigan

Died: February 2, 1942, Juneau, Alaska

Parents: Daniel Bentley; Rhoda Bentley

Spouse: John F. Laughlin (m. October 15, 1890)

Children: Roscoe M. Laughlin; Robert C. Laughlin; John Bentley Laughlin; Gertrude Virginia Laughlin; Mathew M. Laughlin

Associated places: Allegan County, Michigan; Tacoma, Washington; Douglas, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska

Keywords: Gertrude Lydia Bentley Laughlin, Gertrude Bentley, Gertrude Laughlin, Juneau Igloo Auxiliary No. 6 President 1930, Juneau Igloo Auxiliary No. 6 President 1936, Treadwell Mine families, Douglas Alaska residents

Biography

Gertrude Lydia Bentley Laughlin was a charter member of the Juneau Igloo Auxiliary No. 6 of the Pioneers of Alaska, and served as President of the organization in 1930 and again in 1936.

Gertrude Bentley was born on September 30, 1871, in Allegan County, Michigan, to Daniel Bentley and Rhoda Bentley. She married John F. Laughlin on October 15, 1890, in Tacoma, Washington. Their first son, Roscoe M. Laughlin, was born in May 1891 in Washington.

Her husband moved to Douglas, Alaska, in February 1892, where he worked as a railroad engineer for the Treadwell Mine. The family followed in July 1893.

All of their remaining children were born in Alaska. Robert C. Laughlin was born in May 1894, John Bentley Laughlin was born on April 11, 1896, Gertrude Virginia Laughlin was born in May 1898, and Mathew M. Laughlin was born in August 1901.

John F. Laughlin died on October 11, 1902, as a result of a fall from the railroad tracks.

In November 1902, Gertrude purchased a confectionery business and continued supporting her family in Douglas and Juneau.

Gertrude Lydia Bentley Laughlin died in Juneau, Alaska, and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery on February 2, 1942.

Sources

1900 U.S. Federal Census, Douglas, Alaska; 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Douglas, Alaska; Douglas Island News, October 15, 1902; Washington Marriage Certificate

Gertrude Lydia Bentley Laughlin Gertrude Bentley Gertrude Laughlin G. L. Laughlin Gertrude L Laughlin Gertie Laughlin

Tags: Gertrude Lydia Bentley Laughlin, Gertrude Bentley, Gertrude Laughlin, John F. Laughlin, Roscoe M. Laughlin, Robert C. Laughlin, John Bentley Laughlin, Gertrude Virginia Laughlin, Mathew M. Laughlin, Juneau Igloo Auxiliary No. 6, Pioneers of Alaska, Treadwell Mine families, Douglas Alaska residents

Primary Name: Heltness, Katherine “Kitty”

Filed as: heltness_katherine

Also known as: Kitty Heltness; Katherine Heltness; Katherine Jahncke; Katherine Hooker

Occupation / Association: Charter Member, Juneau Women’s Igloo No. 6; President, Juneau Women’s Igloo (1928, 1929); Telephone company employee; Coffee shop proprietor

Born: 1868, Germany

Died: February 28, 1951, Everett, Washington

Parents:

Spouse: William H. Jahncke (m. August 31, 1889; div. 1891); Charles E. Hooker (m. June 15, 1892; div.)

Children: Mildred Drewitt Hooker (adopted June 18, 1913)

Associated places: Germany; Seattle, Washington; Juneau, Alaska; Everett, Washington

Keywords: Katherine Kitty Heltness, Kitty Heltness, Katherine Heltness, Katherine Jahncke, Katherine Hooker, Charles E Hooker, Mildred Drewitt Hooker, Juneau Women’s Igloo President 1928, Juneau Women’s Igloo President 1929

Biography

Katherine “Kitty” Heltness was a charter member of the Juneau Women’s Igloo and served as its President in 1928 and 1929. Her daughter, Mildred, was also a charter member.

She was born in Germany in 1868 and moved to the United States around 1888. In Seattle, she worked for the Sunset Telephone and Telegraph Company.

While living in Seattle, she met William H. Jahncke, and the two were married on August 31, 1889. The marriage ended in divorce on March 6, 1891.

On June 15, 1892, Katherine married Charles E. Hooker, who at the time was working as a prescription clerk. By 1902, he had become a traveling salesman for Kreilsheimer Brothers, a whiskey distributor based in Seattle. Through this work, he became acquainted with Jules Caro, a Juneau resident who was then living in Seattle and working for the company.

Charles and Katherine moved to Juneau in 1910. On June 18, 1913, they adopted a young girl named Mildred Drewitt, who had been born in Canada. Her mother was unable to care for her, and the child was about to be placed in an orphanage in Whitehorse.

A few years later, Katherine and Charles separated, and Katherine and Mildred moved to Seattle. In the fall of 1915, she went to the courthouse to file for a divorce from Charles and discovered that her earlier divorce from William Jahncke had never been finalized. A judge finalized the first divorce, allowing her to proceed with the divorce from Charles.

The July 18, 1916, edition of the Daily Alaska Dispatch reported that Katherine had just returned to Juneau from an extended trip. It is likely that she had traveled there to deliver divorce papers to Charles before returning to Seattle.

She and Mildred eventually returned to Juneau, where Katherine operated a coffee shop.

Katherine later moved to Everett, Washington, sometime after 1940. She died there on February 28, 1951.

Sources

Daily Alaska Dispatch, July 18, 1916; Pioneers of Alaska Women’s Igloo records; census and family records

Katherine Heltness Kitty Heltness Katherine Jahncke Katherine Hooker Heltness Katherine

Tags: Katherine Kitty Heltness, Kitty Heltness, Katherine Jahncke, Katherine Hooker, Charles E Hooker, Mildred Drewitt Hooker, Juneau Women’s Igloo President 1928, Juneau Women’s Igloo President 1929

Primary Name: Hunter, Emma Lulu

Filed as: hunter_emma_lulu

Also known as: Lulu Hunter; Emma Hunter; Emma Lulu Miller

Occupation / Association: President, Juneau Women’s Igloo (1924); Charter Member, Juneau Women’s Igloo No. 6

Born: October 14, 1878, Looking Glass, Oregon

Died: January 26, 1957, Juneau, Alaska

Parents: John Henry Miller; Almira Breitenbucher Miller

Spouse: Capt. Earle Leslie Hunter (m. 1899)

Children: Earle Leslie Hunter, Jr. (b. November 1906, Juneau, Alaska)

Associated places: Looking Glass, Oregon; Juneau, Alaska

Keywords: Lulu Hunter, Emma Lulu Hunter, Emma Lulu Miller, Juneau Women’s Igloo President 1924, Earle Leslie Hunter, Juneau Alaska pioneers

Biography

Emma Lulu “Lulu” Hunter served as President of the Juneau Women’s Igloo in 1924.

Hunter was a charter member of Juneau Women’s Igloo No. 6 and was active in the organization during its early years.

Sources

Pioneers of Alaska Women’s Igloo records

Emma Lulu Hunter Lulu Hunter Emma Hunter Emma Lulu Miller Hunter Lulu

Tags: Emma Lulu Hunter, Lulu Hunter, Emma Lulu Miller, Juneau Women’s Igloo President 1924, Pioneers of Alaska Women’s Auxiliary No. 6

Primary Name: Clark, Josephine Carlotta

Filed as: Clark, Josephine Carlotta

Also known as: Josephine Carlotta “Lottie” Clark; Lottie Spickett

Occupation / Association: President, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Women’s Igloo; Postmaster, Juneau, Alaska

Associated places: Juneau, Alaska; Santa Clara, California; Yuba County, California; Stockton, California; Sacramento, California

Keywords: Josephine Carlotta Lottie Clark, Lottie Spickett, John T Spickett, Juneau postmaster Hoover administration, Pioneers of Alaska Women’s Igloo presidents, Spickett Apartments Juneau, Louvre Theater Juneau, early Juneau businesswomen

Biography

Josephine Carlotta “Lottie” Clark served as President of the Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Women’s Igloo in 1923, 1926, 1933, and 1943. She was born in Santa Clara, California, on September 23, 1867.

Lottie was raised on her father’s ranch in Yuba County, California. After receiving her early education in a private school, she attended business college in Stockton. Upon graduating, she was employed in a business office in Sacramento.

She married John T. Spickett in Sacramento on December 24, 1896. Mr. Spickett was involved in the theater business and was engaged to bring a troupe of performers to Alaska. Lottie accompanied him to Juneau in November 1898.

The troupe performed at the famous Louvre Theater in Juneau. After completing the engagement, the Spicketts had grown fond of Alaska and decided to make Juneau their permanent home.

During the time the troupe performed at the Louvre Theater, Lottie worked as office manager for the S. Blub Store. She later joined the office staff of the B. M. Behrends Company, where she worked for ten years.

In 1916, she and her husband constructed the Spickett Apartments on Fifth Street in Juneau and made their home there.

Lottie Clark was appointed Postmaster of Juneau in 1928 by President Herbert Hoover and served in that position for eight years. After retiring from the post office, she continued managing her business interests in Juneau.

Sources

Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Women’s Igloo records.

Primary Name: Garnick, Frank Lewis

Filed as: garnick_frank_lewis

Also known as: Frank L. Garnick

Occupation / Association: President, Juneau Men’s Igloo (1949); General Millwright; Carpenter Foreman, Alaska Gastineau Mining Company; Merchant

Born: July 22, 1874, Longton, Kansas

Died: February 14, 1955, Juneau, Alaska

Parents: Thomas Garnick; Ann “Fannie” Sophia Cosgrove Garnick

Spouse: Clara A. Herner (m. November 24, 1900, Fort Collins, Colorado)

Children: Anita Grace Garnick (b. March 18, 1904); Thomas Edgar Garnick (b. August 12, 1906)

Associated places: Longton, Kansas; Fort Collins, Colorado; Alberta, Canada; Juneau, Alaska

Keywords: Frank Lewis Garnick, Frank L Garnick, Garnick Frank Lewis, Juneau Men’s Igloo President 1949, Alaska Gastineau Mining Company, Garnick’s Grocery Seward Street

Biography

Frank Lewis Garnick served as President of the Juneau Men’s Igloo in 1949.

Garnick was born in Longton, Kansas, on July 22, 1874, to Thomas Garnick and Ann “Fannie” Sophia Cosgrove Garnick. In 1877, when he was three years old, he traveled with his parents to Fort Collins, Colorado, where he attended public schools. He graduated from Fort Collins High School in 1893 and later from Colorado State College in 1898.

In 1900, he joined his father in the contracting business, the firm of Garnick and Son. The company remained in operation until 1912, when Frank moved to Canada to complete construction contracts in Alberta. He remained there for two years before arriving in Juneau on February 22, 1915.

Frank married Clara A. Herner in Fort Collins, Colorado, on November 24, 1900. They had two children: Anita Grace Garnick, born March 18, 1904, and Thomas Edgar Garnick, born August 12, 1906. Both children were born in Fort Collins.

After coming to Juneau, Garnick was associated with the Alaska Gastineau Mining Company as General Millwright and Carpenter Foreman during nearly the entire period of the mine’s operation.

When the mine closed, he was appointed Street Commissioner of Juneau. During his tenure, the city transitioned from the old method of planking the streets to paving. Garnick personally deposited the first load of gravel used to begin filling the streets.

In 1923, he purchased the Consumer Market on Seward Street and renamed it Garnick’s Grocery.

His wife, Clara, died on September 17, 1938. Their daughter, Anita, took over management of the grocery and operated it until 1955.

Frank Lewis Garnick died in Juneau on February 14, 1955, and was buried in the Masonic Plot at Evergreen Cemetery.

Sources

Pioneers of Alaska Men’s Igloo No. 6 Membership Application; 1930 U.S. Federal Census, Juneau; Alaska Death Certificate

Frank Lewis Garnick Frank L Garnick Garnick Frank Lewis F L Garnick

Tags: Frank Lewis Garnick, Frank L Garnick, Juneau Men’s Igloo President 1949, Alaska Gastineau Mining Company, Garnick’s Grocery, Juneau merchants

Roden, Henry

Association: Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Men's Igloo

Role: President, Juneau Men's Igloo; Grand Igloo President

Year: 1943

Biography

Henry Roden served as President of the Juneau Men's Igloo of the Pioneers of Alaska and later as Grand Igloo President in 1943.

He was born on August 8, 1874, in Basel, Switzerland. Roden came north during the Klondike gold rush, reaching Dawson in 1898, where he joined the stampeders and worked as a prospector, miner, and wood cutter supplying riverboats.

In 1902, he began studying law independently. Over the next four years, he memorized two law books and successfully passed the Alaska Bar examination in 1906. As he later recalled, “Alaska, the land of opportunity, here I come. I learned later it was a do-it-yourself deal.”

Roden established a law practice in Fairbanks and later served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Fairbanks and Iditarod, and as City Attorney of Iditarod. He became widely known throughout Alaska and was affectionately called “our Heine.”

In 1913, he was elected to the First Alaska Territorial Legislature as a senator and was reelected three additional times.

He married Margaret Kaapcke in Tacoma, Washington, on January 22, 1917. The couple later lived in Juneau, where Roden practiced law and also became involved in the fishing industry. He served as manager of the Republic Fisheries Company, which operated floating fish traps in Chatham Strait, and owned the gas fishing vessel Jugoslav. He was also president of Pelican Cold Storage Company and a co-founder of the city of Pelican, Alaska.

In 1940, Roden was elected Attorney General of Alaska and served in that position for four years. In 1944, he was a candidate for the United States Congress as a territorial delegate.

In 1949, he was called back from retirement to serve as the territory's Treasurer and was elected to another term. He later served on the Board of Directors of the Pioneers' Home in Sitka until Alaska achieved statehood.

Roden and his wife moved to Seattle in 1958 due to Margaret’s declining health. She died there in 1961. Even in his late eighties, Roden remained active in the legal profession while living at the Savoy Hotel in Seattle, where he continued to advise former Alaskans without charging them fees.

Henry Roden died in Seattle on June 5, 1966.

Sources

• Ed Ferrell, Biographies of Alaska-Yukon Pioneers 1850–1950, Vol. 3, pp. 244–246

Primary Name: Rice, Dean Charles Edgar

Filed as: Rice, Dean Charles Edgar

Also known as: Charles Edgar Rice; Very Reverend Dean Rice; Father Rice

Occupation / Association: President, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men's Igloo; Episcopal priest; Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral

Associated places: Juneau, Alaska; Circle City, Alaska; Eagle, Alaska; Fort Yukon, Alaska; Fairbanks, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska; Seward, Alaska; Dubuque, Iowa; Nashotah, Wisconsin; Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Keywords: Charles Edgar Rice, Dean Rice Juneau Alaska, Father Rice Alaska missionary, Holy Trinity Cathedral Juneau dean, dog team priest Alaska, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men's Igloo president 1942, Circle City missions, Fairbanks first sermon tent saloon, Alaska Episcopal missions

Biography

Dean Charles Edgar Rice served as President of the Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Men's Igloo in 1942. He was the son of Jackson Rice and was born in Dubuque, Iowa on November 13, 1875.

Rice came to the Alaska Territory in 1902, immediately after his ordination to the priesthood, which followed his graduation from Nashotah College and Seminary in Wisconsin.

For the next fifteen years, he served as a missionary priest across Interior Alaska, traveling largely by dog team. His first churches were the missions of Circle City, Eagle, and Fort Yukon. His headquarters were at Circle, where the young minister also maintained a hospital serving the surrounding region. Not long after his arrival, Father Rice mushed by dog team to Fairbanks and preached the first sermon there in a tent saloon.

Father Rice returned to Wisconsin and married Helen Benedict at the chapel of his alma mater at Nashotah on August 30, 1906. Their wedding trip was the long journey back to Circle City. They had two sons: Jackson Benedict Rice, born June 15, 1907, in Fairbanks, and Robert Gordon Rice, born October 13, 1908, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Father Rice traveled widely across Alaska by dog team and riverboat, serving churches in communities such as Skagway and Seward. He served in Seward from 1910 to 1917 and spent several years outside the territory prior to 1920.

After returning to Juneau, he became Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral, where he was widely known as the Very Reverend Dean Rice.

A family anecdote recalls that a neighbor, Dr. Kaiser, once brought home an English Bull Terrier but gave it to the Rice family after discovering the dog was deaf. Named Patsy Ann, the dog became well known around town and eventually earned the nickname “the town dog” for greeting ships arriving in Juneau harbor.

Dean Rice served at Holy Trinity Cathedral until his retirement in 1944. After a year in Albany, Oregon, he returned to Southeast Alaska to supply nearby missions and again assist at Trinity before the arrival of Rev. Samuel A. McPheters.

Dean Charles Edgar Rice died in Juneau, Alaska on July 10, 1952.

Sources

Biographies of Alaska-Yukon Pioneers, 1850–1950, Volume 2, pp. 272–273, Ed Ferrell.

Primary Name: Markle, William Jennings
Filed as: markle_william_jennings
Also known as: William J. Markle, William Jennings Markle
Occupation / Association: Marine engineer, fireman, Deputy U.S. Marshal; President, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6 (1939–1940)
Born: November 7, 1896, Ballard, Washington
Died: October 15, 1976, Boise, Idaho
Parents: Louis N. Markle; Catherine Markle
Spouse: Ethel Ellen Wilson (m. June 18, 1918; div. September 29, 1947)
Children: Florence Markle; William C. Markle
Associated places: Ballard, Washington; Skagway, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Victoria, British Columbia; Seattle, Washington; Boise, Idaho
Keywords: William Jennings Markle, William J Markle, Markle William Jennings, Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6 president, Deputy U.S. Marshal Juneau, Alaska marine engineer

Biography

William Jennings Markle served as President of the Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6 in 1939 and 1940.

Markle was born on November 7, 1896, in Ballard, Washington, to Louis N. Markle and Catherine Markle. By 1917, he was living in Skagway, Alaska, where he worked as a marine engineer and fireman. During this period, he applied for residence in Victoria, British Columbia, and worked for the Canadian Pacific Railroad.

On June 18, 1918, he married Ethel Ellen Wilson in Seattle, Washington. The couple had two children. Their daughter, Florence Markle, was born in Canada about 1920, and their son, William C. Markle, was born in Alaska about 1928.

Markle enlisted in the United States Army on October 23, 1918, and was discharged on December 27, 1918. He later worked in Juneau as a Deputy United States Marshal. William and Ethel Markle were divorced on September 29, 1947, in Idaho.

William J. Markle died on October 15, 1976, in Boise, Idaho.

Sources

U.S. Census records; marriage records, Seattle, Washington; military enlistment records; Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6 records

William Jennings Markle William J Markle W J Markle Markle William Jennings Bill Markle

Primary Name: Cole, Clarence "Cash"

Filed as: cole_clarence_cash

Also known as: Clarence Cole, Cash Cole

Occupation / Association: Businessman; President, Cole Transfer Company; Local Agent, American Express Company; President, Juneau Men's Igloo No. 6 (1938); Territorial Legislator

Born: February 12, 1891, Henderson Bay, Washington

Died: November 8, 1959, Bellingham, Washington

Parents:

Spouse: Ruby C. Worth (m. March 7, 1915; later divorced); Ruth Marcella Marsh Gudbranson (m. January 20, 1945)

Children: James Cash Cole; Thomas Phillip Cole; Jerry Worth Cole

Associated places: Henderson Bay Washington; Treadwell Alaska; Juneau Alaska; Bellingham Washington

Keywords: Clarence Cash Cole, Cash Cole Juneau, Cole Transfer Company, Alaska Territorial Legislature Speaker

Biography

Clarence "Cash" Cole served as President of the Juneau Men's Igloo No. 6 in 1938.

Cole was born at Henderson Bay, Washington, on February 12, 1891. When he was four years old, his family moved to Treadwell, Alaska. He was educated in the Juneau public schools and later attended the University of Minnesota.

After leaving college, Cole entered the business field in Juneau, where he became involved in draying, docking, and contracting. He later served as president and general manager of the Cole Transfer Company and was also the local agent for the American Express Company.

He married Ruby C. Worth in Juneau on March 7, 1915. They had three sons: James Cash Cole, born June 25, 1916; Thomas Phillip Cole, born June 23, 1917; and Jerry Worth Cole, born March 22, 1926. The couple divorced prior to 1940.

Cole later remarried on January 20, 1945, to Ruth Marcella Marsh Gudbranson.

Active in territorial politics, Cole was elected to the Fifth Alaska Territorial Legislature House of Representatives in 1921 and was reelected to the Sixth House, where he was chosen as Speaker. He later served as Territorial Auditor from 1929 to 1932.

Cole was a Republican and a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

Clarence "Cash" Cole died on November 8, 1959, in Bellingham, Washington.

Sources

Ferrell, Ed. Biographies of Alaska Yukon Pioneers 1850–1950, Vol. 3, p. 66

Clarence Cash Cole Cash Cole Clarence Cole Cole Transfer Company Juneau Alaska

Tags: Clarence Cash Cole, Cash Cole, Juneau Men's Igloo No 6, Alaska Territorial Legislature, Cole Transfer Company, Juneau Alaska history

Primary Name: Carter, Charles W.

Filed as: carter_charles_w

Also known as: Charles W. Carter

Occupation / Association: President, Juneau Men’s Igloo (1935–1936); Juneau Volunteer Fire Department member; mail carrier

Born: 1870, Ontario, Canada

Died:

Parents:

Spouse: Alphonsine Carter

Children:

Associated places: Ontario, Canada; Calgary, Alberta; Vancouver, British Columbia; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, California; Skagway, Alaska; Atlin, British Columbia; Juneau, Alaska; Silver Bow Basin, Alaska; St. Michaels, Alaska; Katmai, Alaska

Keywords: Charles W Carter, Carter Charles W, Juneau Men’s Igloo President, Klondike stampeders, Alaska mail carriers

Biography

Charles W. Carter served as President of the Juneau Men’s Igloo in 1935 and 1936.

Carter was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1870. He left home at the age of seventeen and worked in Calgary, Alberta; Vancouver, British Columbia; Portland, Oregon; and San Francisco, California.

When news of the Klondike gold strike reached San Francisco, Carter headed for Seattle. He took passage on one of the ships bound north and landed on the beach at Skagway in August 1897.

He first worked backpacking supplies and later with a pack train over the Skagway and Dyea trails, particularly the White Pass Trail. When the railroad was completed to Lake Bennett, and packers were no longer needed, he tried his luck prospecting for gold in the Atlin area.

He moved south to Juneau in 1899, where he worked as a hotel clerk, bartender, undertaker, and deliveryman, and also performed assessment work on mining claims in the Silver Bow Basin.

Carter was a member of the Juneau Volunteer Fire Department from 1899 until 1916.

In 1901, he accepted a contract to deliver United States mail between St. Michaels and Katmai. Carter left Juneau by steamship in September 1901 for Seattle, where he boarded the S.S. Roanoke on September 30 on the last northbound trip of the year.

The ship arrived on October 15 at St. Michaels, where Carter purchased a dog team and supplies. It was necessary to wait until December for favorable conditions to begin the 1,100-mile journey to deliver and collect the mail. During this time, he learned the art of driving and caring for a dog team.

He later married Alphonsine Carter.

Sources

Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries

Tags: Charles W Carter, Carter Charles W, Juneau Men’s Igloo, Klondike Gold Rush participants, Juneau Volunteer Fire Department

Charles W Carter Carter Charles W C W Carter

Primary Name: Lundstrom, Alfred Eugene

Filed as: lundstrom_alfred_eugene

Also known as: Alfred E. Lundstrom; Alfred Lundstrom

Occupation / Association: President, Juneau Men’s Igloo (1934); carpenter; Alaska Juneau Gold Mine worker

Born: April 27, 1877, Tornio, Finland

Died: March 10, 1963, Juneau, Alaska

Parents:

Spouse: May Maki

Children: Gust Lundstrom; Daisy Hazel Lundstrom; Della Marie Lundstrom; Dora Mathilda Lundstrom; Alfred Lundstrom Jr.; Irene Lundstrom

Associated places: Tornio, Finland; Minnesota; Virginia, Minnesota; Biwabik, Minnesota; Juneau, Alaska; Douglas, Alaska; Excursion Inlet, Alaska

Keywords: Alfred Eugene Lundstrom, Alfred E Lundstrom, Juneau Men’s Igloo President 1934, Alaska Juneau Gold Mine carpenter, May Maki Lundstrom, Dora Mathilda Lundstrom, Irene Lundstrom, Excursion Inlet cannery workers

Biography

Alfred Eugene Lundstrom served as President of the Juneau Men’s Igloo in 1934.

Lundstrom was born on April 27, 1877, in Tornio, Finland. He immigrated to Minnesota in 1892 and later married May Maki in 1898.

Their children included Gust Lundstrom, born in 1900; Daisy Hazel Lundstrom, born February 1, 1901, in Virginia, Minnesota; and Della Marie Lundstrom, born July 19, 1905. Their daughter Dora Mathilda Lundstrom, who later served as President of the Women’s Igloo in 1953, was born June 19, 1907, in Biwabik, Minnesota.

The family moved from Minnesota to Juneau around 1908. Their son, Alfred Lundstrom Jr., was born in Douglas on October 10, 1908, and their daughter, Irene Lundstrom, who later served as Women’s Igloo President in 1950, was born in Douglas on January 10, 1910.

During the summer months, the family worked at canneries or cold-storage facilities in Excursion Inlet. Lundstrom worked as a carpenter for the Alaska Juneau Gold Mine and built several homes in downtown Juneau.

Alfred Eugene Lundstrom died in Juneau on March 10, 1963.

Sources

Pioneers of Alaska Men’s Igloo 6 Biographical Sketch

Tags: Alfred Eugene Lundstrom, Alfred E Lundstrom, Lundstrom Alfred, Juneau Men’s Igloo President 1934, May Maki Lundstrom, Dora Mathilda Lundstrom, Irene Lundstrom, Alaska Juneau Gold Mine, Excursion Inlet cannery workers

Alfred Eugene Lundstrom Alfred E Lundstrom A E Lundstrom Lundstrom Alfred Alfred Lundstrom

Primary Name: Kashevaroff, Andrew Petrovich

Filed as: kashevaroff_andrew_petrovich

Also known as: Rev. Andrew P. Kashevaroff; Father Andrew Kashevaroff

Occupation / Association: Russian Orthodox priest; Museum curator; President, Juneau Men’s Igloo (1927); Founder and curator, Alaska Territorial Library and Museum

Born: September 19, 1863, Kodiak, Alaska

Died: April 3, 1940, Juneau, Alaska

Parents: Petrovich Kashevaroff family of Russian Orthodox clergy

Spouse: Martha Bolshanin Kashevaroff (m. 1893)

Children: Cyril Kashevaroff; Maria Kashevaroff; Nadeshda Kashevaroff; Lydia Kashevaroff; Natalya Kashevaroff; Xenia Kashevaroff

Associated places: Kodiak, Alaska; Sitka, Alaska; Nutchek, Alaska; Killisnoo, Alaska; Unalaska, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Jackson, California; Seattle, Washington

Keywords: Andrew Petrovich Kashevaroff, Father Andrew Kashevaroff, Rev Andrew P Kashevaroff, Russian Orthodox priest Alaska, Juneau Men’s Igloo President 1927, Alaska State Museum founder, St Nicholas Cathedral Juneau, Kashevaroff family Alaska

Biography

Reverend Andrew Petrovich Kashevaroff was President of the Juneau Men’s Igloo in 1927. During his presidency, President Warren G. Harding was made an honorary member of the Igloo.

Kashevaroff was born in Kodiak, Alaska, on September 19, 1863. Of Russian and Aleut heritage, his family had been connected with the Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska for generations. The Kashevaroff family first came to Alaska around 1820, and both his father and grandfather served as missionary priests during the Russian colonial period.

He began his education in San Francisco in 1874. Through his upbringing and education, he spoke Aleut, Russian, and English, and later learned some Tlingit.

Kashevaroff returned to Sitka in 1880, where he worked as a psalm reader and teacher. He was also a gifted musician who sang in choral groups and played the violin, organ, and piano.

In 1893, he married Martha Bolshanin, a Kiks.adi Tlingit woman of Sitka. Because the marriage was conducted in a civil ceremony without church approval, Kashevaroff was transferred from Sitka to Nutchek.

The Kashevaroffs had several children, including Cyril, Maria, Nadeshda, Lydia, Natalya, and Xenia. Natalya married Alston Ritchie Lovejoy, author and illustrator, and Xenia later married the composer John Cage.

Kashevaroff was ordained a priest in the Russian Orthodox Church in 1904 and eventually attained the rank of Archpriest. Over more than sixty years, he served the church as teacher, choir director, inspector, deacon, and priest in Sitka, Nutchek, Kodiak, Killisnoo, Unalaska, and Juneau.

In 1913, he was assigned as the priest of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Juneau. After the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 ended financial support from the Russian government, he supported himself through various occupations, including music teacher, weather bureau clerk, and customs officer.

Kashevaroff also played a central role in the creation of Alaska’s early territorial museum and archives. Beginning in 1919, he served as curator of the Alaska Territorial Library and Museum, collecting thousands of artifacts and historical materials documenting Alaska’s Russian and Native heritage. His work laid the foundation for what later became the Alaska State Museum.

He continued in this role until his death on April 3, 1940, at the age of 76. He is buried beside his wife in Evergreen Cemetery.

In 2015, the State of Alaska honored Father Andrew Kashevaroff by naming the State Library, Archives, and Museum building in Juneau after him. The facility opened to the public on June 6, 2016.

Sources

Alaska Territorial Library and Museum historical records; Alaska Daily Empire; Russian Orthodox Church archives; Find-A-Grave memorial

Andrew Petrovich Kashevaroff Andrew P Kashevaroff Rev Andrew Kashevaroff Father Andrew Kashevaroff A P Kashevaroff Kashevaroff Andrew

Tags: Andrew Petrovich Kashevaroff, Father Andrew Kashevaroff, Rev Andrew P Kashevaroff, Kashevaroff family Alaska, Russian Orthodox priest Alaska, Alaska State Museum founder, Juneau Men’s Igloo President 1927, Juneau Alaska pioneers

Elmer J. White was President of the Juneau Men's Igloo No. 6 in 1922 and 1923.

White was born near Cambridge, Ohio about 1860. He married Josephine Keys in December 1881 in Tacoma, Washington. They had two sons, John McBurney White and Albert Hamilton White, and a daughter, Lenora White.

Before coming to Alaska, White worked as a newspaperman in Washington State and Florida. He began his career in the North in 1898 as a member of the staff of the Skagway News.

He later moved to Dawson to accept a position with the Dawson Nugget. From the “Stroller's Column” in that newspaper, he adopted the pseudonym by which he became widely known to his friends.

White subsequently moved to Whitehorse, where he purchased the Whitehorse Star, which he published and edited successfully for several years. He later came to Douglas and purchased the Douglas Island News.

He maintained the newspaper either as owner or lessor until the abandonment of mining and milling operations at Douglas. At that time, he transferred the printing plant to Juneau and renamed the publication Stroller's Weekly.

In addition to his newspaper activities, White was active in politics as a Democrat. Known for fairness in partisanship, he commanded the respect and often the support of political opponents.

He served the public as Territorial Publicity Director from 1918 to 1921. He was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1918, and his colleagues' regard was demonstrated by his elevation to the Speakership. At the request of party associates, he ran for Congress in 1922 and conducted a respected campaign.

Elmer J. “Stroller” White died in Juneau on September 28, 1930.

Daily Alaska Empire, September 29, 1930

Primary Name: LeFevre, Henry Belfield

Filed as: henry_belfield_lefevre

Also known as: Henry B. LeFevre; Henry Lefevre; Judge Henry Belfield LeFevre

Occupation / Association: Judge; Lawyer; Newspaper Editor; President, Juneau Men's Igloo No. 6 (1921)

Born: April 8, 1857, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Died:

Parents: George Lefevre; Emma Beal Lefevre

Spouse: Married April 5, 1891, Puyallup, Washington

Children: Ruth Elizabeth LeFevre

Associated places: Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Europe; Lone Rock, Oregon; Wisconsin; Kalama, Washington; Columbia River District; Heppner, Oregon; Puyallup, Washington; Dyea, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska

Keywords: Henry Belfield LeFevre, Henry B. LeFevre, Judge Henry LeFevre, Juneau Men's Igloo No. 6 President 1921, Skagway Alaskan editor, John W. Troy, Treadwell Mine employees

Biography

Judge Henry Belfield LeFevre served as President of the Juneau Men's Igloo No. 6 of the Pioneers of Alaska in 1921.

He was born on April 8, 1857, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the grandson of the Rev. Clement Fall Lefevre, prominent in the history of the State of Wisconsin, and the son of George Lefevre and Emma Beal Lefevre, daughter of the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin in the 1850s.

As a child during the Franco-Prussian War, LeFevre spent five years in Europe with his mother, who had traveled there for her health. During that time, he learned to speak French and Spanish fluently. Because of this ability, many acquaintances in Alaska later believed he was French, although he was of English descent.

After the death of his father in 1871, LeFevre moved from Wisconsin to Lone Rock in eastern Oregon, where he engaged in raising stock and served in several clerical capacities. While there, he began studying law, specializing in probate work. He was also among the early students of the University of Notre Dame.

LeFevre practiced law for several years in Wisconsin and later in Kalama, Washington, and along the Columbia River district. In Heppner, Oregon, he entered the newspaper business and became editor of the Gazette, later taking over the Citizen in Puyallup, Washington.

He was married in Puyallup on April 5, 1891, and had one daughter, Ruth Elizabeth LeFevre.

LeFevre came to Alaska alone in 1895 and worked for the Treadwell Mine. He lived in Dyea and Skagway for about seventeen years, and in Skagway was associated with John W. Troy in publishing the Skagway Alaskan. His mother later joined him in Alaska and lived with him there until her death.

Sources

Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men's Igloo No. 6 records

Henry Belfield LeFevre Henry B LeFevre Henry Lefevre H B LeFevre Judge LeFevre Lefevre Henry Belfield

Tags: Henry Belfield LeFevre, Henry B. LeFevre, Judge Henry LeFevre, Clement Fall Lefevre, George Lefevre, Emma Beal Lefevre, Ruth Elizabeth LeFevre, Juneau Men's Igloo No. 6, Pioneers of Alaska, Skagway Alaskan editors, Treadwell Mine employees

Primary Name: Radonich, Edna Marion Sprague Haley

Filed as: Radonich, Edna Marion Sprague Haley

Also known as: Edna Marion Sprague; Edna Haley; Edna Radonich

Occupation / Association: Teacher; matron, federal jail on Courthouse Hill; Charter member and first president, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Igloo Women’s Auxiliary No. 6

Associated places: Lyle, Minnesota; Perham, Minnesota; Juneau, Alaska; Dawson City, Yukon Territory; Douglas, Alaska

Keywords: Edna Marion Sprague Haley Radonich, Juneau Igloo Womens Auxiliary first president, Alaska Grill Juneau history, Carnation Tom Radonich, Pine Creek mining claims, Chilkoot Trail families, Courthouse Hill federal jail matron

Biography

Edna Marion Sprague Haley Radonich was a charter member of the Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Igloo Women’s Auxiliary No. 6. She was elected the organization’s first president and also served additional terms in 1921, 1922, 1925, and 1927.

Edna Sprague was born in Lyle, Minnesota, in 1875 to Will and Mary Sprague. She was raised on a farm near Perham, Minnesota. In 1895, she moved to Juneau, Alaska, to teach school and to join her aunt and uncle, Matt and Alice Loughlin.

She married Ed Haley in Juneau on July 7, 1896. During the 1899 mining season, Edna accompanied her husband to his Pine Creek mining claims. Later that year, she returned to Juneau pregnant with their daughter, Dorothy. Travel to and from the mining camps was by steamer and on foot over the Chilkoot Trail. Edna and Ed Haley had two children, Dorothy and Donald.

After the birth of her children, Edna became a homemaker primarily, though in later years she worked as a matron at the federal jail on Courthouse Hill in Juneau.

Her second husband was Thomas G. “Carnation Tom” Radonich. Born September 19, 1869, in Dalmatia, Croatia, he came to the United States as a young man and arrived in Juneau around 1891. He was an early Klondike gold rush stampeder and operated a restaurant in Dawson City during the height of the gold rush. There, he became known as “Carnation Tom” because he arranged for regular shipments of fresh carnations and was rarely seen without one in his lapel.

After returning to Juneau in the early 1900s, Radonich operated several businesses along the Gastineau Channel, including restaurants, a meat market, and gaming houses in both Juneau and Douglas. The best known of these enterprises was the Alaska Grill, located on Front Street in the C.W. Young Building, which for many years was the largest restaurant in Alaska.

Edna maintained a large rooftop garden on the C.W. Young Building, adjacent to her home above the Alaska Grill. In later life she cultivated an extensive terraced garden on the hillside above her final home on Basin Road in Juneau.

Edna Marion Sprague Haley Radonich died on May 17, 1951. She is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in the Pioneers of Alaska Section.

Primary Name: Alheidt, Henry

Filed as: alheidt_henry

Also known as: Henry Alheidt

Occupation / Association: Prospector; Miner; Charter Member, Juneau Men’s Igloo

Born: June 1863, Germany

Died:

Parents:

Spouse:

Children:

Associated places: Juneau, Alaska; Cordova, Alaska; Kennecott Mining District, Alaska

Property / Address:

Keywords: Henry Alheidt, H. Alheidt, Alheidt Henry, Juneau Men’s Igloo charter member, Cordova prospectors, Kennecott Mining District prospectors

Biography

Henry Alheidt was a charter member of the Juneau Men’s Igloo of the Pioneers of Alaska.

Alheidt was born in Germany in June 1863. He immigrated to the United States in 1881 and later came to Juneau, Alaska, in 1900.

Like many early residents of the region, Alheidt worked as a prospector in several developing mining districts. In the 1910 United States Federal Census, he was listed as prospecting in the Cordova area. By the time of the 1920 census, he was working in the Kennecott Mining District, one of Alaska’s most significant copper mining regions.

Sources

1900 U.S. Federal Population Census; 1910 U.S. Federal Population Census; 1920 U.S. Federal Population Census

Tags: Henry Alheidt, Alheidt family, Juneau Men’s Igloo charter member, Juneau pioneers, Cordova Alaska prospectors, Kennecott Mining District miners

Henry Alheidt H Alheidt Alheidt Henry Heinrich Alheidt