Primary Name: McKinley, Irene D. Lundstrom
Filed as: irene_d_lundstrom_mckinley
Also known as: Irene Lundstrom; Irene D. McKinley
Occupation / Association: President, Juneau Women's Igloo No. 6 (1950); Proofreader, Juneau Empire; Secretary / Bookkeeper
Born: January 10, 1910, Douglas, Alaska
Died: April 2002, Juneau, Alaska
Parents: Alfred Lundstrom; Maija (May) Milumaki Lundstrom
Spouse: Jerry McKinley (m. June 3, 1933; div. 1965)
Children: Irene McKinley; Connie McKinley; Janice McKinley Nordenson
Associated places: Douglas, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Excursion Inlet, Alaska; Seattle, Washington; Reno, Nevada
Keywords: Irene D. Lundstrom McKinley, Irene McKinley, Irene Lundstrom, Juneau Women's Igloo No. 6 President 1950, Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Empire proofreader, Alaska Division of Marine Transportation, Douglas Alaska residents
Biography
Irene D. Lundstrom McKinley was born in Douglas, Alaska, on January 10, 1910, the daughter of Alfred Lundstrom and Maija (May) Milumaki Lundstrom. During her childhood, the family spent summers at Excursion Inlet, where they worked in the cannery and cold storage operations.
Her first automobile, little more than a frame with wheels, engine, and steering wheel, was built for her by her brother Al Lundstrom. She enjoyed driving it around Douglas and Juneau with her close friend Ada Sturrock.
After graduating from Juneau High School in 1928, McKinley attended business school in Seattle, Washington. While studying there, she worked as a nanny and housekeeper for a local family in exchange for room and board.
In 1933, she met Jerry McKinley at a dance where he was playing the saxophone. The couple married on June 3, 1933. They had three daughters, Irene, Connie, and Janice. Irene and Jerry McKinley later divorced in 1965.
McKinley worked for a time as a secretary and bookkeeper for the Tonsgard family and also took minutes for the Alaska Native Sisterhood. For many years, she worked as a proofreader for the Juneau Empire and later for the State of Alaska’s Division of Marine Transportation during the early period when the state’s first ferries were being constructed. She often remarked on the large checks written to the shipbuilding contractors during that era.
She was active in several civic and fraternal organizations, including the Order of the Eastern Star, the Rebekahs, and the Pioneers of Alaska. She served as President of the Juneau Women's Igloo in 1950.
McKinley enjoyed playing bingo and, well into her nineties, continued her tradition of making annual trips to Reno, Nevada, with her daughters and granddaughters.
Irene D. Lundstrom McKinley died in April 2002 at the Juneau Pioneers’ Home.
Sources
Gastineau Channel Memories, Vol. 3, p. 199, story by Janice Nordenson; Juneau-Douglas High School Yearbook, 1928
Tags: Irene D. Lundstrom McKinley, Irene McKinley, Irene Lundstrom, Alfred Lundstrom, Maija Milumaki Lundstrom, Jerry McKinley, Janice Nordenson, Juneau Women's Igloo No. 6, Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Empire employees, Douglas Alaska residents, Excursion Inlet workers