Rice, Robert Gordon

Biography

Robert Gordon Rice was born on October 13, 1908, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Helen Benedict Rice and Charles Rice.

He was a member of an Alaska pioneer family whose history is documented in regional records of early settlers and their descendants.

Sources

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

Primary Name: Rice, Helen Benedict

Filed as: Rice, Helen Benedict

Also known as: Helen Benedict-Rice; Helen Benedict

Occupation / Association: Early Juneau resident; spouse of Episcopal missionary Dean Charles Edgar Rice

Associated places: Juneau, Alaska; Circle City, Alaska; Fairbanks, Alaska; Nashotah, Wisconsin; Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Keywords: Helen Benedict Rice, Helen Benedict-Rice, Charles Edgar Rice wife, Dean Rice family Juneau, Circle City Alaska missionary family, Fairbanks early families, Alaska Episcopal missions families

Biography

Helen Benedict married Charles Edgar Rice at the chapel of his alma mater in Nashotah, Wisconsin on August 30, 1906.

Following their wedding, the couple made the long journey back to Alaska, traveling to Circle City where Reverend Rice was serving as a missionary priest.

The couple had two sons. Their first child, Jackson Benedict Rice, was born June 15, 1907 in Fairbanks, Alaska. Their second son, Robert Gordon Rice, was born October 13, 1908 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Helen Benedict Rice was part of the missionary family life that accompanied the Episcopal missions serving Alaska communities in the early twentieth century.

Sources

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

Primary Name: Milton Winn

Filed as: Winn, Milton

Born: January 1886 – Wisconsin

Parents: Colonel William Winn and an unknown mother

Siblings: Grover C. Winn (twin brother), John E. Winn

Half-siblings: Burdette A. Winn

Associated places: Wisconsin; Juneau, Alaska

Biography

Milton Winn was born in January 1886 in Wisconsin, along with his twin brother, Grover C. Winn. Their older brother, John E. Winn, was born in December 1882. The brothers were the sons of Colonel William Winn and an unknown mother.

Colonel Winn later married Anna Sarah Milbourn on December 10, 1892, in Woodford, Lafayette County, Wisconsin. The family moved to Juneau, Alaska in 1893.

Milton’s half-brother, Burdette A. Winn, was born in Juneau on March 21, 1896.

Sources

• Family and genealogical records

John E. Winn was born in December 1882 in Wisconsin to Colonel William M. Winn and an unknown mother.

He had two younger brothers, twins Milton Winn and Grover C. Winn, who were born in January 1886 in Wisconsin.

His father later married Anna Sarah Milbourn on December 10, 1892, in Woodford, Lafayette County, Wisconsin. The family moved to Juneau, Alaska, in 1893.

John’s half-brother, Burdette A. Winn, was born in Juneau on March 21, 1896.

Primary Name: Sarah Anna Winn

Also known as: Anna Sarah Milbourn Winn

Born: April 5, 1865 – Wiota, Wisconsin

Died: November 27, 1946 – Juneau, Alaska

Spouse: William Winn

Children: Burdette A. Winn

Stepchildren: John E. Winn, Milton Winn, Grover C. Winn

Occupation: Millinery shop owner

Affiliation: Charter Member, Juneau Igloo Auxiliary No. 6

Associated places: Wiota, Wisconsin; Juneau, Alaska

Biography

Sarah Anna Winn, also known as Anna Sarah Milbourn Winn, was a Charter Member of the Juneau Igloo Auxiliary No. 6.

She was born in Wiota, Wisconsin, on April 5, 1865, though she was known to keep the year of her birth a closely guarded secret.

She married William Winn on December 10, 1892, in Woodford, Lafayette County, Wisconsin. The couple moved to Juneau, Alaska, in 1893.

On March 21, 1896, she gave birth in Juneau to their son, Burdette A. Winn. She also raised her husband’s sons from an earlier marriage: John E. Winn, born December 1882, and Milton Winn and Grover C. Winn, twins born in January 1886 in Wisconsin.

In Juneau, she owned and operated a millinery shop.

Sarah Anna Winn died in Juneau, Alaska, on November 27, 1946.

Sources

• 1900, 1920, and 1930 U.S. Federal Census
• Biographies of Alaska Yukon Pioneers, Vol. 3, p. 342, Ed Ferrell
• 1930 U.S. Federal Census, Juneau

Primary Name: LeFevre, Emma
Filed as: lefevre_emma
Also known as: Emma Cooper Beall LeFevre, Emma Beall LeFevre, Emma Lefevre
Occupation / Association: Charter Member, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Women’s Auxiliary No. 6; writer
Born: December 23, 1835, Fort Howard, Wisconsin Territory (present-day Howard, Wisconsin)
Died: June 30, 1926, Juneau, Alaska
Parents: Colonel Samuel Wooten Beall; Elizabeth Fenimore Cooper Beall
Spouse: George LeFevre (m. September 13, 1855)
Children: Henry Belfield LeFevre
Associated places: Fort Howard, Wisconsin Territory; Denver, Colorado; Berne, Switzerland; Oregon; Skagway, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska
Keywords: Emma LeFevre, Emma Cooper Beall LeFevre, Emma Beall LeFevre, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Women’s Auxiliary No. 6, Skagway pioneers, Juneau pioneers

Biography

Emma Cooper Beall LeFevre was a charter member of the Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Women’s Auxiliary No. 6.

She was born on December 23, 1835, at Fort Howard in the Wisconsin Territory, the daughter of Colonel Samuel Wooten Beall and Elizabeth Fenimore Cooper Beall. Colonel Beall commanded the garrison at Fort Howard and later served as acting governor of the Wisconsin Territory.

Through her mother’s family, Emma was connected to several notable early American figures. She was a grandniece of the author James Fenimore Cooper and a great-granddaughter of Lewis Morris, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Although she grew up largely on the western frontier, she received the educational advantages of the East. On September 13, 1855, she married George LeFevre, a noted plainsman and scout who later became a judge in Colorado. The couple lived in Denver, Colorado, for a time when it was still a small trading post.

In 1867, while the family was living in Colorado, Emma became ill, and her husband sent her with their only child, Henry Belfield LeFevre, to Berne, Switzerland, for treatment at the famous baths. Judge LeFevre died on July 30, 1871. Emma and her son later returned to the United States and settled in Oregon.

Although essentially a woman of the frontier, Mrs. LeFevre was a writer of more than ordinary ability and a voracious reader. She maintained a keen interest in political affairs and remained well-informed about political and social developments throughout her life.

In 1898, she traveled north to Skagway, Alaska, and the North thereafter became her home. She moved to Juneau in 1913, where she lived for the remainder of her life.

Emma LeFevre died in Juneau, Alaska, on June 30, 1926. She was buried in Evergreen Cemetery.

Sources

Biographies of Alaska Yukon Pioneers, Vol. 3, p. 193, Ed Ferrell; Alaska Daily Empire, June 20, 1926; Alaska Daily Empire, June 30, 1926; 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Skagway; Find a Grave

Emma Lefevre Emma LeFevre Emma Cooper Beall Lefevre Emma Beall Lefevre Emma Cooper Beall LeFevre Lefevre Emma Beall Emma Beall

Primary Name: Olson, Elizabeth

Filed as: Olson, Elizabeth

Also known as: Elizabeth "Lizzie" Olson; Elizabeth Price

Occupation / Association: Charter Member, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Women's Auxiliary No. 6

Associated places: Juneau, Alaska; Nome, Alaska; Ketchikan, Alaska; Seattle, Washington; Tacoma, Washington; Wisconsin

Keywords: Elizabeth Lizzie Olson, Elizabeth Price Juneau Alaska, Frederick Price family, Pioneers of Alaska Women's Auxiliary Igloo 6 charter members, Nome Alaska miners families, early Juneau families, Ketchikan Alaska residents

Biography

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Olson was a Charter Member of the Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Women’s Auxiliary No. 6. She was born in May 1869 in Wisconsin.

She married Frederick Price in Seattle, Washington, on November 15, 1890. The couple had five children, all born in Washington. Their daughter Hazel was born in May 1892, Emily in January 1895, Eleanor in May 1898, Owen in November 1900, and Myrtle in April 1907.

The Price family was living in Nome, Alaska at the time of the 1910 U.S. Federal Census, when Frederick was working as a miner. By the 1920 census, the family had moved to Juneau, Alaska.

By 1940, Elizabeth was widowed and living in Ketchikan, Alaska, with her youngest daughter, Myrtle Barnell.

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Olson Price died on September 8, 1958, in Tacoma, Washington.

Sources

1900 U.S. Federal Census, Seattle, Washington.

1910 U.S. Federal Census, Nome, Alaska.

1920 U.S. Federal Census, Juneau, Alaska.

1940 U.S. Federal Census, Ketchikan, Alaska.

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: Back, Arthur David

Filed as: back_arthur_david

Also known as: Arthur D. Back

Occupation / Association: Salesman; Charter Member, Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6

Born: April 10, 1871, Wisconsin

Died: April 8, 1941, Los Angeles, California

Parents: Unknown

Spouse: Unknown

Children: Unknown

Associated places: Wisconsin; Juneau, Alaska; Los Angeles, California

Keywords: Arthur David Back, Arthur D. Back, A.D. Back, Back Arthur David, Juneau Men’s Igloo charter member, Juneau Alaska pioneer

Biography

Arthur David Back was a charter member of the Juneau Men’s Igloo of the Pioneers of Alaska.

Back was born on April 10, 1871, in Wisconsin. He came to Juneau in December 1898, where he worked as a salesman. His arrival placed him among the generation of early residents who helped shape Juneau in the years following the gold rush.

He remained associated with Juneau’s pioneer community and was later recognized as one of the charter members of the Juneau Men’s Igloo. Back died in Los Angeles, California, on April 8, 1941, two days before his seventieth birthday.

Sources

1900 U.S. Federal Population Census Arthur David Back Arthur D. Back A D Back A.D. Back Back Arthur David Back Arthur D Arthur Back

Tags: Arthur David Back, Arthur D. Back, Back family, salesman, Juneau pioneers, Pioneers of Alaska Igloo 6, charter member, Juneau Alaska, Los Angeles California, Wisconsin

Colonel William M. Winn was a charter member of the Juneau Men's Igloo.

William Winn was born in February 1855 in Wiota, Wisconsin. He came to Alaska in 1889, where he worked as a druggist.

In Wisconsin, an unknown partner bore him three sons: John E. Winn, born in December 1882; and twins Milton Winn and Grover C. Winn, born in January 1886.

He married Sarah Anna Winn on December 10, 1892, in Woodford, Lafayette County, Wisconsin. They came to Juneau in 1893. Their son, Burdette A. Winn, was born on March 21, 1896, in Juneau.

William Winn died on April 5, 1914, at the age of 66.

1910 U.S. Federal Population Census; Douglas Island News, April 8, 1914; Daily Alaska Empire, April 5, 1934.