Alaska School Yearbooks by County
Florence May Hansen
Longtime Juneau resident Florence May Hansen died unexpectedly on May 14, 2008, at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau. She was 78.
Born Dec. 23, 1929, in Wrangell, she left home at age 17 and worked at the Wrangell Fish Cannery. She worked as a secretary for the Territorial Department of Taxation, and for the last Territorial Legislature and the state Legislature for five years.
In 1952, she married Kenneth Hansen, of Wenatchee, Wash. At 29, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
Family said she was very musically inclined and enjoyed singing with groups and playing her piano, accordion and organ for various community events.
She was a longtime member of the Assemblies of God Church and was involved with the church since she was 8 years old. She directed a 36-member children's choir for more than 10 years. She had affiliations and memberships with the Salvation Army Ladies Auxiliary, Sons of Norway and Tlingit & Haida Central Council, and was a shareholder with Sealaska and Goldbelt corporations.
She was a direct descendant of Tlingit Chief Shakes and was of the Eagle Wolf clan of Wrangell. She and her husband owned the Kentucky Fried Chicken, changing the name to Kenny's Fried Chicken, and were co-owners of Valley Storeroom and Hansen Excavation.
Up until recently, she was often at local mall craft fairs selling her delicate goods made of roses, ribbons and lace.
"Although our mother had a life-long battle with rheumatoid arthritis, endured 12 joint replacements, wet and dry macular degeneration in both eyes, and was slowing down in the last couple months, she never got tired of ministering, helping others, attending church and going out to coffee with her husband," her family said. "Her words of wisdom, spunky attitude and all her loving ways will be missed dearly by all that knew her."
She was preceded in death by her son, Kenneth Eugene Hansen in 1985; brother, Hank Anderson in 2002; and brother, Al Sahlinger in 2006.
She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Kenneth Hansen, of Juneau; daughters, Chris Hansen-Tatham, of Juneau, and Heather Bunnell and husband, Barry, of Wasilla; son, David Hansen and wife, Cynthia, of Juneau; daughter in-law, Amanda Fergerson and husband, Danny, of Osceola, Mo.; 10 grandchildren, Christine Wachmann and husband, Andrew, of Eagle River, Cheryl Tatham, of Juneau, David Fergerson and wife, Rachael, of Harrisonville, Mo., Katelynn May Martinez and husband, Juan, of Chicago, Sierra and Mercedes Mahnke, of Wasilla, Kathryn Fergerson, of Osceola, Kenny Fergerson, of Osceola, Kenneth Corbin Mahnke, of Wasilla, Rollin Bunnell, of Wasilla; four great-grandchildren, Caitlin and Garin Wachmann, of Eagle River, and Kaysha and Chase Fergerson, of Harrisonville; sister, Marlene Sievertson and husband, Al, of Juneau; and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, at Centennial Hall in Juneau. An interment will be at a later date.
If desired, contributions in her memory may be made to the Salvation Army Ladies Auxiliary in care of the Salvation Army, 439 W. Willoughby Ave., Juneau, AK 99801, or the Glacier Valley Church of God Building Fund, 8497 Thunder Mountain Road, Juneau, AK 99801.
Beth Siemon
Former Juneau resident Beth A. Siemon died April 30, 2008, in Seattle, Wash., at home, surrounded by her family. She was 60.
She was born in Cleveland, Ohio, grew up in Minneapolis and spent her first 16 working years in Juneau. After finishing a degree in occupational therapy at University of Puget Sound, she served Southeast Alaska as an itinerant occupational therapist.
In 1986, she took off a year to travel around the world, then settled in Seattle and worked for Vashon School District. Most recently she retired from the Washington Department of Health where she was a health consultant for 14 years.
Family members said she will be greatly missed.
She is survived by her sister, Mari Siemon and husband, Sern Watt; sons, Travis and Mason Watt; and mother, Mary Siemon, of Minneapolis.
Her longtime Juneau friends Justine Muench and Brad, Lauren and Erin Thompson, said they will miss her great sense of humor, love of life, kindness and incredible Easter-time scavenger hunts.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Remembrances may be made to Pasado's Safe Haven for Animals, or any animal welfare organization.
John Thilenius
Longtime Juneau resident John Thilenius died May 9, 2008, in Juneau. He was 77.
Born April 24, 1931, in Los Angeles, he was a Juneau resident for 31 years. Family members said he was a research plant ecologist who loved nature and spent his entire life working and playing in the outdoors.
They said he was an avid hunter and gun collector and traveled extensively in Africa, South and Central America and Australia with his wife, Carol. He worked and retired from the U.S. Forest Service, where he did research in plant ecology in the Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming and on the Copper River Delta in Alaska.
He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and attended Oregon State University on the GI Bill where he received a Bachelor of Science. He continued his education and received a Master of Science from the University of Idaho and a doctorate from Oregon State University.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol Thilenius.
He is survived by his sons, James and David Thilenius; daughter-in-law, Sherry Thilenius; and granddaughters, Claire and Grace Thilenius.
Donations and memorials can be made to your favorite charity in his name. The family may be contacted at dmthilenius@aol.com.
Gerald Ray Vaught
Former longtime Juneau resident Gerald Ray Vaught died May 3, 2008, in Sitka in a bicycle accident. He was 54.
A memorial will be at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 24, at the Juneau Moose Lodge.
John Clark Jones
Former Juneau resident John Clark (Jack) Jones died Feb. 26, 2008, while wintering in Palm Springs, surrounded by his family. He was 80.
A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. May 23 at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 1030 2nd Ave., in Fairbanks. A gathering will follow the service at the Mushers Hall, Mile 4 Farmers Loop Road.
He was born June 15, 1927, in Albia, Iowa, to Raymond and Cliffie Jones. He graduated from Albia High School in 1945, enlisted in the Navy and served from 1945 to 1946.
In 1952, he traveled to Fairbanks and became office manager for Green Construction. In 1959, he moved to Juneau with Green Construction, where he met Doreen. They were married on Oct. 15, 1960.
The family moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where Jones received his accounting degree from Drake University in 1967. The family then moved back to Juneau where he worked as an accountant for Schmitz & Kline.
In 1969, they moved to Fairbanks where Jack worked at Fairbanks Sand & Gravel for 15 years and then spent five years with the Department of Transportation, retiring in 1996.
Family members said he loved the Alaska way of life, enjoying the outdoors fishing and hunting, and summers working in his garden and greenhouse.
"We all enjoyed his good nature, sense of humor and ready smile," they said. "Our husband, father and friend will truly be missed."
He is survived by his wife, Doreen Jones, of Fairbanks; daughters, Shelley Dykema and husband, Michael, of Fairbanks, and Darcy Stratton and husband, Bob, of Witney, England; son, Andy Jones and wife, Sandy, of Northridge, Calif.; grandchildren, Joelle Gardner and husband, Dan, and Chloe, Lily, Daisy and Emma Stratton, all of England, and Kyle Jones and Kim Wooten, of Northridge; sister, Debbie Curtis and husband, Bill, of Simi Valley, Calif.; brother, Raymond Jones and wife, Jan, of Murrieta, Calif.; three nieces and one nephew; and many close friends.
Per his wishes, his ashes will be scattered in Crab Bay, Southeast Alaska, where he spent many years hunting with his best buddies.
If you wish to make a contribution in his memory, the family suggests the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312, or the American Cancer Society, 3851 Piper St., Suite U240, Anchorage, AK 99508.
