Alaska School Yearbooks by County
Evelyn Henkins
Juneau resident Evelyn Henkins, 85, died Sept. 26, 2003, in Juneau.
She was born April 3, 1918, to Lloyd Saville and Vernice Ruth Snare. She moved to Juneau in 1938 and became a homemaker.
She is survived by her daughter, Sharon Sanders of Stayton, Ore.; and sons, Lester Henkins of Juneau and Dale Henkins of Douglas.
Site and time of services will be announced at a later date.
Frances See
Juneau resident Frances See, 84, died Sept. 27, 2003, in Juneau.
She was born March 7, 1919, in Hoonah, a Shungu Keidee of the Xeilt Hit. As a child, she lived in Port Althorp, eventually moving back to Hoonah to live in the "Snail House," in which her grandfather was a leader. Early in her life she worked at the Alaska Native Hospital at Mt. Edgecumbe, then at various canneries in Juneau and Hoonah. She moved with her family to Tenakee Springs in 1952, where, although blind, she worked in the crab cannery until it closed. She was a member of ANS Camp 76 of Tenakee.
She was preceded in death by her brothers, Frank, Harry, Ben, George, Thomas and David; sister, Laura Montero; aunt, Ida Kadashan; grandson, Michael See Jr.; and longtime companion, Matthew Joseph.
She is survived by daughter, Sylvia Montero; sons Michael (Darlene) See, Donald (Lee Ann) See and Louis Hartman; adopted son, Juan Munoz; cousins, Anita Lafferty, Marge Garrison, Leona Williams and Lillian Austin; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Alaskan Memorial Park on Riverside Drive.
Wesley E. Merrill
Former Juneau resident Wesley E. Merrill, 72, died Nov. 24, 2003, in Vancouver, Wash., from complications of diabetes.
Merrill was born June 11, 1931, in Kenmare, N.D., the second son of Milo Clarence Merrill and Mabel Deborah Merrill. He grew up in Longview, Wash., and was graduated from the University of Washington School of Business in 1957 following service with the U.S. Army during the war in Korea.
In 1958 he married Page Whitehead, daughter of Juneau physician William M. Whitehead and Dorothy Whitehead. He lived in Juneau from 1961 to 1970. During this time he was an agent with New York Life Insurance Co., an association he continued through 1988 in Oregon, where he and his family settled after leaving Juneau. From 1988 until his death he was a self-employed insurance broker in Oregon and Washington State.
During his years in Juneau he was active in the Chamber of Commerce and the Glacier Valley chapter of the Rotary Club, of which he was a charter member. His family said his biggest pride as a Chamber member was helping to raise initial monies for the Alaska State Museum.
Merrill was a past member of the Monmouth, Ore., Rotary Club, past chairman of the Board of Directors, Western Foundation, Western Oregon State College located in Monmouth, a member of the Oregon State University Presidents' Club, a founder and original board member of the Beaver State Savings and Loan in Monmouth, and Top Club president of New York Life Insurance Co. in 1977-1978. He was a member of the Corvallis, Ore., Elks Club from 1971 to the present.
He and his wife moved to the Vancouver, Wash., area from Monmouth in 1992.
His family said Merrill had particularly enjoyed toward the end of his life working as a volunteer at, and contributing financially to, the upkeep of a small cemetery founded in 1847 and located between Portland and Salem. He wanted it to be maintained as a beautiful place for those buried there, which Merrill will be at a private family graveside service on Dec. 7. "If I'm going to spend the rest of eternity in a cemetery, this is as good as any of them," he recently said.
Merrill is survived by his wife, Page; his children, Thomas William Merrill (Linda); Deborah Helene Stegemeyer (Jim); Catharine Susan Merrill; and John Wesley Merrill (Kaare). Two grandchildren, his older brother, Milo Merrill, and other relatives also survive him. A younger brother, John, preceded him in death, as did his parents.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions may be made to the United Methodist Retirement Center, 1625 Center Street NE, Salem, OR, 97301.
Mary Ellen Zylinski
Former Juneau resident Mary Ellen Zylinski, 73, died Nov. 19, 2003, at St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, Minn.
She was born May 20, 1930, in Donora, Pa., the daughter of the late George and Margaret (Kelly) Major. She attended Donora schools and graduated from Donora High School in 1948. She received nurse's training at Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh, becoming a registered nurse in 1951. She was employed at West Penn Hospital for two years. She married Joseph Zylinski on Aug. 25, 1952, in Winchester, Va. She served in various nursing capacities, including school and emergency room nursing, home health care and geriatrics, in Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Virginia, Utah, Alaska and Maryland. She worked as the head emergency nurse at Bartlett Regional Hospital for a number of years, from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s.
Her family said, "She was an excellent cook and especially enjoyed baking pies. She was gifted artistically and was musically inclined, playing the piano. Mary Ellen was a loving and strong influence in the lives of her daughters, nieces, nephews and grandchildren. She served as the matriarch of the family."
She was preceded in death by a daughter, Mary Margaret, in infancy.
She is survived by her husband, Joseph Zylinski; daughters, Susan Olson of Anchorage, and Barbara (Lorris) Mizrahi of Istanbul, Turkey; grandchildren, Robert Joseph and Dana Olson, both of Anchorage, Megan Olson of Tucson, Ariz., and Sophia and Nina Mizrahi of Istanbul; great-grandson, Keiran Michael Olson; brother, Singleton F. (Mary) Major of Milwaukee, Wis.; sister, Margaret Helms of Trenton, N.J.; and multiple nieces and nephews.
Funeral services have already been held.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Carnegie Library Building Fund.
George Woodbury IV
Lifelong Alaskan George Burton Woodbury IV, died July 25, 2004, at his home in Big Lake. He was 17 months old.
He was born Jan. 6, 2003, in Anchorage to Kim and George B. Woodbury III.
His family wrote, "An energetic and vocal tyke, Georgie experienced much in his short time with us, from snowmachining and four-wheeling to camping and helping dad drive the bulldozer, pick up loads in the dump truck and pulling flowers - not weeds - with mom in the family gardens. Georgie always had a smile and a pair of dimples for everyone, and picked up nicknames like he picked up pebbles in the yard, including Quattro, Jojo, G4 and Little Buddy."
He is survived by his mother and father, Kim and George B. Woodbury III of Big Lake; grandparents, Joanne and Tom Omalia of Anchorage, Laura and Larry Langley of Elizabeth, Colo., Rolly and Renee Grabbe of Anchorage; aunt and uncle, Angel Boga and John Woodbury of Anchorage; aunt, uncle and cousins Sandy, Kit, Isaiah and Hanna Grabbe of Castle Rock, Colo.; aunt and uncle Lori and Tim Omalia; aunt, uncle and cousins Trish, Dirk, Taylor and Soren White of Sitka; and many relatives, friends and playpals.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests considerations be sent to memorial accounts for George Burton Woodbury IV at Key Bank and Alaska USA.
A celebration of life is planned for 7 p.m. Friday, July 30, at Valley Funeral Home in Wasilla.
