Alaska School Yearbooks by County
Mary Lou Knickerbocker
Former Juneau resident Mary Lou Knickerbocker, 84, died Oct. 29, 2005, in her retirement home in Boonville, Mo.
She was born to Donald and Mary Holt on Nov. 12, 1920 in Columbus, Wis. She attended Ripon College, attained teaching credentials and taught in two of the one room schools in the area. She enlisted in 1943 in the Navy as a Wave for GI educational benefits and a chance to travel. Upon discharge in 1946, she completed her education degree at University of Colorado.
She met and married Hugh Irwin Knickerbocker, a civil engineer. After living in Aruba, Netherlands West Indies and California, they came in 1962 to Juneau with their children, Janet and Steven. Hugh worked for the Alaska Department of Highways until his death in 1971. She continued to make her home in Juneau where she worked in the Juneau Public Libraries until her retirement in 1999. After her retirement, she volunteered at the Friends of the Library Amazing Bookstore and was active in the League of Women Voters.
She was a member of Chapel by the Lake, serving as an officer in the church, the Chapeladies and Church Women United. She worked with the Stephens Ministry. She established the library at the Chapel.
She enjoyed reading, studying and teaching the Bible, music and theater.
She is survived by her daughter, Janet Akremi of Jamestown, Mo.; her son-in-law, Boujemaa; her six grandsons, Rino, Damon, Justin, Haytham, Fares and Maher; her son, Steven E. Knickerbocker of Juneau; her daughter-in-law, Polly Lloyd; her three granddaughters, Tiffany, Sabrina and Sadie Rose; and six great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be 2 p.m., Dec. 10, at Chapel by the Lake.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the memorial fund of Chapel by the Lake or to the Heifer Project at Chapel by the Lake.
Margaret Branson
Seward resident Margaret Branson, 78, died Nov. 29, 2005, at Providence Hospital in Anchorage.
There will be a community reception at 2 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Seward Sealife Center. Remembrances may be sent to P.O. Box 271, Seward, AK, 99664.
Born in 1927 in Sheridan, Wyo., she came to Alaska in 1958, landing in Sitka. She moved to Cooper Landing in 1966. She was the president of the community club, the beginning of her many years of public service to her communities and to her state. During that time she got community support and state funding for acquiring land and moving the historical community club building from alongside the highway to the community park, where it is today.
She was a member of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly and a House representative from District 5 from 1979 to 1980. In those days, the district included Cooper Landing, Moose Pass, Hope, Whittier, Valdez, Kenny Lake and Glennallen. She was chairman of the New Capitol Site Planning Commission and recently served on the committee to select a new capitol building in Juneau.
She moved to Seward in 1980. In addition to owning and operating her own art gallery and serving on the Seward City Council, she was president of the Seward Community Library Association (Friends of the Library) and the president of the Providence Alaska Foundation/Seward. In her home, she hosted a communitywide Christmas tree silent auction. The first year, the auction raised enough money to buy goosedown patient bags for area ambulances. She was always politically active, hosting candidate functions in her home, particularly for women candidates. She mentored aspiring politicians on the local level in Seward and elsewhere.
Friends said, "Margaret Branson had many friends. That her friends are of all ages and come from all walks of life demonstrated her ability to inspire and to work on behalf of her communities."
She was preceded in death by her son, Malcolm; and husband, Ralph.
She is survived by her daughter, Melissa Fouse; sons, Seth and Alec Branson; and grandchildren, Derrick, Kendra and Scottie Branson.
Irene Gene Satko
Longtime Juneau resident Irene Gene Satko (Hill), 81, died Nov. 30, 2005, at her home in Juneau.
She was born to William Fredrick Hill and Leona Betty Smith on Sept. 21, 1924, in Tonasket, Wash. She was raised on her parent's and grandparent's ranch near Tonasket and attended area schools. She traveled in 1946 to Alaska and went to work for the territorial legislature. She met Joe H. Satko, and they married within the year. After time in Richmond, Va., and Spokane, Wash., they returned to Juneau for good in 1954 with their two children.
She worked in territorial, federal, state and city offices. She was the co-owner and kept the books for the family business, Joe's Body Shop.
She enjoyed many years of commercial fishing alongside her husband aboard the fishing vessel Irene G and Irene G II. She was a longtime member of the Catholic Daughters of America.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Elsie Kruger; and her brother, William J. Hill.
She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Joe; her sister, Millie Poole; her daughter, Kathryn; her son, Herb; her grandchildren, JoAnn Bollman (Mike Everson), Heidi (Gary) Stears, Todd (Summer) Satko, Joseph Bollman, Nickie Clum and Ricky Clum; her great-grandchildren, Wendy and Kate Stears, Lee Satko and Nicole Thomas; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A rosary will be held at 11 a.m., Dec. 5, at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary followed by a funeral Mass at noon. A reception in the Parish Hall will follow.
Pallbearers will be Joe H. Satko Jr., Gary V. Stears, Todd C. Satko, Joseph A. Bollman, Ricky A. Clum and Michael G. Everson.
In lieu of flowers, charitable donations can be made to any Catholic charity or charity of choice.
Betty Lou Hart
Juneau resident Betty Lou Hart, 71, died of cancer on Nov. 29, 2005, at her home.
She was born to Roy Henry Kaiser and Marguerite (Clarke) Kaiser on July 2, 1934, in Yuba City, Calif.
She was introduced to camping through Girl Scouts and enjoyed nature and animals. In 1955, she joined friends for summer work at Camp Denali. In the fall, she enrolled at the University of Alaska. She married Keith Hart in 1956 in Fairbanks.
They moved to Girdwood in 1957 and to Juneau in 1962. She worked for the Southeast Alaska Veterinary Clinic in the 1960s and 1970s and Northern Marine Insurance in the 1980s. She and her daughter, Karla, were partners in Alaska Rainforest Tours from 1989 to 1997. She was widowed in 1996, after caring for her husband, who had Parkinson's disease.
A camel trek around the Hogar Mountains of Algeria in 1982 was the first of many international adventures with friends and family that took her to six continents. She explored on foot, bike, boat and elephant.
She is survived by two sons, Kriss Hart of Seattle, and Kent (Deborah) Hart of Juneau; her daughter, Karla Hart of Juneau; her granddaughters, Skye and Kamper Hart of Juneau; her sisters, Barbara Lundeen of McKinleyville, Calif. Sharon Barton of Portland, Ore.; and Donna Shultz; four nieces and nephews; and many friends.
A memorial open house will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dec. 3, at her home. For directions, call 586-2256.
Sione Matakaiongo Tupou
Juneau resident Sione Matakaiongo Tupou died Dec. 6, 2005, at his home.
He was born Aug. 1, 1933 in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. He married and raised his family in Tonga before immigrating in 1988 to the United States. In Tonga, he worked as a farmer. He retired after working for 20 years as a custodian.
He was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He saw all of his children serve full-time missions for the church and marry in Latter-day Saints' temples.
He enjoyed serving in his church, his family, fishing, boxing, tennis and singing soprano.
He was preceded in death by his son, Tupou.
He is survived by his wife, Vika Heleine Tupou; his sons, Leitoni and his wife, Lori, Siua and his wife, Rosemarie, Paula and his wife, Roma, Feao and his wife, Va'esiu, Victor and his wife, Stacey, Sifa and his wife, Misty, Feleti and his wife, Irene, and Romney and his wife, Jacqueline; his daughters, Siosi and her husband, Sifa Talamai, Kueni and her husband, Tevita Ma'ake, and Meliame and her husband, Feao Vekoso; his brothers, Alifeleti, Tevita, Taniela and Lutini; and 34 grandchildren and one great-grandson, Sifa.
Pallbearers will be his sons, Leitoni, Siua, Paula, Feao, Victor, Sifa, Feleti, Romney, and family friend Trevor League. Honorary pallbearers will be his nephews, Matakaiongo, Leitoni, Sione Fifita and Lihai, and his grandsons, Sione, Tuavao, Paul and Aaron.
A viewing will be held 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at Alaskan Memorial Park. A memorial service will be held at noon, Dec. 10 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
