Alaska School Yearbooks by County
Normajane Johnson
Longtime Juneau resident Normajane Johnson died Nov. 18, 2006, at the Pioneer's Home where she had been a resident for three years. She was 88.
Johnson was born Oct. 11, 1917, in Lewiston, Idaho, to L.A. and Rose Porter. She attended schools in the Lewiston area, and in 1943 came to Juneau to work in the Baranof Hotel.
In May 1945, she married J. Wayne Johnson, and they spent their honeymoon commercial fishing. After a season of commercial fishing, they purchased the City Dry Cleaners on South Franklin Street, which they successfully operated until the mid-1970s.
She was a charter member of the Juneau Soroptimist Club and was active in the Christian Science Church for many years, serving as a reader and as an organist. Family members said her great love was boating on the NormaJane, and hunting and fishing, which she did with her husband for many years.
She is survived by her husband, Joel Wayne Johnson; son, Jeffrey Wayne Johnson, of Lynden, Wash.; granddaughter, Eveonne Ames and her husband, Daniel, of Portland, Ore.; grandson, Jordan Johnson, of Lynden; two great-grandchildren; a niece; nephews; and cousins, Bill and Jean Overstreet, of Juneau.
James Wesley Welch
Juneau resident James Wesley Welch, 45, died Nov. 12, 2006, in Juneau.
Born June 22, 1961, in San Jose, Calif., he was a Juneau resident for 37 years. He worked for Alaska Airlines and was self-employed with Affordable Maintenance.
Family members said he enjoyed fishing, boating, camping and spending time with his children.
He is survived by his daughter, Chelsey Welch; son, Colton Welch; Chelsey and Coltons mother, Desiree Duncan; father, Jim Welch; mother, Kathi Macari; brother, Sean Welch; sister, Cyndi Minnihan; aunt, Winnie Harner; grandparents, John and Ruth Welch; special friend, Linda Trego; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Services are at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Glacier Valley Church of God.
Memorials may be sent to Chelsey and Colton Welch Trust Fund, P.O. Box 20523, Juneau, AK, 99802.
Akira Marie Ivan
Juneau resident Akira Marie Ivan, 5 months, died the morning of Nov. 11, 2006, at home.
She was born May 31, 2006, at Bartlett Memorial Hospital.
She is survived by her parents, Amber and James Ivan; and sisters, Jasmine and Savannah Ivan.
Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. Monday at the Alaskan Memorial Park and Mortuary.
Donations may be sent to the family at Bright Beginnings Early Learning Center, 9315 Glacier Highway. To contact the Ivan family, call 523-8427.
Phillip Dawes
Longtime Juneau resident Phillip Dawes, 83, died Nov. 16, 2006, in Billings, Mont.
He was born Nov. 4, 1923. A fully obituary will follow at a later date.
Loraine McGregory
Former Juneau resident Loraine Hall McGregory, 88, died Nov. 19, 2006, at Sue's Sourdough Assisted Living Home in Anchorage due to heart failure.
She was born Feb. 1, 1918, in Orange, N.J. She came to Juneau in 1945. She homesteaded and fished commercially until her children were born. She then worked for various state agencies - the Superior Court, Fish and Game and the Department of Transportation - until retiring after many years of service.
She was a member of the Pioneers Auxiliary, past president of Crime Watch and member of Chapel by the Lake from 1945 into the 1950s. She enjoyed doing needlework, crotchet, bead work and oil painting. She won many blue ribbons and best of show awards for her needle work.
Her family said she was thrifty and direct. She was proud of her children and grandchildren for their successes. She assisted all of her grandchildren with obtaining their college educations.
She is survived by her daughters, Karen Decker-Brown and her husband, Brad, of Anchorage, and Sally Scott and her husband, Spike; and her grandchildren, Lt. Brandon J. Decker, Amberly K. Baum, Chalon G. Brown, Gordon Nelson and Anna Maria Estes.
A Pioneers memorial service will be at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 5 at the Juneau Senior Center in Juneau. A graveside service was in Anchorage. Donations may be sent to Pioneers Auxiliary, P.O. Box 21005, Juneau, AK 99802. Cards and memories may be sent to Karen Decker-Brown, 2200 Shore Drive, Anchorage, AK 99515.
William Pritchard Sr.
Former Juneau resident William M. Pritchard Sr., 93, died Dec. 3, 2006, in his sleep at Citadel Care center in Mesa, Ariz., on following a diagnosis of congestive heart failure.
He was born July 1, 1913, in Utica, N.Y., to William M. Pritchard and Hannah Williams. He attended grade school and high school there.
He married to Ann Louise Colby in 1942, and remained married to her until his passing. He lived in Fairbury, Ill.; Indianapolis, Ind., and Southport, Ind., before moving to Juneau in 1959.
In 1979, after retirement, he and his wife moved to Jacksonville, Vt., followed by Port Angeles, Wash., and finally Mesa in 2002.
He attended Tufts University and graduated in 1940 with a bachelor's degree. He then attended McCormick theological seminary, graduated in 1944 and was ordained a Presbyterian minister.
He worked as a Presbyterian minister until moving to Alaska in 1959. He accepted a position as field administrator for the Board of National Missions, for the United Presbyterian Church, and worked at it for 10 years. He then worked for the Community and Regional Affairs Agency, out of the governor's office, through three administrations, for the State of Alaska, for 10 years.
He remained affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. His hobbies included travel, bridge, crosswords and model trains.
He is survived by his wife, Ann Pritchard; sons, Harry Pritchard and his wife, Elizabeth, Bill Pritchard and Mark Pritchard; grandchildren, David, Barbie, Carly, and Whitney Pritchard; and great-grandchildren Ben and Elizabeth Pritchard; nephews Howard, Bill and Michael Pritchard; and niece, Carole Pritchard.
In lieu of gifts, donations can be made to a food bank.
