In Memoriam 2018: Rem All known for their love of Alaskan way of life
O ur organization and state lost six long-time members and leaders in 2018. Here we honor their contributions and cel- ebrate their lives. James D. Whitlock James Dale “Jim” Whitlock, a member of the Alaska Miners Associ- ation for 22 years, passed away March 22 in Anchorage. Jim graduated from Cody High School of Cody, Wyo., in June 1969 before enlisting in the U.S. Navy. Af- ter being discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1974 and returned to Cody, he began his engineering studies, first at Casper College in Casper, Wyo., and later at Montana School of Mines in Butte, Mont. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science and a master’s degree (with honors) in mining in 1979, before ob- taining his professional engineer li- cense in 1981. His first post-college mining en- gineering job was in Riverton, Wyo. His engineering career ended up tak- ing him around the world. He trained young domestic and foreign engineers at mines in the United States, Indone- sia, Mongolia, and Russia. His son James followed him into the industry and is mining inspection and compliance coordinator for the Bureau of Land Management in Alas- ka. Jim was as an avid hunter and fisherman. He spent his young years growing up in Wyoming hunting, trapping and floating around Cody. When he moved to Alaska in the fall of 1996, he bought a boat and en- joyed taking his friends and family out on Prince William Sound to fish and drop shrimp pots.
Carola Young Carola “Carol” June Young passed away at age 81 April 30 in Anchorage, Alaska. Carol had been a member of AMA since 1997. Carol came to Alaska in 1956 mar- ried to James H Stevens Sr. Jim was an air traffic controller with the Tactical Air Command in the Air Force. It was their dream to live the adventures of Alaska. While living in Anchorage Car- ol worked at Providence Hospital as a Medical Records Technician. In 1967 Jim and Carol, along with their three children moved to Talkeetna and built a log home. They enjoyed dog mushing, fishing and hunting. Jim passed away March 3, 1970 while serving on active duty at a young 38. After Jim passed Carol helped with establishing the VFW Post 3836 in Talkeetna. In 1971, Carol and her mother Babe Barnes bought The Fairview Inn in Talkeetna. They always had hot soup or chili in a pot. In 1978, Carol sold the Fairview Inn and married gold miner Robert Young. Living in the wilderness without elec- tricity or water, Carol made mining camp a luxury by plumbing the water to camp via gravity feed, building a shower house and adding accommoda- tions for family and friends. There was always homemade bread and good food at camp. She was computer literate and could build a house from the ground up. She loved refurbishing old trailers, 28 to be exact throughout her lifetime. Her favorites were “vintage” Airstreams. She loved her Chevy Turbo Duramax diesel truck, riding snow machines and ATV’s, reading books, birds and her many animal friends. For 23 years Car- ol was the President of Yentna Mining District (Petersville, Alaska). Governor Tony Knowles appointed her to serve on the South Denali Development Plan Committee. She spent many hours over
15 years representing the miners.
Helen Warner Long-time Alaska miner Helen H. “Beaver” Warner, 80, passed away suddenly June 9. She was a member of AMA for 54 years. Helen was born in 1938 to Glenova and Horace Henris in Petaluma, Cal- ifornia. She graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science. There she met the love of her life, Hen- ry Warner, and they moved to Alaska shortly after they were married to be- come successful miners. Helen still actively mined at age 80. Additionally, she received a master’s in mathematics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and was a math pro- fessor there for many years. Helen was very involved in the Fair- banks community. She was a longtime member of Alaska Women in Mining and Republican Women of Fairbanks. She was the pillar of strength and love in the lives of so many of her friends and family members. She al- ways ended her phone calls with HUGS. She strove to make a difference and be a trailblazer in everything she did and touched. She lived every moment of her life to the fullest and expected those around her to do the same. C. G. Bigelow Longtime Alaskan resident Charles G. (Riz) Bigelow passed away on August 5 in Lewiston, Idaho at age 87. He was a member of AMA for 53 years. Riz found himself in Fairbanks in 1952, which led to a lifelong love of the outdoors and his extraordinary produc- tive career in mineral deposit explora- tion geology. He was a man of many passions and interests. Some were his- tory, a broad range of music from clas-
The Alaska Miner
January 2019
36
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