Project Jukebox

Digital Branch of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral History Program

Project Jukebox Survey

Help us redesign the Project Jukebox website by taking a very short survey!

The Alaska Communities of Memory Project was a statewide effort from 1994-1996 funded by the Alaska Humanities Forum to provide an opportunity for people in communities around Alaska to share memories of their community and to reflect on what made their community special. These gatherings were held in BethelFairbanksHomerJuneau, Kenai-Soldotna, KotzebueNomeUnalaska, and Wasilla.
 
This Jukebox, also funded by the Alaska Humanities Forum, highlights the gathering in Juneau, Alaska on November 17 & 18, 1995, where people told stories about their life in Juneau, what brought them to Alaska, and what made them want to stay. Dr. Pat Partnow and Brett Dillingham facilitated the Juneau storytelling event. Wallace "Wally" Olson, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Alaska Southeast and long-time Juneau resident was the evaluator. In 2013, the Juneau Communities of Memory Project Jukebox was upgraded from its original HTML format to Drupal. The information in this project reflects the context of the original creation date. Some information may now be out of date.

View Larger Map

People

Anne Fuller Anne Fuller Anne Fuller grew up in Curry County along the coast of Oregon in the 1950s. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, California from 1970-1974. When she first came to Alaska, she was a teacher in Goodnews Bay from 1979-1982. Since moving to Juneau in 1982, she has worked for the State of Alaska, retiring in 2012. As a fiddler, Anne has been involved in organizing the Alaska Folk Festival in Juneau, Alaska since 1991. Anne is also a writer and storyteller. She enjoys the outdoors and is... Read More
Mamie Jensen Mamie Jensen

Mamie Jensen was born in 1906 in Douglas, Alaska to John Feusi and Mary Ott. Her father was from Switzerland and her mother from Germany, and they operated a general store in Douglas. After graduating from Douglas High School, Mamie attended business school in Tacoma, Washington, and then worked as head bookkeeper for Juneau Cold Storage. She married Marcus Jensen in 1933 after they met at an Elks Club dance.  Mamie helped run her family's store, and was active in the Juneau community. She... Read More

Marcus Jensen Marcus Jensen Marcus Jensen was born in 1908 in Westhope, North Dakota to Fred Jensen and Neva Stephens. He grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota and having heard stories of his grandfather's and uncles' success in the Nome gold rush he came to Juneau, Alaska in 1929 at the age of 19. He worked briefly in the Alaska-Juneau mine and then became a surveyor for the Public Roads Administration. He married Mamie Feusi in 1933, and joined her in helping to run the family's general store in Douglas, Alaska. It... Read More
Cecelia Kunz Cecelia Kunz Cecelia Kunz is a Tlingit elder from Juneau, Alaska. She was born in Juneau in 1910 into a well-respected Tlingit family. Her father, Jake, known as Yaakwaan, was chief of Kaagwaantaan, the wolf clan. Her grandfather was Yeesganaalx, chief of the Leeneidi of the Yaxt Hit, the Dipper House. Her Tlingit name was Kintoow, which means "birds flying." During her lifetime, Cecelia was a tireless advocate for the rights of the Tlingit people and a powerful voice in the Native civil rights movement... Read More
Connie Munro Connie Munro Connie Munro moved to Juneau, Alaska in 1971. As a middle-aged mother of seven children, Connie completed her education through specialized programs available in Juneau. She worked for the State of Alaska Department of Education, and has been involved in civic organizations such as the League of Women Voters of Juneau, the Alaska Native Sisterhood, and Juneau's Historic Resources Advisory Committee. She was a key organizer of the Juneau International Family Reunion held in Juneau in June/July... Read More
Fortuna Odell Fortuna Odell Fortuna Odell was born in Marshall, Alaska in 1916. She grew up in Marshall and attended a Bureau of Indian Affairs high school in Eklutna. After graduation in 1936, she moved to Juneau to work at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She later worked for the Territorial Health Department. She married William Odell in 1939. The couple had two children, William and Nancy, but later divorced. Fortuna Odell passed away in 2013 at the age of 97. For more about Fortuna Odell, see her... Read More
George Rogers George Rogers

George Rogers was born in 1917 in San Francisco, California. He came to Alaska in January of 1945, charged by the Office of Price Administration to roll back the price of fish. Rogers worked as a consultant for the Alaska Constitutional Convention in 1955, served as an economic advisor to two territorial governors, helped develop Alaska's tax and revenue system, taught university economic courses, and served on the Juneau Assembly. He earned a bachelor's degree and master's degree in... Read More

Jean Rogers Jean Rogers Jean (Clark) Rogers was born on October 1, 1919. She met her husband, George Rogers, at the University of California at Berkeley where she obtained her bachelor's degree in English. The couple was married in 1942 and remained married for 69 years until George's passing in 2010. Jean and George moved to Juneau in 1945, where they adopted and raised six children. Jean is an author and visual artist whose published titles include the children's books "Goodbye My Island," "King Island... Read More
Mary Lou Spartz Mary Lou Spartz Mary Lou Spartz came to Juneau, Alaska from the Pacific Northwest in 1941 when she was ten years old. She grew up in Juneau, and has fond memories of her childhood and the sense of community in the small town. Mary Lou is a poet and author, and works at Juneau's Observatory Books bookstore that specializes in old and uncommon books. Her most recent work is a play titled “The Real Story of the Sinking of the Princess Sophia," which was read as performance at the Alaska State Museum in Juneau on... Read More
Judge Thomas Stewart Judge Thomas Stewart

Tom Stewart was a member of Alaska’s Territorial House of Representatives, was secretary for the Alaska Constitutional Convention in 1955/56, and served as a state senator in the first Alaska Legislature following statehood. He served as Administrative Director of the Alaska Court System in the early 1960’s and on the Juneau Superior Court bench from 1966 until his retirement in 1981. After retirement, he remained active in the legal and judicial community, where he was often called upon to... Read More

Annie Stokes Annie Stokes Annie Stokes grew up in Virgina. Her father was a doctor. She moved to Juneau, Alaska where she found a real sense of community. Annie is a special education specialist. She loves the outdoors, and is especially fond of gardening. She has been involved with the Juneau Garden Club, and in teaching children to garden.
Jack Trambitas Jack Trambitas

Jack Trambitas was born in Portland, Oregon in 1919. He moved to Juneau, Alaska in 1938, where he met and married Edie Spaulding. Jack worked in the Alaska Juneau gold mine and then was foreman for the Bureau of Public Roads until statehood in 1959. He then bought a trolling boat and fished commercially for many years. He also did snow removal at the Juneau Airport and retired in 1984. Jack served in the Army from 1944 to 1946, and was stationed in China, India and Burma. He enjoyed hunting... Read More

Rosalee Walker Rosalee Walker Rosalee Walker lived in Juneau, Alaska and was a long time employee for various departments within the State of Alaska. She worked for the State of Alaska Department of Education in 1973 when the new State Office Building was completed and they were supposed to move in. Rosalee was involved in various civic and government affairs, including being a member of the Juneau Assembly and a past president of the Alaska Municipal League. In May of 2004, she received an honorary degree from the... Read More

Funding Partners