Patty Bowen talks about Effie Kokrine: "Where do we start with someone like Effie? Known and loved for so much by so many a living legend in her own time at 75 she has more real "get up...go" and youthful energy and good cheer than most who are decades younger!  Not only was she the North American Women Sled Dog Champion several years in a row (in the early 1950's) and honorary lifetime member of the Fairbanks Dogmushers Association (and sponsor of and participant in the Kokrine Memorial Race) but, she's lived a lifetime of service, as well (American Legion Post #11 -- Dorman Baker Post, Northern Lights Badger Road Lion's) to her own children and her People (all People) but also to the school systems (throughout the Fairbanks area and Tanana) all ages, even University Residencies ("Knowledge of Native Elders" series") and RAHI involvement. |
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Another time, about a dozen years ago, her brother, Frank Folger, gave my 3 girls a ride by boat up to her camp above Rapids. Effie was in the midst of tannin' mooseskin -- an old bull -- still scraping and wringing -- and then we sewed around the edges before smoking it. She was full of stories, just spilling out stories behind the places, stories behind the years, stories behind the Koyukon spirit.Traveling with Effie a journey to be savored and often remembered and looked forward to still..." |
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One of my first memories of Effie is searchin' her out in the dress shop [actually a tailor shop called Hiroko's] where she worked in Fairbanks (upstairs on the corner of 2nd, above the current Quest store). She cut me out 2 mitten patterns (men and women's size) -- just like that! As long as I remember Effie's always servin', always doin'; always busy -- something's always in her hands beadwork, hand-sewin', machine-sewin' -- tanning (skinning, butcherin') there's nothing she can't make or do!