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Georgia Strunk

Georgia Strunk was interviewed by Bill Schneider and David Krupa on October 21, 1993 at her home in Glennallen, Alaska. They did the interview in her huge living room with its large and numerous windows that look out on the mountains. Georgia and her husband, Ed, did some hunting, but their primary activity was running a business and supplying hunting guides with food that was flown out to their camps. Georgia and her husband came to Glennallen after the 1964 Earthquake destroyed their business in Anchorage. Georgia enjoys Glennallen because of the close proximity of the church and her role at the Cracker Barrel. She is active in community events and donates time to the library. In this interview, Georgia talks about her businesses, hunting, supplying hunting guides, changes she has seen in Glenallen, and impacts from establishment of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

Digital Asset Information

Archive #: Oral History 95-71-15

Project: Wrangell-St.Elias National Park
Date of Interview: Oct 21, 1993
Narrator(s): Georgia Strunk
Interviewer(s): Bill Schneider, David Krupa
Location of Interview:
Funding Partners:
National Park Service
Alternate Transcripts
There is no alternate transcript for this interview.

After clicking play, click on a section to navigate the audio or video clip.

Sections

1) The setting of the interview and Georgia's background

2) Her husband, Ed, and their travels around Alaska to sell supplies

3) The restaurants she owned in Anchorage, the 1964 Earthquake, and the relocation of her family to Glennallen

4) The growth of the Glennallen school

5) The Alaska Bible College

6) Changes that Georgia has seen over the years

7) Changes in Glennallen, and the Alaska Road Commission

8) Changes in her business, guides that bought supplies from her, and hunting

9) Hunting and her husband

10) Hunting polar bear

11) After the polar bear was stuffed

12) Supplying hunters and guides

13) The man from the Pillsbury Baking Company who hunted caribou

14) How the Strunks got supplies for their business

15) Special foods that the hunters like

16) Georgia's thought about Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and game control

17) What Georgia likes about Glennallen

Click play, then use Sections or Transcript to navigate the interview.

After clicking play, click a section of the transcript to navigate the audio or video clip.

Transcript

Section 1: Cracker Barrel\ Nebraska\ Mitchell -- maiden name\ father -- death\ mom -- raised 5 kids\ mom -- college educated\ mom -- music education\ Denver -- school\ World War II\ Strunk, Ed -- military\ Alaska -- move to

Section 2: Strunk, Ed -- salesman\ Seattle\ planes -- charter\ Strunk, Georgia -- accompanied husband\ Strunk, Georgia -- bookwork\ Ruby\ Golovin\ roadhouses\ supplies\ Anchorage\ supplies -- barber and beauty\ restaurant

Section 3: Poke of Gold\ Bank of Alaska\ Oyster Loaf\ Woolworths\ city hall -- Anchorage\ 1964 Earthquake\ Masonic Lodge\ earthquake -- relocation\ Glennallen\ Pratters\ Strunk -- 9 children

Section 4: Martin, ?\ Glennallen -- growth\ school -- Glennallen\ Heintz, Harry\ Joy, Reverend Vince\ school -- additions to\ population -- transient

Section 5: hospital\ Alaska Bible College\ Headstart -- Anchorage\ Joy, Vince -- planning\ teachers\ Guerney\ Alaska Bible College -- Joy, Vince\ Joy, Vince -- death\ Bible College -- working on\ Joy, Vince -- accidental death\ Joy, Becky -- remained\ Joy, Becky -- organ lessons\ First Baptist Choir -- Anchorage\ Strunk, Georgia -- in choir\ Joy, Vince -- medical training\ hospital\ Schneider, Dr. Pineo

Section 6: children -- mischievous\ Anchorage -- small town\ schools -- Anchorage\ high school -- increase in numbers\ business -- changes\ grocery store\ Copper Center\ Kennecott\ McCarthy\ Ricci, Inger -- birth\ Kennecott -- hospital\ Kennecott -- school\ railroad

Section 7: Alaska Road Commission\ Hub\ Richardson Highway\ Glenn Highway

Section 8: mining\ Kivadee\ hunting\ supplies -- fall\ Wilson, Jack & Bonnie\ Pease, Frank -- guiding\ Pease, Mrs. -- schoolteacher\ supplies -- ordering\ Strunk's -- used frozen meat\ guides -- used camp meat\ Lee, ? Mr. -- pilot\ guide\ guiding -- restrictions\ game -- depletion\ Hogan Hill\ caribou -- crossing

Section 9: guiding -- decrease\ game depletion\ Strunks -- sold store\ Glennallen -- enjoyed\ Strunk, Ed -- hunter\ Strunk, Ed -- trophies

Section 10: polar bear\ Nome\ Strunk, Georgia -- polar bear\ polar bear -- story\ Sullivan Arena\ Nome\ Native guides\ proper clothing\ ice flow\ Point Hope\ Anchorage -- ice flows\ polar bear -- ice flow\ polar bear -- shot\ Native people

Section 11: Jonas Brothers -- Seattle\ polar bear -- stuffed and mounted\ polar bear -- hunting price\ Great Land Taxidermy\ Strunk, Georgia -- not an experienced hunter\ resident hunting license

Section 12: Lee, Al\ Pease, Frank\ supplies -- camp\ food -- transport\ supplies -- order\ supplies -- packaging\ camps\ camp -- personnel\ city hunters\ game -- hunt

Section 13: Pillsbury Baking Company\ caribou\ trophy hunters

Section 14: Anchorage\ wholesale companies\ trucking\ produce -- direct ship\ Seattle\ Valdez\ produce -- flown\ Weaver Brothers -- trucking\ milk route\ Santa's Clothing\ fresh milk -- availability\ powdered milk

Section 15: special treats -- hunters\ prunes\ raisins\ snack food\ dried fish\ Nome\ Copper River\ fish -- salmon

Section 16: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park -- changes\ Strunk, Georgia -- doesn't notice\ preservation -- park\ Montana\ Colorado\ Strunk, Georgia -- hunt\ game -- control\ wolves\ wolf control\ forests\ Alaska Department of Fish and Game\ National Park Service\ homestead\ dogs\ wolf -- story

Section 17: Strunk -- business\ family raised -- Glennallen\ Strunk, Ed -- death\ church\ Strunk, Georgia -- independence\ hospital -- Glennallen\ Moscow Boys Choir\ Glennallen -- not isolated\ Anchorage -- traffic\ lodges -- membership\ Strunk, Georgia -- raised children\ basketball\ Little League\ hockey\ grandchildren\ hunting