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Varpu Lotvonen
Originally from Finland, Varpu Lotvonen lives in Fairbanks, Alaska and has worked as a digitizer, transcriber and cataloger for the Oral History Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
As Transcriber
| Interview Title | Archive #: Oral History | Project | Abstract | Transcriber |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Larry Reynolds | 2014-17-16 | Seldovia |
Dr. Larry Reynolds was interviewed on December 11, 2014 by Jan Yaeger at the Seldovia Museum in Seldovia, Alaska. In this interview, Larry talks about coming to Seldovia in 1974 and starting a medical practice. He talks about the early days when conditions and equipment were poor, the contributions of the Hospital Guild, and changes in the practice of medicine in rural Alaska. He also talks about his passion for backcountry skiing and camping in the mountains near Seldovia, including his role in designing a teepee-style nylon tent. |
Varpu Lotvonen |
| Clara Moonin | 2014-17-17 | Seldovia |
Clara Moonin was interviewed on September 16, 2016 by Jan Yaeger at the Seldovia Museum in Seldovia, Alaska. Clara's daughter, Margaret Moonin, was also present during the interview and asked a few questions, although sometimes she can be hard to hear because she did not have a microphone. In this interview, Clara talks about growing up in English Bay (Nanwalek), Port Graham, and Seldovia, Alaska and the Russian Orthodox traditions which were strong during that period. She talks about celebrating Christmas and Easter, including dying Easter eggs, baking and decorating Easter bread, making paper flower decorations, and giving things up for Lent for forty days, such as meat, chewing gum, and playing. She also talks about the history of the church buildings, traditional medicine remedies, and collecting and eating clams, cockles and snails. |
Varpu Lotvonen |
| Lillian Elvsaas and Sharon Bond | 2014-17-18 | Seldovia |
Lillian Elvsaas and her daughter, Sharon Bond, were interviewed on September 7, 2017 by Jan Yaeger at the Public Library in Homer, Alaska. In this interview, Lillian and Sharon share their memories of Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Seldovia, Alaska, and discuss Russian Orthodox traditions in the communities in the area. They talk about resident priests versus traveling priests, how the number of people attending services has changed, specific traditions followed for Lent, Christmas, New Year's, Name's Day, and weddings, and how traditions are carried out differently in different places. They also discuss the closing, restoration, and re-consecration of Saint Nicholas Church in Seldovia. |
Varpu Lotvonen |
| Helen Josefsen and Trinket Gallien | 2014-17-19 | Seldovia |
Helen Nagy Josefsen and her daughter, Trinket Nagy Gallien, were interviewed on October 1, 2017 by Jan Yaeger at the Harbor Lights House Assisted Living Facility in Soldotna, Alaska. In this interview, Helen talks about growing up in Seldovia, attending school, and operating a beauty shop in Anchorage. She also talks about Russian Orthodox church traditions, restoration of Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox church in Seldovia, and the work she did to start the museum in Seldovia and take in community donations of artifacts. Throughout the intervew, Trinket helps her mother remember details by offering prompts and reminders based on things she has heard in the past. |
Varpu Lotvonen |