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Humphrey Ambrose

Humphrey Ambrose

Humphrey Ambrose was born in 1915 to Mary Ann and Joseph Ambrose in Nulato, Alaska. Humphrey's formal education ended at the third grade, but he went on to be schooled in a subsistence lifestyle. On June 10, 1939, he married Mildred Stevens Esmailka, and together they raised seven children in Kaiyuh on a subsistence lifestyle of hunting, fishing and trapping. His trapping endeavors predominantly consisted of marten, mink, beaver and wolf, but he also harvested lynx and wolverine. As their children became of school age, the Ambroses spent more of their time in and around Nulato. In order to earn money to help support his family, Humphrey would work in the summer at canneries and as a wildlands firefighter. Later in his life, he also worked a number of years at the Nulato School. Humphrey Ambrose passed away in 2002 at age 87. (Photo courtesy of Ladean Ambrose.)
Date of Birth:
Apr 17, 1915
Date of Death:
Jul 7, 2002
Humphrey Ambrose appears in the following new Jukebox projects:
Interview Title Abstract Archive #: Oral History Project Date of Interview
Humphrey Ambrose

Humphrey Ambrose was interviewed on April 2, 1998 by Mike Spindler in Nulato, Alaska for the Raven's Story radio series on KIYU-AM public radio station in Galena, Alaska. In this interview, Humphrey talks about his personal background and making a living as a trapper and woodsman. He specifically mentions trapping marten and wolverine, and also talks about the history of the Nulato Massacre.

This interview was edited and produced by Clinton Brown. Photograph of Humphrey Ambrose courtesy of Ladean Ambrose.

 2004-01-20 Raven's Story Apr 2, 1998