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Duane LeVan

Duane LeVan was born in Valley City, North Dakota in 1926. He came to Seward, Alaska in 1946, after being discharged from the Navy, to visit his family who had previously moved to Seward so his father could work for the Alaska Railroad. Duane and Sanna were married in 1948, when Sanna was only eighteen years old. They have two children. The LeVan's have exciting stories to tell about surviving the 1964 Earthquake. Duane worked as a longshoreman for the Alaska Railroad, and as an equipment operator for the State of Alaska, Department of Transportation. The LeVans are outdoor enthusiasts who lead an active lifestyle of hiking and cross-country skiing, are avid birdwatchers, and keep daily records of weather conditions and bird sightings. Duane passed away in December 2013 at the age of 87 years old. For more about Duane LeVan, please see his obituary in the Alaska Dispatch News.

Date of Death:

Dec 28, 2013

Duane LeVan appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Duane and Sanna LeVan, Part 1	Duane and Sanna LeVan were interviewed on April 9, 2010 by Don Callaway, Rachel Mason, and Karen Brewster at their home in Seward, Alaska. In this interview, the LeVans talk about life in Seward and how it has changed, and the 1964 Earthquake. They talk about skiing, hiking, camping, boating, hunting, and snowmachining in the Exit Glacier area, construction of Herman Leirer Road to the glacier, community use of the area, and their thoughts on the establishment of Kenai Fjords National Park.	2010-05-01_PT.1	Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park	Apr 9, 2010
Duane and Sanna LeVan, Part 2	This is a continuation of an interview with Duane and Sanna LeVan by Don Callaway, Rachel Mason, and Karen Brewster on April 9, 2010 at their home in Seward, Alaska. In this part of the interview, the LeVans talk about the various ways in which they have used the Exit Glacier area both before and after the road was put in, cross-country skiing and hunting, changes in Seward, their thoughts about the establishment of Kenai Fjords National Park, and they mark uses and features on the map.	2010-05-01_PT.2	Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park	Apr 9, 2010
Duane LeVan, Part 1	Duane LeVan was interviewed on April 11, 2010 by Karen Brewster in Seward, Alaska. In this first part of a two part interview, Duane talks about working for the Alaska Railroad in Seward as a warehouse man transferring freight from ship to train, the role of the railroad in Seward, changes in the longshoring operation with the development of containers and cranes, the impact of the 1964 Earthquake, and the demise of the railroad operation.	2010-02-04 Pt. 1	Railroads of Alaska	Apr 11, 2010
Duane LeVan, Part 2	Duane LeVan was interviewed on April 11, 2010 by Karen Brewster in Seward, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, Duane talks about the importance of the railroad to Seward, working for the Alaska State Highway Department after the 1964 Earthquake, and his early exposure to working on the railroad.	2010-02-04 Pt. 2	Railroads of Alaska	Apr 11, 2010