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Bonnie Wartes

Born in eastern Washington in 1920, Bonnie Wartes came to Alaska with her husband, Bill, who was the Presbyterian minister for the North Slope in the 1950's. They were based out of Barrow, Alaska, and Bill was the first minister to also be a pilot. In 1958, he worked with people in Anaktuvuk Pass to build their log church, later named "The Chapel in the Mountains." Bonnie helped Bill with his Presbyterian mission work while also raising a family in Barrow.

Bonnie Wartes appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Gates of the Arctic National Park

Bonnie Wartes' Slideshow

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Bonnie Wartes	Bonnie Wartes was interviewed on May 24, 2004 by Bill Schneider at Elmer E. Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Bonnie and her husband, Bill, were Presbyterian missionaries on the North Slope in the 1950's. She spoke about their work in Barrow, and how her husband worked with people in Anaktuvuk Pass to build a church out of logs. There is a very good description with pictures (shown in the slideshow) of establishing the church in Anaktuvuk Pass, and how the men hauled the logs into the community. During the interview, Bonnie was accompanied by her daughter-in-law, Denise Wartes, and Donita Lawhead, a member of the Presbyterian church in Fairbanks.	2002-27-17	Gates of the Arctic National Park	May 24, 2004