Huge Marriages Search Engine!
Chuck Wadkins
August 31, 1951 - April 2, 2013
Nikiski resident, Mr. Charles (Chuck) N. Wadkins 61, passed Tuesday, April 2, 2013 due to injuries sustained in an accident.
Memorial services will be held 3 p.m. Sunday, April 14, 2013 at the American Legion Post #20, 902 Cook Ave. in Old Town Kenai.
Mr. Wadkins was born August 31, 1951 in Muskegon, MI to William (Bill) and Audrey Wadkins.
He was a long time resident of Nikiski, where he cut the timber and built his year-round home by hand in the “Grey Cliffs” area.
He was an avid hunter, fisherman, builder and gardener with quite the green thumb.
He enjoyed playing his guitar and singing.
He was a Viet Nam veteran.
Chuck lived life to the fullest and his last moments were spent doing what he loved.
He will be sadly missed and forever remembered by all.
He was preceded in death by his mom, dad and brother William (Bill) D. Wadkins.
Survived by his wife of 16 years, Linda Laughridge of Nikiski, AK; daughter Brandi (Stewart) Monson and known to his 3 grandchildren, Rachel, Caleb & Hannah, of Independence KS as “Papa 'Laska”; sisters Lynda (Bob) Thornton, of Zephyr Hills, FL; Char (Ray) Pencarinha, of Gainesville Ga, and Deanna "Dee" (Eugene) Nakamura, of Maui HI.
He was "Gampa Guck" to Madison, Levi, Cody and Skyler of Nikiski, as well as multi-generations of nieces & nephews.
He leaves behind numerous friends and long-time companion cat, Mississippi.
Arrangements are with Peninsula Memorial Chapel & Crematory.
Harold Joseph Nielson
January 24, 1954 - April 29, 2013
Harold Joseph “Joey” Nielson, 59, passed away, Monday April 29, 2013 at the Elmendorf Hospital in JBER, Alaska.
Funeral services were held 12:00 p.m., Thursday, May 9, 2013 at the Anchorage Funeral Home, 1800 Dare Ave. in Anchorage.
Bishop Kao Bailey officiated.
Graveside services followed the ceremony with military honors performed by the JBER Honor Guard at the Fort Richardson National Cemetery.
Harold was born January 24, 1954 Harold Joseph & Edith (Wharton) Nielson in North Las Vegas, NV.
His father was a notorious outlaw who died in a car wreck in 1972.
When his mother Edith was pregnant with him, the law tried to capture his father.
Edith and her two sons fled to the desert and lived in a cave for three months.
Shortly after, they moved to Las Vegas where Harold was born and the family split up.
Edith had the three children, Michael, David and Harold. Edith met C.T. Lee and was soon married.
Two additional sons, Robert and James followed.
The family moved to an Adobe house in Mesquite, AZ in 1962 where the family began again.
After a few years, the family moved to Los Angeles, CA; life was good, with frequent trips to the beach.
Harold was active in church, received straight A’s in school and at the age of 14 he received his Eagle Scout Award.
He was known for his quick wit.
His brother Robert told of a story when Harold at the age of 16 had a girlfriend who came to visit them in the neighborhood where the family lived.
She was a beautiful blond and her transportation was a horse.
Everyone in the neighborhood was impressed especially the two older brothers who attempted to steal his girlfriend.
The family had a pet, Collie.
At the age of 16, Harold departed Los Angeles and moved back into his grandmother’s Adobe house in Mesquite, AZ.
He lived there about a year; during this time he was having it out with his cousins who were notorious outlaws and cattle rustlers.
On one evening his cousins and him shot a cow.
Someone had seen them.
The cow was in the trunk of the car.
At a road block the police (at gunpoint) arrested them.
Harold was the driver and had clean clothes.
His cousins had cow blood and hair all over them.
Harold took the rap, his cousins were set free and he was sent to jail.
He began cooking for the jail personnel.
They liked his food so much that he was kept there a while after his sentence was up.
At age 17, Harold joined the military and served as a cook.
He sent all of his money home to his mother.
He received an honorable discharge.
During his time in Vietnam his biological father had died.
Harold took a short leave and buried him in Hurricane, Utah.
While Harold was in the military his family moved to Anchorage in 1978.
When he returned home the family opened a café on Muldoon called “Edi the Drive In.”
The family operated the café until about 1979.
Harold then managed two Tesoro stations, one which was where the current Lowe’s is on O’Malley.
Next he took a job in Cordova working at a Hotel called the Reluctant Fisherman.
He began working in the Bush.
It was in Bethel that he met Judy Bobby.
He brought her home to Anchorage.
They had three sons, Jeremy, JoJo and Jeff.
Jeremy died of an apparent allergic reaction in the Hospital.
Judy Bobby trained sled dogs owned by her father.
A man named Dick Welmars borrowed the dogs and ran them in the first Iditarod.
He won, although no credit was ever given to Judy.
Harold and his family lived a subsistence life.
Harold would drive anything that would run, mostly vehicles he got from his brother, Bob.
Later in life he worked in the family upholstery shop owned by Bob from about 1980 until 2012.
Harold had many opportunities to live in assisted living homes as his health declined.
He would check in and soon after go back to living in the cabin or with Bob.
He would rather die than not be able to be with family and friends.
His wife Judy Bobby had a brain tumor in 2008 and was moved into an assisted living home in the Muldoon area.
Harold loved to camp and hike.
He also was a drummer and loved to draw with pencils and give pictures away.
He is survived by three brothers, Michael and Jackie Lee of Big Lake, AK, Robert Lee of Anchorage and David Nielson of St. George, UT; two sons, Jeff Nielson age 21 and JoJo age 27 both of Anchorage; three grandchildren; wife, Judy Bobby of Anchorage; many nephews and nieces.
Arrangements were cared for by the Anchorage Funeral Home.
