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Helen B. Chadwick Beal
Longtime Alaska resident Helen B. Chadwick Beal, 89, died in her sleep May 21, 2012, six months before her 90th birthday.
She was born Nov. 22, 1922, in American Fork, Utah. Helen was a resident at the Alaska Veterans and Pioneers Home in Palmer.
A memorial service in her honor is at 1 p.m., June 14 at the LDS Matanuska Ward, 560 West Arctic Ave., Palmer. Burial services were June 1 in American Fork Cemetery in Utah.
Helen graduated from American Fork High School in 1941. She attended Utah State College in Logan, Utah. Her plan was to specialize in nursing, but she stopped her training because of the start of World War II. Helen married Floyd Carl Beal on June 9, 1943, at the Salt Lake Temple. Helen and Floyd (Bud) and their four children drove the long and dusty Alaska Highway to make their home in Palmer in May 1956.
After her husband died in 1987, Helen continued to live in their family home in Palmer until 2010, when she moved into the Alaska Veterans and Pioneers Home in Palmer. Helen resided in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley for 56 years.
She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was especially proud of the role she served as primary president in the Alaska Canadian Mission under the direction of Stewart and Leola Durrant, who also were lifelong friends.
Helen was active with her children and their many activities. She established an atmosphere where her children and their friends always felt welcome. After her children left home, Helen participated in the local support groups for the Alaska State Fair, diabetes and Parkinson’s.
Her many talents and interests included being a top-notch knitter, making sweaters and many hand-knit socks for family members — especially Christmas socks. She crocheted several Afghans, sewed clothing and quilted bedspreads and baby blankets. Helen enjoyed photographing family members and working in her yard with her flower garden. She was a faithful letter writer to family and friends, always remembering birthdays and other special dates of each. She never missed taking note of occasions, which included an extensive list for Christmas cards. As her sight began to fail, she enjoyed keeping up friendships by visiting over the phone and their personal visits. Helen was known for her sharp clear memory and wit.
Preceding her in death were parents, Glen Chadwick and Clara Mirriam Butt Chadwick; husband, Floyd Carl Beal; two brothers; three sisters; and three great-grandchildren.
Surviving are her children, Dan (Bev) Beal of West Valley City, Utah, Teresa (John R.) Garland of Greenbackville, Va., Terry (Susan) Beal of Eagle River and Greg (Ginger) Beal of Palmer; 11 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; brothers, Tim (Leila) Chadwick and Clark (Julia) Chadwick; sister-in-law, Thora Chadwick; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Arrangements were entrusted to Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel and Crematory Wasilla.
Kathleen Louise (Price) Winterton
Longtime Wasilla resident Kathleen Louise (Price) Winterton, 76, died May 20, 2012, at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer with her family at her side.
Kathleen was born June 10, 1935, in Philadelphia, Penn., to John and Violet (Lockwood) Price.
No services have been scheduled in Alaska, but Kathleen’s ashes will be buried at the National Cemetery in Biloxi, Miss.
Kathleen was married to the love of her life, Raymond Leroy Winterton, who she met while serving in the U.S. Navy. They were blessed with five children and 58 years together as husband and wife. They traveled the world and always had many stories of the places they had visited and the lifelong friendships they made.
Kathleen had many hobbies and interests, including knitting, crocheting, sewing, gardening, computers and corresponding with pen pals. She enjoyed fishing, camping, traveling, good food and good company. She was much loved by family and friends, who miss her already.
Preceding her in death were her parents, John and Violet Price; her older brother, Johnny; and her first grandchild, John Paul II (JP).
Surviving are her loving husband, Raymond Winterton of Wasilla; younger brother, Andrew Price of Sacramento, Calif.; children, Debra (David) Melton of Ocean Springs, Miss., David Lee Winterton of Wasilla, Donna Lynn Borden of Austin, Texas, Sharon Lorraine Walker of Phoenix, Ariz., and Raymond Leroy Winterton Jr. (Barbara) of Phoenix, Ariz.; and grandchildren, Riki Alyson, Jeremy Nickolas, Raymond Leroy III, Joshua Michael, Ryan Glenn, and Ricki Tia.
Arrangements were by Valley Funeral Home and Crematory.
Louise A. Waldal
Louise A. Waldal, 93, died May 26, 2012, at the Colony House in Wasilla.
Louise will be buried at Palmer Pioneer Cemetery in Palmer. No services are scheduled.
Louise was born May 23, 1919, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to George and Mary Tiscornia.
Louise graduated from high school in New York City, N.Y., and moved to Alaska in the 1950s. Louise had lived in Whittier and Anchorage prior to meeting her husband, Emil, and settling in Palmer. She worked for Macy’s in New York City and later worked for and retired from Thrifty Variety in Palmer.
Louise was a devoted Catholic, a member of Ladies of the Moose (Emil, her husband was a lifetime member), a charter member of Pioneers of Alaska Igloo 11 and a benefactor to many animal charities. Louise enjoyed gardening and cooking, and was known for her Thanksgiving dinners and elegant desserts.
The family wrote: “Louise was quite the adventurous lady. She came to Alaska from Brooklyn, N.Y., landing in a one-room apartment in Whittier. She later homesteaded at Angel Lake (near Big Lake) alone with her dog. She walked to Wasilla to get groceries once a week. She met her future husband, Emil, at the Elks ‘Purple Bubble Ball, ’ introduced by Harold Dunn. They were married in 1958 and celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary this month. She was a beautiful woman, a great cook, best dresser ever, and her family loves her into eternity.”
Preceding her in death were her parents, John and Mary Tiscornia; brother, John Tiscornia; niece, Toni Utt; and brother-in-law and sister in-law, Ernest and Carmen Utt.
Surviving are her loving husband, Emil Waldal of Palmer; and niece, Joann Utt of Wasilla.
Memorial donations in memory of Louise may be made to Friends of Pets, P.O. Box 240981, Anchorage, AK 99524.
Arrangements were by Valley Funeral Home and Crematory.
Natalie (Nat) Alice Vroman
Natalie (Nat) Alice Vroman, 86, died May 21, 2012.
A celebration of life is at 2 p.m., June 14 at the Palmer Train Depot.
Natalie was born April 20, 1926, to Harvey L. Tyrrell and Esther C. (Bobier) Tyrrell. She and her older sisters, Elaine and Esther, were raised in Inglewood, Calif., where her father was an electrical engineer for ConEdison Electric Co. She lost sight in her right eye at age 2 in an overturned baby carriage accident, but she never compromised nor sought advantage. She was a tomboy and could out run and out wrestle most boys her age. The family moved to the San Fernando Valley.
At age 5, Natalie lost her mother. A year or so later, she was raised by her stepmother Edna, with whom Natalie had a tumultuous relationship. At age 13, she left home and was cared for by her “Mama Zona” of the Hinkley family. Childhood friend Helen Hinkley remained one of Natalie’s lifelong friends. During her teen years she worked as a theater usher, a hatcheck girl and a waitress. When she realized that her penchant for clothes put her in debt, she lived on candy bars, bait-shrimp and boiled eggs until she cleared herself of debt.
In 1943, she married Army Cpt. Bob Taylor and bore two children, David Michael and Kristin Kathleen. They divorced in 1950, and Natalie got employment at North American Aviation in the reproduction department running blueprints. She was considered to be the top operator within a few short months. She bought a house directly from the owner, negotiating her own terms. She restored the hardwood floors by hand, repainted or papered the walls and rewired the light switches. She bought antique furniture at second-hand stores and became knowledgeable of values. She bought a 1941 Chevrolet, had it shop tuned and became independent.
She met her second husband, Robert Vroman, by chance at a bowling league night when she came with a group of fellow workers who failed to make reservations. Natalie, as an overflow player, was invited to bowl with Vroman’s team. She made casual conversation, refused any offers of refreshments and was very clear about having her own car. A month later, the scenario repeated itself, but Vroman managed to interest her in attending a matinee movie as they both worked the “swing shift.” A month later, they took Natalie’s children to the circus. They skied in December, bought a treetop Christmas tree, which grew in a coffee can of beach sand until April.
They were engaged in February and married in March and headed for Alaska in June 1952. Alaska was a condition of the marriage, as Robert had planned a hunting trip for the Rod and Gun Club at Douglas Aircraft where he worked as a tool designer. Natalie filled in for the members who intended to go, but were unavailable. Robert bought Natalie a Husqvarna 30-06 rifle for a wedding present, with which she became a crack shot. They had a new trailer-home as a wedding gift.
The trip to Alaska was interrupted by a vehicle breakdown 543 miles from Dawson Creek. It’s sufficient to say that it took seven months and 11 days to get to the Alaska-Canada border. Natalie was eight months pregnant with their first child.
She settled into their trailer-home on March 9, 1953, in Anchorage, and in April she gave birth to Kent two days after her 27th birthday. She was pleased that Robert had a year-round job in the engineering department of the Alaska Road Commission as a cartographer.
They homesteaded at Houston in August 1953 as the second entry there. Natalie spent 12 years on the lake now known as MorVro Lake, the most western of the Meadow Lakes group. She bore another child, Kelley, in February 1955 on her eldest sister’s birthday and her father’s. Natalie killed moose for her family, which she skinned and butchered for the freezer.
The family returned to Los Angeles for a year and a half while Robert completed engineering studies at universities there. At the same time Natalie was employed at her job at North American Aviation. Robert worked for a construction firm while attending night classes. Natalie attended community college to gain skills in secretarial pursuits.
She gave birth to their third child, Karel, in November 1957 and the family returned to the homestead in May 1958. Robert continued employment at the Alaska Road Commission, by that time known as the Bureau of Public Roads. They purchased a basement house in Wasilla from their homestead neighbor Roy Morrison, where O’Reilly Auto Parts is now.
She was a fervent member of the Territorial Wasilla School PTA. She socialized with women of Wasilla who gathered at the U.S. Post Office and Teeland’s Store, which at times ended at Roy Morrison’s Wasilla Bar which during the day was generally void of male patrons.
A sick child set Natalie into a new episode in her life. She urged Robert to attend the PTA meeting to have a parent attendance credit. Robert came home as president of the Advisory School Board and tasked to find out what was the state-mandated borough and how it would affect Wasilla.
In 1962, Natalie went to work for the Valley Frontiersman as advertising manager. She built the advertising from a few local businesses into a listing for Anchorage, Fairbanks and national businesses. She bought her one and only mink coat with the bonus she received for her efforts.
In 1965, they moved to Four-Corners, and in 1967 she went to work for the Palmer Office of state Department of Fish and Game. At the same time, she pursued her interest in real estate, buying and selling places she would like to live. Together, Nat and Robert acquired the Kepler-Bradley Lakes area in 1972 and sold it 10 years later to the state for the Kepler-Bradley Recreation Area, now known as Matanuska Lake State Park
They retired simultaneously on Jan. 8, 1982, and began a retired life of 30 years. Natalie spent her 57th birthday in Venice, Italy. She continued her tour through Florence, Rome and Basel, Switzerland, Amsterdam, Brugge, England, Scotland and Wales. She also welcomed a granddaughter born in England.
Natalie continued to acquire and sell real estate until she by chance was enticed by a friend to look at Lake Louise. The family acquired seven acres of Trigg Island, established an LLC family resort and thoroughly enjoyed the outings on the island.
From the time she homesteaded, Nat loved the call of the loons. There was a pair she named Bing and Rosemary. At Lake Louise, she loved a pair she never named. However, there was a chick she named Elmer that became an amusement learning to dive and swim underwater, which he never seemed to accomplish. She often wondered if he managed these skills in time for a flight south.
Natalie’s contribution to the society of Palmer and Wasilla was unselfish. She had strong empathy for those families less fortunate than hers and assisted financially and physically to their wellbeing. Her helping was done in a considerate way, never bringing attention or embarrassment to the recipient and never seeking a return.
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough exists today for two important reasons: Natalie tolerated the loneliness of the homestead and the absent husband who campaigned for five tireless years to defeat a proposal to include the local area in a concept reaching from Cantwell to Portage. In the final battle, Natalie and Harold Newcomb raised $3, 000 for a court suit against the state of Alaska and Boundary Commission. As a result of the election, the Cantwell-Portage concept failed 3-1 against it.
Natalie was an avid bowler. From 1965 until the early 2000s, she was on a team. She sponsored her own team called “Nat’s Cats.” She quit bowling because of a wrist injury. In high school, she performed Adagio dancing. As an adult she was a good ballroom dancer and was popular at dances at the Elks.
Preceding her in death were her parents; sisters; son, David Michael; and daughter, Kristin Kathleen.
Surviving is her spouse of 60 years, Robert Vroman; her three children and their spouses, Kent (Colleen) of Greenville, Texas, Kelley (Tom Riley) of Anchorage and Karel (Greg LaWalter) of Palmer; 18 grandchildren; and 34 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to any chapter of the Wounded Warriors or to St. Jude Children’s Hospital online at stjude.org/donate.
Pamela Sue Morris
Pamela Sue Morris, 53, died June 13, 2012, at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer.
Pam’s celebration of life is at 1 p.m., June 19 at Valley Funeral Home, 151 E. Herning Ave. Wasilla.
Pamela was born March 16, 1959, in McMinnville, Ore., to Edgar and Thelma (Gibson) Sims.
“For those who knew Pamela, she was a kind-hearted woman who had a heart of gold, ” her family wrote. “She wouldn’t hesitate to help anyone in need. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother, sister and aunt. Her death will truly be mourned, but the memory of her will live on forever. We love you so much. Rest in peace.”
Preceded in death was her parents, Edgar and Thelma Sims; sister, Patsy Sims; brother, Orville Sims; brother in-law, Don Manasco; and brother in-law, Robert Wedle.
Surviving are her son, Shawn R. Ward of Chandler, Ariz.; son, Eddie Lee Sims of Salem, Ore.; grandson, Timothy Wood of Wasilla; granddaughter, Ava Grace Ward of Chandler, Ariz.; fiancé, Charles Burroughs of Wasilla; her beloved cat, Charlie, which she loved as a daughter; sister, Terry Manasco of Wasilla; sister, Edna Henson (Ronald) of Oregon; sister, Bobby of Oregon; sister, Ardie of Oregon; sister, Jo of Oregon; sister, Rosetta Copeland (Wilk) of Arkansas; sister, Debbie of Oklahoma; sister, Sue of Oklahoma; and brother, Ed Sims of Oklahoma; and several nieces, nephews and many friends.
Arrangements were by Valley Funeral Home and Crematory.
Sonny F. Hayes
Sonny F. Hayes, 31, died May 28, 2012, at home in Sunshine. Sonny was born April 5, 1981, in Anchorage to Bonnie (Saccheus) Mencer and Sonny R. Hayes.
A celebration of life in honor of Sonny is at 3 p.m., June 23, at West Valley Family Church of the Nazarene, 1300 S. Ridgecrest Rd., Wasilla.
A potlatch will follow the services and the family invites those who attend to please bring a dish to share. Sonny’s wishes were for cremation, and his family will honor his request to scatter his ashes at a later date.
Sonny graduated from East High School in Anchorage and worked as an Alaska Native artist weaving baleen baskets, as taught by mentor John F. Hank.
Sonny will be missed by all the artists he met and especially by his family and friends. His family wrote, “We all loved you, Sonny.”
Surviving are his mother, Bonnie, and step-father, Davis Miller of Sunshine; daughter, Melina Hester of Palmer and Lubbock, Texas; brother, Robert Mischa Saccheus of Elim; uncles, Mike, Issac, Abel and Carl; aunt, Sonya Faraci; many cousins, nieces and nephews; and his loyal and loving friends.
Preceding him in death was his father, Sonny; grandfather, Fredolf Saccheus; and grandma, Margaret Saccheus.
Arrangements were by Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel and Crematory in Wasilla.
