Orphanage

Caption: Gertrude, Donald, Margaret

My grandmother was to become an orphan not long after this photograph was taken. She and her family were exposed to Tuburculosis by the many foreigners who were gaining access to the island such as traders and missionaries. Her parents sadly passed away, leaving my aunt Gert, my uncle Louis, and my grandma who were brought to an orphanage in Anchorage. My grandmother was separated from her siblings as she was also infected with TB, and for a years she was in and out of the hospital being treated and quarantined for the disease. She eventually lost half a lung because of it, and in a twist of fate- found love in the process

Stilt Houses

Photo Caption:  Inuit village on King Island, Alaska, from up the hill; summer stilt-houses with hide or fabric covers, some with rectangular window visible. Probably photographed 1927.


The larger cousin of Little Diomede is called King Island. It is the close by and larger in land mass as well as population. These traditional stilt houses are just as they would be found on Little Diomede around the time that my grandma lived there.

Location

The line above shows at the angle, where Little Diomede is located. It is the closest US island to Russia.


By Alexrk2 - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7974141

Strong Women

This is probably my favorite picture of my grandma. She is snugly latched onto my great grandmother's back as they go for a stroll on the rocky cliffs of Little Diomede. She looks very young here. Great Grandma is beautiful and exudes strength, and wisdom. 

Family Picnic

This caption says "Mary - Gertrude - Mom - Margaret - Louis"

The photo shows the little family having a picnic on a beach. Uncle Louis is making the same face as always...my grandma is the cutest little thing!

"Pretty Gertie"

This was my great aunt Gert. I don't look like many people in my family, but I see a resemblance in her. This picture was taken in 1953. The photographer named it "Pretty Gertie" and the caption says "I can still smell the flowers blooming around her".

http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/cdmg13/id/10738/rec/3

In the winter months, temperatures on the island could be as low as 20 to 35 degrees below freezing. To protect themselves against the cold they would wear warm parka coats and mukluks on their feet. The parkas were made mostly from reindeer and squirrel skins. The mukluks were made out of reindeer legs or seal skins. The summer months were much warmer at about 60 to 75 degrees. The picture to the right is my grandmother and her brother Louis.