Today's Featured Biography

 
Barb Strange Fithian

I trained as a dental assistant in my senior year and worked for a dentist in Wasilla (back when it was REAL SMALL!) for about 4 years. That was interesting work and I met lots of people. I moved to Pennsylvania for 1 1/2 years but couldn't get Alaska out of my system so I moved back and settled in Wasilla.

I met my best-friend during this time and we got married in 1983. What a wonderful joy to be married to, and work along side, your best friend for 25 years!

We have done so many things and lived such a full life from the very beginning that it's hard to recount them all. Lets
see...hard-rock mining at the Independance Mine in Hatcher's Pass (I took gold bars to sell in Anchorage once a week for over a year); living in the bush (Upper Kuskokwim River country); reopening the Cliff Mine in Prince William Sound; deep-placer mining at Wiseman in the middle of winter; and too many other mining projects around the state to remember and name.

We had our horses stolen while we lived in Palmer and formed a "posse" and tracked them down (though the "horse thieves" got away). That was an interesting experience--made the newspapers and TV--and taught me a lot about human nature.

I was the cook at our hunting camp for many years then becoming a hunting guide myself. That is a book in itself, waiting to be written.

In 1994 (right after the horse thieving episode) we moved to the Copper River Basin near Chitina to farm. We raised horses for our guiding business and for a short while did trail rides out of our ranch here. We've put up hay every summer since and the horses grew until we had about 15 at the most, along with the other animals that go along with farms--goats, chickens, sled dogs...what! You've never been to an Alaskan farm? Of course we've got sled dogs!)

My marriage came with a ready made family (Heith) and my first son Cody was born in Palmer early in 1984; Jared came along at the end of 1985. We lost two babies after that. I home-schooled my boys and the two younger ones never attended public school (they have all graduated and are married now). Heith has three children. Cody is married and lives in Palmer. He works as an airplane mechanic and is working on his commercial pilots license. Jared just got married and was working in Colorado but is on his way "home" with his new bride.

Now the big adventure is raising Tibetan Yaks. We have a herd of 34 here at the "ranch" and they've become quite the tourist attraction since they arrived. So you all stop in if you head to Chitina dip-netting this summer--we're right on the way!

Life is full and the Lord has definitely blessed me beyond my wildest imaginings in high school! Everyday is a gift from him!

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Superlatives - 2008 30 Years! . . .

We know we didn’t vote on awards, but on Monday after a few cups of coffee (black), a few of us decided on some awards. . . This is prefaced by the fact that they were not democratically determined, nor are they politically correct and above all, they were decided in Spenard!

Traveled the Farthest: Becky Manville (4700 miles)

Traveled the Least: Glenn Swan (1 block)

Longest Married: Kathy Merrill (30 yrs.)

Most Marriages: Beta Gardner (4)

Most Bald: Jim Smith (totally!)

Most Hair: Susan Dekreon

Most Hair Everywhere Else: Glenn Swan

Party Couple: Becky Manville & Husband Gordon

Dirty Dancing: Nathan Rathbun & Diane Edwards

Best Hustle(r): Beta Gardner

Lush Award: Keith Jardine

Whipped Award: Becky Manville could get Bob Stilwell to do anything!

Tolerant Spouses: Kathy Stilwell and Marla Swan

Party Girl (attended ALL events, including pre & post):
Diane Edwards

Most Money Earned: Beck Manville ($18.00)

Most Shy: Mike Lindquist

Most Kids: Charlie Lochner (8)

Most Baggage (not kids): Diane Edwards

Least Changed Guy: Cody Tanner

Least Changed Girl: Suzi Janke, Alane Dobson, Paula Cooper, Tammy Hutchison (we couldn’t decide)

Most Changed: Dale Kekoni, Mike Lindquist, April Ringus

Youngest Kid: Debi St. Pierre (5 yrs.)

Best (worst) Hangover: Bob Stilwell

Hottest Car: Tammy Huchison, Mike Linquist

Best Lip-Sync: Steve Stewart (he knows EVERY song!)

Hunk: Charlie Lochner (by default since Tom Brady didn't show up!)

Saved the Day (w/ the BBQ Grill): Bob Stilwell

Unpublished: (Names removed to protect the guilty!)
[What happens in Eagle River – stays in Eagle River . . .]