Agnes Sarah Samuelson
May 17, 1930 -
Jan 25, 2021
On Jan. 25, 2021, lifelong Alaskan Agnes Sarah Samuelson passed to the spirit world at her Wasilla home from cancer.
Agnes was born May 17, 1930, in Dillingham, Alaska, to Adolph and Agnes (nee Supsook, Neucklavok) Peterson. She attended grade school in Dillingham, and often recounted that great day when the new teacher finally unlocked the library and actually allowed students access to use the school library. It opened up worlds of history, culture and ideas the students had never imagined - science fiction was her favorite!
As Dillingham lacked a high school, besides summertime cannery work, Agnes worked as a nanny and housekeeper in Anchorage, Palmer and Seattle during her attempt to gain a high school diploma.
In Seward, she met her future husband James L. Samuelson, and they were married two weeks later on Dec. 31, 1951.
After a few years in Seward and Chugiak, she and her family moved to Dillingham. With community effort, Agnes, her husband and a handful of others were finally able to achieve their high school diploma goal through the GED program.
After statehood, her husband Jim filled one of the original Alaska 13 Deputy Magistrate positions. During his tenure, he assisted a number of people like Agnes that had an unrecorded home birth through the legal process to obtain a State of Alaska birth certificate. Over 30 years later, the U.S. Department of State rejected her passport application - because her husband was the authorizing signer on her birth certificate! With assistance from the Honorable Senator Ted Stevens who directed attention to the Alaska State Seal on her birth certificate validating the document, her passport was promptly issued.
Upon moving to Chugiak for better educational opportunities for their four children, Agnes worked various positions with the Chugiak and Eagle River Post Offices, at ANMC in accounting and as a Teamster with the trans-Alaska pipeline construction.
About the age of 47, Agnes was devastated with a diagnosis of macular degeneration and told to prepare to become blind, as there were no treatments known. She took to the library and researched macular degeneration. Within two years, Agnes amazed her eye doctor as the nutritional supplements researched had "arrested" and prevented any further loss of eyesight! The loss was extensive enough to hamper heavy reading or close handiwork and did cause her to quit her favorite career, accounting but she was still capable. Prior to retiring at 75 years old, she held positions as a switchboard operator at API, SOA fee agent in Soldotna and Seward, oil spill worker with the Exxon Valdez cleanup, fish processor at Seward's Smokin Alaska, Costco food demonstrator and floor clerk with JBER Base Exchange.
Crossword puzzles, cryptograms, power walking and dancing - at the Mt. Edgecumbe High School Reunions and the Time Out Lounge, especially to her favorite song, "Pretty Woman" - were some of her favorite pastimes.
Family states "I can't" was tantamount to foul language in her opinion and she would say "then learn how," and if you ever expressed "I'm bored" - that meant you needed more work!
Friends and family have expressed sorrow at the loss of the pretty woman with the beautiful smile, and many are missing those telephone conversations about the "good ole days" that brought much laughter and reminiscing of pre-COVID-19 times.
Agnes was an original shareholder of the Choggiung Ltd, and Bristol Bay Native Corporation, and a member of American Legion Post 35, AmVets Post 2, and a lifelong widow member of the Palmer Elks.
The first child of a blended family of six children: Mary Ann, Patrick, Thomas and Paul Neucklavok, Ruth (Peterson) Ferguson and Ann (Peterson) Smith, Agnes had five additional siblings: Hilda (Tittle), Adolph "Pete," Greta, Elsie and Dorothy Peterson. All 11 of her siblings; husband, James L.; son, Kelly E.; and daughter, Jeri, preceded her in death.
Agnes is survived by son, James C. Samuelson; daughter, Greta Pridham; grandchildren, Greta Reid, Ross Eskilida, Kelly J. Samuelson, Richard Walker, Jerome Walker, Keith Walker and James Coven; 11 great-grandchildren; great-great granddaughter, "Nummy-Nums" Zay'Laah; brother-in-law, Jack Ferguson; close nephews, Ed (Rose) Smith and Eric (Mary) Samuelson; and numerous nephews and nieces.
This summer, a Celebration of Life will be held for Agnes at Ptarmigan Creek. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Agnes' honor to the Bristol Bay Native Corporation Education Foundation, 111 West 16th Ave. Ste. 400, Anchorage, AK 99501; https://www.bbnc.net/for-shareholders/bbnc-education-foundation/donate/.
