Longtime resident Mickey Geary died Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Providence Hospital in Anchorage. He was 84 and had been suffering from cancer. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Sunday at Jones Point Cemetery. A full obituary will be published in next week’s CVN.
Barbara Pardee attended son-in-law Joshua Hibbard’s graduation ceremony in Sandimas, Calif. A 1997 Haines High School graduate, Hibbard received his doctoral degree in education from Azusa Pacific University in Sandimas, where he’s a professor. He lives in Sandimas with wife Nichol Hibbard, a 1998 Haines High School grad. Nichol attended the graduation, as did Joshua’s parents, former residents Jim and Kathy Hibbard of Pompton Plains, N.J. Barbara is back in Haines with husband Terry Pardee and daughter Natalie Pardee. They’re enjoying their time with Nichol and Joshua, who are in town 10 days, picking blueberries, fishing aboard Terry’s boat, and hiking. Joshua also plans to hike Mount Ripinsky. Barbara’s daughter Elizabeth Krout of Seattle, a Haines High School class of 1996 graduate, arrives Friday for a visit with husband Dr. David Krout.
Melody Rose Peters was born 2:46 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14 to Brandy and Aaron Peters of Haines. Melody was born at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, weighing 7 lbs., 6 ozs., and measuring 21 inches. Brandy is doing fantastic, Aaron said. Melody’s grandparents are Paul and Jenni Peters of Haines and Ruth Chapman and Gordon Satterwhite of Oregon. Her big brother is Jerry Howard.
Ellouise Joe Cook was born 7:03 a.m. Aug. 6 at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer to parents Ari Dumont and Ryan Cook. She weighed 7 lbs., 6 ozs. and measured 21 inches. Dumont’s sister, former resident Megan Ferguson, an obstetrics nurse in Palmer, served as labor coach. “It was awesome. Having her helped a lot. It was pretty cool,” Dumont said. Ryan’s daughter Aubrey Cook, 9, is eager to see her new sister. “She’s super excited and dying for us to get home,” Dumont said. Grandparents are Melanie Junker of Nelchina and Sandy Cook of Chewelah, Wash.
Sally Boisvert and Rafe McGuire were married Aug. 3 in the upper Kelsall Valley. McGuire’s sister Rebecca Bentzen of Mineral Lake officiated. “It was very handy,” McGuire said. The reception, with about 100 guests, took place on the couple’s Mosquito Lake Road farm. In attendance were Boisvert’s parents, Tom Boisvert and Joann Gardner of Northfield, Mass., and McGuire’s, Tom and Sally McGuire of Haines. Out of town guests included the bride’s sister Marie Boisvert and boyfriend Jeremy Peach, of Townshend, Vt., great aunt Alice Grover of Dover, N.H., Bentzen’s husband Torsten Bentzen, and Rafe’s cousin Harper Simmons of Fairbanks. Reception guests enjoyed a locally grown and harvested feast. Harper cooked the meal, with help from friends and family that included food from the bride and groom’s farm and wild game they had harvested and was followed by a four layer cake baked and decorated by wedding cake expert, Bentsen, who estimates this as her fourth such cake. Local band Sweet Sunny North played music, with friend Spencer Douthit calling a square dance. The newlyweds, both biologists, said they planned to get back to work on their farm.
Nearly 30 friends gathered at a Mud Bay bonfire Friday to bid farewell to Kerry McIver, who is moving to Healy for a job teaching high school math. McIver, who taught math at Haines School the past two years, left for Healy early Monday. Anna Jacobson accompanied McIver on the road trip, and the two made sure to keep the music low to not stress McIver’s cat Little Black, also bound for Healy. McIver plans to spend Christmas in Haines with family members coming here from Cleveland for the holiday.
Dan Anton of Whitehorse, Y.T., was in town this week. Anton’s family has come to Haines for decades to fish for king salmon. He celebrated his first birthday here in June 1973 and visits a few times each year. “It’s the king salmon fishing that brings me back. We’re continuing the family trend.” He was in town with wife Erin McKnight, son Liam Anton, 1, and dog Griffin.
KHNS general manager Kay Clements said the Trampled by Turtles sold-out concert last week at the Chilkat Center was “a fun event with a lot of dancing.” The station sold 250 tickets. The concert raised about $2,000 from a beer garden, money that will go to station operating costs.
Lindsey Jobbins, 16, of Haines joined a crowd of about 3 million, including the presidents of Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia, to see Pope Francis celebrate Mass and speak on World Youth Day at Copacabana Beach July 28. Jobbins traveled with a group of about 50 Alaska youths escorted by chaperones from Anchorage and Juneau. Highlights included riding a tram and hiking up to the “Christ the Redeemer” statue that overlooks Rio de Janeiro and Copacabana Beach. Jobbins said she saw the pope four times during her 10-day trip. “Everybody was super welcoming and very nice, and the food was great. I would definitely go back.” A side trip on the return included a meal of alligator at a North Carolina restaurant.
Mike Armour and Ellen Ferguson were married Friday, Aug. 9 at Chilkat State Park picnic pavilion. Gene Kennedy of Haines officiated. The group of about 50 wedding guests included Mike’s mom Agnes Armour of Olympia, Wash., and nephew Vitutsio Castilyn of Federal Way, Wash., and Ellen’s mom and brother, Eleanor and Joey Zukowski, respectively, of Newton, N.J. After the ceremony, the group gathered for a reception at the Chilkat Center, where they enjoyed a Carol Clifton cake and a ukulele rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” performed by John Hunt. Ellen is a school teacher in Juneau. They plan to split their time between the two towns.
Tom Morphet spent the week after the state fair in northern California, bicycling through the coast redwoods and the Dry Creek Valley wine district. It’s the fifth, Lower 48 bike trip he’s made with brothers Tim and Dan Leslie, who live in Corvallis and Portland, respectively. Tom also spent two days touring San Francisco, including walking over the Golden Gate Bridge and peering out Coit Tower. The highlight, he said, was sampling foods at the weekly farmers market at the Port of San Francisco. He also saw Amy Branner, who came to Haines as a researcher 13 years ago, and former resident Jamie Ackley. Branner lives in Oakland and works for a non-profit that provides sports coaches to low-income neighborhoods. Ackley, who lives in Santa Cruz, has worked as a yoga instructor and is returning to school for a master’s degree in counseling.
Beth Bolander is a grandmom. Beth’s daughter Alex gave birth in Nashville, Tenn. on July 25 to Arlo Cash Guess. Clark Guess is the dad. Arlo weighed 9 pounds and measured 21 inches. Beth, entertainment coordinator for the Southeast Alaska State Fair, is in Nashville visiting her first grandchild and scouting acts for the fair. Beth said Arlo’s arrival was a coincidence, as Alex also was born during the Southeast fair, in 1986.