Girdwood residents reflect on Senator Ted Stevens

He was a friend and neighbor to many in the community

By Loverne Berce
Turnagain Times Correspondent

Ted Stevens loved fishing in Alaska, and it was on Monday, Aug. 9, during a flight to go silver salmon fishing on the Nushagak River that Stevens and four others would perish in a plane crash on a mountainside.

Affectionately referred to as “Uncle Ted”, Stevens, 86, called Girdwood his home. He was known by his friends and neighbors as a man of great integrity with a kind, humble, gentle spirit. A great humanitarian who genuinely loved the people of Alaska, Stevens contributed his heart, soul and mind to the monumental task of building Alaska into a great state.

Every Alaskan has been positively impacted and benefitted in countless ways by Stevens’ work. Many feel he has done more good for Alaska than any single person, and without him, Alaska would not have prospered.

In Girdwood, Stevens’ impact can be felt everywhere, whether driving the paved Crow Creek Road, walking down the bike path, hiking the boardwalk on the Winner Creek Trail, receiving mail at the post office, taking out a book at the library, receiving care at the Girdwood Clinic or assistance from the Girdwood Fire Department, it’s all examples of how Stevens played a major role in bringing these facilities and services to Girdwood.

Stevens truly lived up to his motto “Do what is best for Alaska.”

Volumes could be written of the many fond memories that Girdwoodians have had of Stevens over the years.

The Turnagain Times contacted many friends and neighbors of Stevens to share their feelings about a man who was a neighbor and a friend.

“No matter what your political persuasion, Sen. Stevens has made the lives of every single Alaskan better,” acknowledged Girdwood Pastor Jim Doepken.

Girdwood Fire Chief Bill Chadwick said, “Senator Stevens was our patron. The Fire Station and fire apparatuses are due to his help. He loved to visit the fire department. It is a great privilege for me to help people when in trouble, and Ted made it possible. The Fire Department is greatly indebted to him. This tragedy is a tremendous loss for the community. I don’t believe Alaska will ever find anyone to fill Senator Stevens shoes.”

John Trautner of the Girdwood Lions Club agrees.

“Of the top ten people I admire the most, he’s right up there alongside John F. Kennedy, Eisenhower, George Sullivan and Wally Hickel. Senator Stevens was down to earth and treated everyone with respect. He always found time to talk with everyone.”

Senator Stevens’ humbleness and genuineness is expressed by Wendy Jennings, attendant at the Girdwood Transfer Station. “The Senator always came to dump his own garbage,” she said. “One time, it tickled me to see this very important man step out and unload his own garbage without the aid of his security guards, two big strong men who were along with him. He was always very sweet and kind and when he left, would wave goodbye and say ‘see you next time, Wendy.’

Marie Heinrichs, owner and operator of the famous Kobuk Valley Jade Shop in Girdwood, remembered Stevens and how he helped her and her husband.

“Ray and I were living in Kotzebue,” she said. “We needed the title to property in order to establish a business and were not able to get the information. Ray wrote a letter to Sen. Stevens. He did not personally know us, only as constituents. In two weeks, the Senator replied and had the information we needed to obtain the title. We could not have been in business without his help.”

Scott Kirk of Girdwood Realty said, “Ted was a real genuine Alaskan. In my opinion, his biggest legacy is our 49th Star flag. He was the least presumptuous man I’ve ever been around. When he was Senator pro tempore, I was around him during all the mess, and never heard him badmouth or say any personal antagonism against anyone, even though he had just reason. It was just not his way. You couldn’t ask for a better person to be around. The finest person I have ever known.”

Senator Stevens started coming out to Glacier Valley in the early 1950s before the ski resort was developed. Girdwood’s longest resident, Candy Burial, who arrived to Alaska by train with her husband, Bob, in 1948 (before the highway was built) recalls that “In the early 1950’s, before the resort was established, the Stevens family, Ted, wife Ann and their children, would come out from Anchorage on the weekends. One time, his small son was missing—in those days it was real wilderness out here and lots of bears around. Ted came to our place very distraught and asked Bob to help him locate the missing child. Bob soon found him in the bushes. Ted was so grateful he gifted us with a set of coasters, which I still have. We had great respect for Ted and always voted for him.”

Longtime Girdwood resident Jacky Graham said, “Every time I walk the Winner Creek Trail, I say a little prayer of thanks to Senator Stevens.” The beautiful Winner Creek Trail, which leads to the handtram, is treasured by everyone. We have Uncle Ted to thank for making the trail accessible, including for handicap and wheelchair access. It was on a hike with Chris von Imhof and Bob Persons that Uncle Ted realized the need to upgrade the trail so that everyone, not just expert hikers, could have access and enjoy it.”

Chris von Imhof, who was instrumental in the development of Alyeska Resort, shared a story about a hike he took with Stevens.

“As we walked to the gorge, he almost fell down the steep hill on a slippery trail,” he said. “I quickly grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up, whereupon Ted said, ‘Chris, you saved my ass.’ He immediately realized that others would be in danger also. Six months later, the U.S. Forest Service got a million dollar grant for improving the trail, as Uncle Ted recognized that everyone, not just expert hikers, should enjoy access to this beautiful wilderness trail.”

von Imhof first met Stevens in late 1963 while working for Scandinavian Airlines in Anchorage, shortly before the March 27, 1964 earthquake.

“Bob Atwood, publisher of the Anchorage Daily Times introduced me to this young attorney who was just elected to the Alaska State legislature,” von Imhof said. “I met with Ted again when appointed as Alaska Director of Tourism and moved to Juneau. I discussed with Ted ideas on how to promote Alaska in the USA and rest of world. Ted supported the funding of the tourism budget, including promoting Alaska in Europe and also winter promotion (not ever done before).

“Later, when Ted was appointed U.S. Senator by Governor Hickel, I moved to Girdwood as General Manager of Alyeska Resort, and we often got together. Ted had some good friends in Girdwood, including Bob Persons from the Double Musky. He loved Girdwood and hoped to make his home here when he returned from Washington, D.C. That is why he bought the cabin on Northland Road.

“Senator Stevens could have quit the U.S. Senate and become a rich lobbyist,” continued von Imhof, “but he worked all his life to fight for Alaska. He worked hard for Alaska to become a state, and later felt we needed federal dollars to improve our infra structure from Ketchikan to Barrow.

“On a personal level, Ted gave me encouraging words after my first wife, Nina died in 2002,” von Imhof recalled. “He told me about his first wife Ann that got killed in the airplane crash that he survived. His father in law told him he had to move on with life, and he should get remarried when he found the right lady. Later he married Catherine Bittner. He gave me the same recommendation, and when I married my wife Brigitte in 2006 in Tirol, Austria, Ted and Catherine joined my other Alaska friends, attending our wedding dressed in Tyrolean jacket, and delivered a wonderful speech. He was President Pro Tempore at the time, and my family and friends were proud and happy that I had such a good friend.”

Five days before the tragic accident that took his life, Sen. Stevens had invited six good friends to his cabin for a poker game, Bob Persons, Chris von Imhof, Daryl Pedersen, Carl Marrs, George Walton and Scott Kirk.

Persons left the game early to fly to Louisiana for several weeks. When Persons heard the news of the crash, he immediately returned to Alaska.

Persons remembered Sen. Stevens, his longtime friend and a frequent guest at Persons’ popular local restaurant, the Double Musky Inn.

“My friendship with Ted began about 25 years ago and gradually grew stronger over the years,” said Persons. “We hiked together, fished together and played poker on occasion. Although small in stature, Ted was a giant in personality and intellect. He was a self-made man who had endured the slings and arrows of fate and overcame every blow. I have never known a human being who possessed the indomitable character of Ted Stevens, and I am sure I will never meet someone like him again. If you are lucky, you’ll meet such a person in your lifetime, but you’ll never meet two. He could accept and shrug off things that would crush common men and always take the high ground, which to me is the mold that truly great men are cast in.

“I have the perspective of having come to Anchorage in 1963 when most of the people seemed to live in the Merrill field trailer court,” continued Persons. “The pavement ended at Ingra to the east and Fireweed to the south and there was no infrastructure. Making a living was very difficult and there were no social programs to take care of the homeless or the jobless. You either made or you left and only the strong survived. That is where the old interpretation of the word “Sourdough” came from. Sour on the land and no dough to leave. Alaska was a hard place back then and tens of thousands of the people who are here would not have remained had it not been for Sen. Ted Stevens.

“After Secretary Seward, I believe that Ted Stevens is the most important man in Alaska’s history. When Robert Service wrote his poem of the Yukon and said, “Send me your Strong and your Brave” he was answered by Ted Stevens. God Bless, Ted.”

A local memorial for Stevens is planned in Girdwood later this year.