Martha Jacobs "Daizkoo" Benzel

1923 - 2015

Our dear, kind, loving, and gracious mother, grandmother, great grandmother, cousin, sister, auntie and friend, Martha Jacobs Benzel (Daizkoo) passed peacefully on November 21, 2015 in Juneau, Alaska at the age of 92. Martha was born in Sitka, AK, February 9, 1923 to John Jacobs (Gaunuk), Kaagwaantaan (Eagle/Wolf moiety, K 'ook H'it (Box House) and Annie Kitka Jacobs (Tleech.le), Lu'k-nax.a'di, (Raven/Coho moiety) Daginaa Hi't (On the front by the water house). Her immediate family includes 10 children, 20 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren.
She loved her Tlingit culture, dancing with the Juneau Tlingit Dancers, her Native food, family, friends, her church and relationship with Jesus Christ and politics. She never missed a vote and was a strong independent who voted mostly Democratic. Martha lived a kind and moral life, ever giving, joyful and helpful to others. Many hours were spent laughing. She loved going to Hawk Inlet to work in the fishing cannery every summer when she was younger and playing the card game Snertz and bingo. She enjoyed beading, crocheting, reading, and being out and about socially. She was fishing off the beach and rocks into her late 70's, until Parkinsons Disease made it more difficult for her to get around. Family and friends called her our own, 'ever ready bunny'.
Martha was full of life and active to the very end. She loved the Mariners, the Seahawks and all sports. Often family and friends would go to visit and could hear her cheering for her favorite team through the front door. She loved visiting family and friends and traveled to most of the US States, along with Canada, Mexico, Honduras and Belize. She made two or three trips a year up until her passing.
Those preceding her in death, include her father, John Jacobs; mother, Annie Kitka Jacobs, sons Harold Owen Benzel and William John Benzel; sisters, Irene Jacobs Van Horne, Margaret Jacobs Snodgrass, Mildred Jacobs Maule, and baby sister Dorothy Jacobs; and her brothers, Johnny Jacobs and George Jacobs of Tacoma, WA.
Martha's surviving family includes:
• Sandra Olivia Benzel (formerly Bigelow) of Juneau and son Jason (Jennifer) Bigelow and their three children, Jason, Evie and Paige of New Orleans, LA;
• Clifford Albert (Lois) Benzel and sons, 1) Craig Benzel and 2) Chad (Melody) Benzel of CA;
• Martha Ann Benzel Haddox of Sterling, AK, and children, 1) Kathy (Brandon) Cox and their family; 2) James (Kristen) Haddox and children Brian, Emma and Johnny; 3) Allison Watson and children Jordan and Timothy and; 4) Dana Haddox and family all of AK;
• Alice Cynthia Benzel (Harold) Lewis; children, 1) Lori Porter and two children, Emily and Sadie; 2) Debra Gail Lewis (Gene) Helstrom and son, Jacob all of AL; 3) Leslie (Allison) Lewis and two children, Carter and Camden of Miss.;
• Lillian Elaine Benzel (Kenneth) Johnson and children, 1) Holly (Nathan) Grow of LA; 2) Jared Johnson, and 3) Leslie Johnson (Evan) Grawrock and their two children, Liam and Greyson of WA;
• Jason Fred Benzel of CA and more recently AL;
• Debra Sue Benzel Shurtleff of WA and children, 1) Jennifer (Marco) Ramirez and son Ammon of UT; 2) Kimberly Shurtleff, and son, Jordan, and daughter, Hailey of UT and daughter, Chloe of WA; 3) David Shurtleff, 4) Michael Shurtleff, and 5) Ricky Shurtleff all of W
• Kimberly Rae Benzel (Jim) Morgan and children, 1) Rachael Renee Morgan and 2) Olivia Marie Morgan (Chris) Jarman and daughters, Gracie and Peyton, of WA;
• Martha's surviving sister, Mary Jacobs Austin of Anchorage;
• Tribally adopted sister, Kay Barrick of Juneau, AK
• Those she loved as her own, Tomoya and MeriGwen Kawakami of Juneau and fellow Luxnuxudi's, Esther Brooks and her children Hans Chester, Jessica Chester and Dora Jackson
• Twenty six great grandchildren, and many nieces/ nephews, great nieces/ nephews, cousins, clan members and friends.
Martha was the first born in her family and raised in Sitka until she was eight years old when her family moved to Juneau. She went to the Native public school in the Juneau village and went to high school at Wrangell, Institute. She married Clifford Oliver Benzel in 1945 and they were married for 37 years. During that time, Martha had ten children, eight of whom are living, completed her GED at age 42, went back to college for accounting, and worked for the Corp of Engineers, receiving recognition by becoming Federal Employee of the Year.
As her children grew, she became more active in Native politics and was on the Tlingit and Haida Anchorage Community Council for several years and as a delegate to the T & H General Assembly; was a member of the original Alaska Native Health Board, for the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage. She was a founder for three Alaska Native Sisterhood Camps and was a member of the Anchorage ANB Camp, North Seattle ANS Camp, Camp # 70 in the Juneau Mendenhall Valley, and most recently was a lifetime member of ANS Camp # 2, Juneau. She served in many positions including President, Parliamentarian, Camp Council and Camp Mother. She served as the First Vice President for the Grand Camp of the Alaska Native Sisterhood with Mary Jones as her President.
Additional to living in Sitka, Juneau and Anchorage, AK, she lived in Las Vegas, NV; Seattle, WA and Albuquerque, NM when she worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. While living in Las Vegas, Martha served on a community Hospital Health Board.
When Martha turned 70, she retired and went on a mission for her beloved Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and served in Missouri and Iowa. She returned to Seattle and then moved back to Juneau as she said she missed her culture and friends. She lived at the Fireweed Place for a number of years, and later moved to Wildflower Court Nursing Home where, in her last year of life, she served as the President of the Residents Council.
She supported SAIL, Inc., having had a son with special needs, really enjoyed the bragging rights of walking in every "Only Fools Run at Midnight", when in town, and walked the whole mile right up until her passing, using a walker with either a family member or the friendly PT, Che, from Wildflower Court Nursing Home for moral support.
There are so many people to thank for loving her for so many years that we can't name them all. The family says, Gunalche'ech, gunalche'ech, thank you, thank you.
At her request we are including Mom's Rules that she lived by;
• Follow your faith and live your culture
• Family is most important
• Don't judge people even criminals, accept people as they are because everyone has things they are working through
• Treat people as you want to be treated
• Don't hold grudges
• Forgive people because not doing so, only hurts you
• Enjoy life, work to always find something to look forward to
• Always do and be the best you can
• Do community service
• Help others when you can
Family Viewing: Monday Dec. 7th from 2-4 pm at the Alaska Memorial Park, 3839 Riverside Dr. Juneau, AK
ANS Memorial Service: Monday, Dec. 7th, 5 pm….at the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall, 320 W. Willoughby Ave., Juneau, AK.
Funeral Service: Tuesday, Dec. 8th, 6 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 5100 Glacier Highway, Juneau, AK.
Pall bearers include her son, Cliff Benzel, her grandsons, Craig Benzel, Chad Benzel, and Jason Bigelow, and her sons-in-Law Harold Lewis and Jim Morgan. Honorary pall bearers include son, Jason Benzel, son-in- law Kenneth Johnson, Grandsons-in-law Gene Helstrom, Evan Grawrock, Nathan Grow, Brandon Cox, and grandsons, James Haddox, Jared Johnson, Leslie Lewis, Michael Shurtleff, David Shurtleff, Richard Shurtleff, and honorary son, Tomoya Kawakami and honorary grandson, Hans Chester.
Condolences may be sent to Sandra Benzel, 2551 Vista Drive # B-102, Juneau, AK 99801 Martha would appreciate your doing a kind deed that is a bit of a stretch for you or for someone you wouldn't normally extend a helping hand to, as a way to pay it forward in her memory. Gunalch'eech. Gunalch'eech. At her request, there will be no 40 day party or Koo.eex'.