Elsie Henry Pitka

1930 - 2023

Elsie Henry Pitka was born June 28, 1930, to Maggie and Arthur Henry Sr.

Elsie entered a reunion with family in Heaven on Feb. 25, 2023, surrounded by the love of her family, aka "Grandma's Gang." She lived a long, productive life, which was a testament to God's love, hard work, strength, and unconditional love for her family and friends.

Grandma Elsie was a culture bearer, hunter, trapper, fisherwoman, expert beader, and skin sewer.

After school, she would teach students to trap, snare rabbits, sew, ski, sing louder, etc. Her children shared their mother with these students; many became part of Elsie's family.

Grandma Elsie advocated for higher education. Some of her proudest moments were when her first grandchild, Sandy Martinson, received her master's degree in justice. She was so happy that her granddaughter, Elizabeth Blackbird, earned her master's degree in education and returned home to Beaver to teach. She was the teacher's aide at the Beaver school for 25 years.

Teaching brought Elsie so much joy. Elsie strongly influenced generations of students who had lifelong loving relationships with her - so great was her love for them and them for her. She taught many children to read and did extra-curricular activities with her students.

Grandma Elsie was raised in a nomadic era that is gone now - following the seasons and game. One of her childhood friends was Nora Billy. Those days, the kids worked hard, no matter their age. She and Nora had a rabbit line out to One Mile Hill, which they would check every day after school. Later in life, they delivered most of the children in Beaver before the pregnant women were sent to hospitals for delivery.

Her favorite memories with her family were at Fish Camp in the summer and at Moose Island during fall hunting. Elsie instilled in her family a love and respect for the land and the value of hard work. Everyone had a job and worked hard but loved it. Elsie always talked about Fish Camp or Moose Island. Up to her passing, Elsie was still talking about going to Fish Camp and Moose Island.

Elsie loved Saint Matthew's Episcopal Church in Beaver. After the first old church fire in Beaver, Elsie and her husband Elman built a beautiful log cabin replacement. Elsie welcomed new clergy to Beaver. Some were greenhorns, not knowing how to survive in the cold.

Elsie would sew them boots, mitts and hats so they would not freeze. Elsie oversaw the yearly Christmas Eve Play. She sacrificed many evenings so her students would be well prepared for the Christmas Eve Play and making the costumes with the ladies. Last month, Grandma Elsie told her daughter Antone to give us a message: Keep the church going, cut wood, make fire and take care of the church. Elsie sacrificed so much and now has passed the baton to us.

We asked Elsie how she did all that - in addition to ensuring her children received new Christmas boots and New Year's moccasins every year. She replied, "My husband was my partner. He helped me sew bottoms on boots. We would sew real late into the evenings. When we were first married, I didn't cook very well. But Elman never complained. And he never complained that he had to help me put bottoms on boots." We are sad here, but we should take consolation that Elsie is reunited with her husband - her partner up there in Heaven.

Elsie loved to dance. She was the first to the dance and the last to leave. The northern lights have been visible these past few nights. Elsie is dancing along with the northern lights with fiddles playing.

Many generations of loved ones and friends will miss grandma Elsie. Elsie was the matriarch of families in Arctic Village, Circle, Beaver, Stevens Village, Rampart, Fairbanks, Nome, Anchorage and the Lower 48. She made each person feel special and was always sewing something for this niece, that nephew, a godchild, a great-great grandchild, or a friend.

Elsie is survived by her sister Annie Henry John; Brothers Jerry, Roy and William Henry Sr.; Children Antone (Ron), Arlene (Gary), Wilma, Debbie, Selina (Paul). Grandma's gang Michael, Dallas (Viki), Lisa; Deborah (James), Sandy (Ryan) Doreen (Victor); Rhonda (Jaime), Elizabeth (Sly), George (Tiffany) and Charlie; Maryann (Marvin), and Vivian; Aaron (Anna), Alvina, and Mathew Petruska; Joseph, Jason, and Nick Kozloff; Frank Ray and Shay Elman Pitka. Numerous great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren; God children Rosemary Dee Wiehl, Maria Wade, Darlene Rich. She had many favorites, too many to name but among those include Boots Newman, Ben, Bunny, Jay and Alexander Stevens.

She is predeceased by her parents Maggie and Arthur Henry, Sr.; husband Elman Pitka; sisters Mariah Killoway Winer and Martha Howard; brothers Arthur Henry Jr, Alvin Bing Henry, Esias Henry, Richard Henry; sons Frank, Richard, Henry, and Kenneth Pitka. Sons-in-law Harmie "Bub" Deaton and Bob Bush. Daughters Ada Deaton, Eliza Bush, Vivian Pitka, and Jenny Pitka; grandchildren Kenneth Chilson Pitka and Arvin Petruska. God children Shane Fisher, Steve Joseph and Clifford Adams Jr.

Elsie's final resting place is along side her husband, Elman Pitka, at the Beaver Cemetery. The final burial service was in Beaver, Alaska, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Thursday, March 2, 2023.