Stories at the Cemetery 2012 (Pt. 3)

Tonight, I’m sharing just a couple more stories of Alaskan pioneers to round out my Stories at the Cemetery posts. One of the things that made the performances so engaging is that most had a sort of Paul Harvey’s ‘The Rest of the Story’ quality to them. Walking through a graveyard, you’d never guess that the person buried at your feet had some sort of influence on Alaska that carries through to modern day. To hear about the full, rich life of someone who lived 20 or 100 years before you, and to hear it “through” them, puts quite a different perspective on history.

Of course, not everyone buried in the Anchorage Memorial Cemetery had a rich, full life. Nate Benson portrayed Alex Vanaja – a Finnish immigrant who was trying to make a life for himself and his family in the 1920s. One evening when his wife and children were enjoying themselves in Anchorage, he and his brother John got drunk on moonshine (“drunk as two homesick Finns should be!”), ran out of the moonshine they had, and proceeded to visit to their neighbor’s farm to see if he might have any moonshine. This was during Prohibition, so having alcohol was punishable by law, and the neighbor was nervous and angered by the request. Fear and confusion mounted, and between the Finnish, the English, and the alcohol, everything got out of control. The neighbor grabbed his gun and shot both of them. The Vanaja Brothers may not have a street or a school named after them, but they do have the distinction of being the first double-murders in Anchorage.

John is buried to the left of Alex. They both have lovely trees. At some point, a stranger was buried in between them. “And he’s a German!” Alex/Nate exclaimed.

My heritage is Finnish, so for some reason I was strangely proud of this story. Huh.

Tom Bevers (portrayed by Rob LeCrone) found a much better fortune in Alaska than the Brothers Vanaja. He came to Anchorage in 1921 by way of Virginia, and found more opportunity here than he ever could have hoped for or imagined. He immediately became involved in the growing city and its community. He joined the Elk’s Club, served as the first Chief of the Volunteer Fire Department, and became a real estate developer in the city  (developing the Fairview neighborhood, which I’m sure was a much better place in his day). Along with three other men, he conceptualized a huge, annual celebration for the city of Anchorage – the Fur Rendezvous – which just celebrated its 77th year this past February.

Tom Bevers, portrayed by Rob LeCrone, and his sister, portrayed by Missy Williams

He passed away unexpectedly in his sleep while out on a hunting trip. When word reached his family in Virginia, his sister came up to Alaska to retrieve the body. It was only then that it was revealed that Tom Bevers was a black man, passing for white. The community did not become divided over this knowledge, but celebrated him. When Tom’s sister saw the impact he had made here, and how proud the citizens were of all that he had done, she decided to let him be buried in Anchorage, where he was honored and loved.

Stories at the Cemetery 2012 (Pt. 2)

One of the most charismatic actors of the evening was Richard Benevides. He portrayed Cecil Wells – an Alaskan businessman and entrepreneur in the first-half of the 20th century. Wells was one of the first car salesmen in the Alaskan territory, finding success by importing cars to Anchorage so that customers could actually see and touch the vehicles before driving them, rather than purchasing them out of a catalog. His Wells Garage was later sold by one of his ex-wives and became Alaska Sales and Service – a well-known (and apparently long-lived) local car dealership which still exists today.

Lucky in business but unlucky in love, Wells was murdered in 1953; presumably by his young (4th) wife and her lover. Benevides/Wells was quick to point out that the lover was “A musician. A DRUMMER. A JAZZ DRUMMER!” and warned the girls in the audience to stay far away from those sorts.

Linda Benson’s portrayal of Ella Romig was also a real standout. Romig is one of those mysterious historical local names – there’s a Romig Middle School in Anchorage, but I couldn’t tell you who it was named after. It turns out it was Joseph Romig, Ella’s husband. She told the story of how she and Joseph came to Bethel, AK as newlyweds – and as a doctor and a registered nurse – in 1896. It was a shock for a young woman from Pennsylvania to suddenly find herself in a remote native village, caring for people of a culture she had no comprehension of. She spoke of her initial horror at the filthy living conditions of the Aleuts. To call the adjustment difficult would probably be a gigantic understatement, but after a time she found herself learning the Yup’ik language, loving the people, and loving the life they had made there. The family (now with three children) returned briefly to the Lower 48 to live in San Francisco, but the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was all the convincing they needed that Alaska was their real home, and that’s where they wanted to stay. They moved back to Alaska, this time settling in Anchorage, where Joseph eventually became mayor for a term.

Stories at the Cemetery 2012 (Pt. 1)

For the second year in a row, a group of local actors have put together several historical monologues based on the lives of some of our deceased Anchorage residents and presented them at their gravesides. It’s a unique way to learn about local history, and it brings meaning to the gravestones and their unfamiliar names.

Actor John Fraser portrayed Wayne Hussey, AKA Margaret 1 Empress of Alaska, AKA Large Marge. He was one of the first openly gay residents of Anchorage, and was a well-known and well-loved member of the community. He was a leader in the adult basic education department at the Anchorage Community College, and he helped to establish the Imperial Court of the Empire of all of Alaska (where he reigned as the first Empress in 1971). At his death in 1983 (at age 49), an enormous procession of Hell’s Angels accompanied his casket to the cemetery.