Services Scheduled For Charles Daniels Jr., 94

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Category: Obituaries

Created on Monday, 04 December 2023 13:25

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Charles (Charlie) Benjamin Daniels Jr.

Charles (Charlie) Benjamin Daniels Jr. walked into the forest early in the morning of Sunday, Nov. 26, at the Sitka Pioneers Home at the age of 94.

A viewing will be held 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5, at Prewitt’s Funeral Home, and a graveside service will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at Sitka National Cemetery.

Charlie was born June 14, 1929, in Sitka, the son of Mary Elizabeth (Walton) and Charles Daniels Sr., and the grandson of Rudolph Walton, Tlingit silversmith. Charlie was the youngest of eight children: Daisy Daniels Jones, Martha Daniels Kitka, Elizabeth, Margaret, Irene, Louise, Benjamin, Francis and half-brother Richard Daniels.

Charlie was Alaska Tlingit Indian of the Kaagwaantaan clan and was recognized by his clan as the house leader of the Multiplying Wolf House. His Tlingit name was Taaxshaa. Charlie was a member of Sealaska Corp., Shee Atika Corp, and Sitka Tribe of Alaska. 

Charlie graduated from Sheldon Jackson school – he loved school and was a smart student. He especially enjoyed history. He attended the Presbyterian Church. He was a member of the school choir, which often sang on Sundays at the First Presbyterian Church, located on the lower corner of Sheldon Jackson campus.

Charlie was also a member of the American Legion. He served in the Army from 1951 to 1953 at Fort Richardson in Anchorage.

He loved to dance, especially the jitterbug, and at Sheldon Jackson learned the Schottische and the Virginia Reel. He enjoyed socializing with friends and family, and watching basketball games.

Charlie’s father was a fisherman and owned a beautiful white seine boat, Empress. Charlie fished with his father for many years. Later, he worked for Samson Tug & Barge and at the Indian Health Service-Public Health Service Hospital at Mt. Edgecumbe.

One of Charlie’s fond memories with the choir was when it was invited to sing at the Presbyterian convention in Seattle, Washington. Choir members traveled to and from Seattle by boat, one boat for the boys and one boat for the girls. While traveling they stopped at some Southeast towns and sang at the local churches.

Another fond memory with the choir was being one of the Three Wise Men in the Christmas pageant. As they started down the aisle to the front of the church, Charlie leaned to his Wisemen friends and said “I am going to sing with all my might.” The other Wisemen joined him and sang with all their might “We Three Kings.”

One of Charlie’s favorite Bible verses was John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him will not perish but have everlasting life.” He enjoyed the songs “Amazing Grace” and “How Great Thou Art.”

Charlie will be missed dearly by his many nieces and nephews, family and friends, the many people he danced with, and fellow members of the Sitka Kaagwaantaan clan.

He  is survived by nieces Josephine Patterson, Betty Goldsbury and Midge Layton of Sitka, and Irene Vaden of Anchorage, Barbara Chittenden of Edmonds, Washington, and Velma Todd of Ohio; and nephews Harvey Kitka (wife Gina) of Sitka, Herman Kitka Jr. of Anchorage, William Craig (wife Helen) of Sitka, Gene Daniel Craig of Port Townsend, Washington, and Clint Daniels of Sitka.

His grandnieces are Patricia Meyers of Juneau, Vienna Vaden of Anchorage, Renae Mathson of Hilo, Hawaii, Lesa Way of Sitka, Laura Dangel of Edmonds, Helen Dangel of Sitka and Isabel Raven of Craig; and his grandnephews Ryker Goldsbury of Sitka, Garin Goldsbury, Curtis Nelson of Seattle, Erin Kitka, Terrence Kitka and Jeremiah Craig. His grand-nephews and -nieces are Jonathan Craig, Pamela Craig and Theodore Craig, Sherry Kitka Diehl, Paula Kitka Lindstrom, Tom Kitka, and Sassa Kitka.

Pallbearers will be Jeremiah Craig, Patricia Meyers, Terrence Kitka, Clint Daniels, Dale Lindstrom and Janwu Lorrigan.

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