Daily Sitka Sentinel

Irene Pearson

Irene Pearson passed away in her home August 29, 2015, at the age of 89. Her final days were spent with family and friends. She was happy doing “FaceTime” with her grandson, Kevin Buckland and having her little dog (Benny) get on her lap to give her kisses and make her burst into laughter.

Irene was born in Sedro-Woolley, Wash., on June 24, 1926, the daughter of John and Agda Bergquist. She grew up in the small Swedish community of Hoogdal with her older brother, Floyd and younger sister, Gladys. 

Irene’s grandfather, Hans Hanson, was born in Yetterhogdal, Sweden, and came to America at age 21 to settle in North Dakota as a farmer. He married Emily Anderson and the two later moved to the Skagit Valley in Washington state after experiencing crop failures. Hans helped form the Swedish community of Hoogdal (named after Yetterhogdal), and he and Emily built the first house there, and raised seven children in this new community. Their house was also used as the first school in the community. John Bergquist (Irene’s dad) had moved from Yetterhogdal to Hoogdal, where he married Agda Hanson and built their home.  Logging and farming were the main source of work in the area.

Irene moved to Seattle after graduating from high school, and worked as a secretary, taking dictation in shorthand and also worked in accounting. She met Don Pearson during this time, while he was serving in the U.S. Navy. After his discharge, the two were married and began living in Sedro-Woolley. Don eventually got his own Mobil Service Station (Don’s Service) and also become a car dealer.

Irene enjoyed upholstering furniture, house painting and wallpapering. She and her mother were both very good at that and had many requests to do such work for others. Irene’s mother was an excellent seamstress and Irene inherited a love of sewing.

She and Don had a daughter, Vicki, and a son, Larry. Time spent with family was very important. Most of Irene’s family lived close by and Don’s side of the family was in Oregon – many trips were made to Oregon to spend time with them. Camping and rock hunting were a favorite family activity in the summer, as well as picking berries and canning lots of fruit and vegetables.

A new chapter in life began for the Pearson family in 1962. A good friend, Ola Harang talked Don into moving to Sitka to work as a heavy duty mechanic for the woods division of the Alaska Lumber & Pulp Co.

Don and Larry absolutely loved being in Alaska, but it was a tough adjustment for Irene and Vicki because it was hard to be so far from family and friends.

Don and Larry enjoyed hunting and fishing. Irene and Vicki made new friends and found new things to do…and Sitka became “HOME.” Irene eventually went back to work for an accounting office. She looked forward to serving in her church and was a long-time volunteer at The White Elephant Shop.

She enjoyed gardening, crafting and doing jigsaw puzzles with her good friend, Mabel Moy; and Irene and Mary Stitz often took long walks with the dogs. Irene liked to bowl and the station would sponsor a bowling team each year. Irene was proud of each trophy that was earned.

Don bought Irene a Tomas organ which she enjoyed playing. She and Don liked to travel and stayed in close touch with their good friends, Bob and Margie Bannister of Washington.   Irene also was an animal lover, and dogs, cats, birds and fish were always a part of the family.

Don joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary and he and Irene enjoyed many boating adventures. They both looked forward to snow machining in the winter.

Don and Irene decided to go into their own business again and many people remember the Union 76 station they had in Sitka (Don’s Crescent Service) for many years. This was a full-service station along with car sales. Irene was very happy to be the bookkeeper for their station and she kept meticulous records. When Don passed away in 1987, their son Larry took over the station with the name being changed to Larry’s Crescent Service.

These last years have been a time of struggle for Irene and she has gone through it all with hope and trust in Jesus. Her faith in God’s Word and His Love gave her strength through her struggles. She loved being a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. Her family meant so much to her and “we will always know that we were loved much,” they said.

Irene was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, sister, her husband, son and great-granddaughter.

She is survived by daughter, Vicki Pearson-Allen, Sitka; daughter-in-law, Jacki Pearson, Soldotna; and sister-in-law Frances Pearson, Vancouver, Wash. Her granddaughters are Kristal Hammack (Steve Walker), Sitka; and Marsha Jeske; granddaughter-in- heart, Tammy Cooper (Tom), Washington state; and grandson, Kevin Buckland and wife Joy, Chugiak.

She also is survived by two great-grandsons, Brandon Hammack of Kansas and Trever Hammack of Sitka; and  great-granddaughters Amanda Hammack (Jason Frost) of Sitka, and Karina Buckland and Tatum Buckland of Chugiak.

The fifth generation includes the great-great grandchildren, Derek Hammack, Bentley and Delilah Frost of Sitka, and Xavier Hammack of Ohio.

Irene also is survived by many nieces and nephews.

Graveside services will be held 11:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, 2015, at Sitka National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family invites memorial donations to Covenant House at 755 A Street in Anchorage, AK 99501-3625.