Carver Stanley Steven Marsden, 85, of Hollis, lost his battle to cancer, passing peacefully in his sleep on March 22, in Klawock.
Services were held March 28, at the William Duncan Memorial Church in Metlakatla.
Stan was born on March 6, 1930, in Metlakatla to Steven and Louisa Marsden. He graduated from Mt. Edgecumbe High School in 1947, then returned to Metlakatla where he worked as a laborer.
He was in the service from 1951 to 1953, and was in the reserves until 1960.
Stan moved to California in 1955. He played in a jazz band there, and happened to play at a place that Alice Meredith Peterson went to. He and Meri were married and he became a father to Steve (spear chucker), Larry (Gus), Lonnie and Paul Peterson. Stan and Meri had their firstborn, Annette Louisa, in 1963, almost not making it to the hospital.
Stan, Meri and the five kids moved back to Alaska in 1964, living between Metlakatla and Ketchikan. The next born was Alice Meredith, and then James Arthur (Jimmy), born in Metlakatla. After they settled in Ketchikan their fourth and final child was born, Jan Merrie.
Their lives were very active in the Church of God, where they shared the family’s special talent of singing while Stan sang and played guitar.
They moved to Prince of Wales Island, living first in Hollis where they led a camping lifestyle. “It was an eventful summer,” the family said. “We all have many bear tales that can be shared ....”
The family settled in Craig. Although they both stayed on POW, Stan and Meri ended their marriage in 1970.
Stan became a carving teacher in Craig – many fine carvers got their first taste of carving from him. While carving, music and telling stories were closet to his heart, his carving legacy truly started after the cocaine overdose of his son, Jimmy Marsden. In the midst of his grieving he decided to carve a totem in memory of his lost son. “The Healing Heart Totem” was turned into a communitywide event and the totem was to represent a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle in the hopes that no other family would have to go through what the Marsden family went through.
Stan designed and carved several totems for several communities. His next totem pole was called “the friendship pole,” and was carved and dedicated to the elders of Hydaburg. He tried to represent every clan associated with the Hydaburg families. In the other communities he used the totem pole projects as a platform to teach carving in that community. He carved totem poles in Craig, Hydaburg, Pelican, Metlakatla and Ketchikan.
Stan touched many lives.
“Anytime you’d see him you could expect a big hug or a hearty handshake,” said his family. “He always made everyone feel special – like he waited all day to see them and their meeting made his day complete ....”
Stan was preceded in death by his son, James Arthur Marsden, and siblings Anna Laura, Allan Steven, Ida Margaret, Alice-Maggie, Johanna Alma, Gertrude, Henry Stanley, Hazel, Janet Louisa and Margaret Maude.
Survivors include a brother, Steven Edward Marsden Jr. of Kenai; sisters and brothers-in-law Gertie and Bill Shayen of Sitka and Lena and George Dundas of Metlakatla; children Annette Sharpe, Alice Nelson and John and Jan Carle; several grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and numerous nephews and nieces.
