Ouulukluk, Katherine Walunga Anderson, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away in Sitka on July 6.
Katherine was born on November 10, 1936, in Gambell, Alaska, on St. Lawrence Island, to John and Dorthy Waluga. The youngest of nine siblings, she grew up without electricity or plumbing, her childhood shaped by the rhythms of subsistence life. When she left the island for the first time, she was stunned—not by bright lights or tall buildings, but by the aisles and aisles of food, more than she'd ever imagined possible.
Her parents wanted her to have a good education, so she was sent to Dillingham as a young teenager to attend school. There, she contracted tuberculosis and spent two years in a bed in Seward. After recovering, she was inspired to pursue a career in nursing.
In the 1950s, she moved to Sitka to study at the Mt. Edgecumbe nursing school, where she earned her nursing certificate. She worked in Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital, on Japonski Island, where tuberculosis was being treated.
Katherine married Jack Schaefer in Sitka, and they had two children, Doris and Wesley. After Jack’s passing, she married Thomas Anderson Sr., and they were blessed with Thomas Jr. and Kimberly.
Katherine was a natural caregiver. From being a loving mother to her four children to acting as a second mother (other mother) to those away from home or in need, she always defaulted to caring for others. When her children were older, she returned to school to earn her nursing degree. Throughout her life, she also owned B&R Tire Service and Silver Bay Marine and was an active member of the Sitka community through the Alaska Native Sisterhood, the Emblem Club of the Elks Lodge, and the Moose Lodge.
Katherine remained active throughout her life—bagging her first deer at age 77 and competing in many Sitka salmon derbies, including the 2025 Salmon Derby alongside her son, Tom. Her family in Gambell continued to be amazed at her adventurous spirit even as she aged. Her Alaska Native name, Ouulukluk, referred to a special place near Gambell where harvesters would leave the best part of their catch to give thanks to the land and sea.
Her children looked up to her and learned life’s most important lessons from her example: patience, drive, acceptance, empathy, and trust. She was a light to the world that can’t be replaced.
Katherine was preceded in death by her parents, John and Dorthy Waluga; her nine siblings; her husbands, Jack Schaefer and Thomas Anderson Sr.; and her daughter, Doris Main.
She is survived by her children: Kimberly Peacocke (Sitka); Thomas (Lexie) Anderson Jr. (Sitka); and Wes Schaefer (Anchorage).
She also is survived by seven grandchildren: Murray (Chivi) and Dawson Crookes (Sitka/Anchorage); Benjamin and Melody Peacocke (Sitka); and five great-grandchildren: Rowan, Aerie, and Noah Crookes (Anchorage); and Alana and Lucia Crookes (Sitka).
Katherine lived a long, remarkable, and generous life. Her influence shaped everyone who knew her to who they are today. "We are all who we are today, thanks to her influence," her family said. "She will be greatly missed."
A celebration of her life will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, July 19, at the Sitka United Methodist Church, 303 Kimsham Street.
In lieu of flowers, Katherine would be grateful for gifts in her name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html
