1964 ALASKA EARTHQUAKE FATALITIES
Names
below (underlined in white) will link you to a memorial page created for
the victims of the 1964 quake.
If you
would like to include your friend or family member, please contact me.
coleen_mielke@hotmail.com
At 5:36
P.M. on March 27, 1964 a massive earthquake struck Alaska. It was
an experience that we will never forget......it changed our lives forever.
It's epicenter was 75 miles east of Anchorage in the Prince William Sound.
Tsunamis
or drowning accounted for nearly all the deaths in Alaska.
The
height of the waves that crashed into the Alaska coastline were beyond
comprehension.
HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES:
VALDEZ
INLET - THE TSUNAMI WAVE WAS 220 FEET HIGH
OLD
VALDEZ - THE TSUNAMI WAVE WAS NEARLY 30 FEET HIGH
SHOUP
BAY (near Valdez) - THE TSUNAMI WAS 220 FEET HIGH
CHENEGA
- THE TSUNAMI WAVE WAS 89.5 FEET HIGH
WHITTIER
- THE TSUNAMI WAVE WAS 43 FEET HIGH
SEWARD
- THE TSUNAMI WAVE WAS OVER 30 FEET HIGH
KAGUYAK
(near Kodiak) - THE TSUNAMI WAVE WAS 30 FEET HIGH
OLD
HABOR - THE TSUNAMI WAVE WAS 30 FEET HIGH
PORT
NELLIE JUAN WAS OVER 49 FEET HIGH
BLACKSTONE
BAY WAS OVER 79 FEET HIGH
KINGS
BAY WAS OVER 113 FEET HIGH
The dock
at Old Valdez was alive with people greeting the SS Chena when the 1964
earthquake struck.
It
triggered an underwater land slide which created huge waves that
took the dock and everyone on it, additional waves destroyed much of what
was left of the waterfront. Many of the 30+ people that perished were never
found. After the earthquake, the Corp of Engineers decided that the ground
under Old Valdez was too unstable and the entire
town
was moved to it's present day location
In the tiny Aleut village of Chenega, 23 people lost their lives as the result of the 1964 earthquake. Customarily, a movie was shown at the Chenega school house every Friday night. That particular Friday night, the movie started late and the kids were “passing time” (until the movie started) by playing on the beach when the earthquake struck. The quake was quickly followed by a series of tsunami waves, the first one was nearly NINETY feet high. The school house (and 1 other small building) were the only buildings in Chenega that were not destroyed by the tsunami waves.
| Alexand(e)roff, Simmie | 27 | Kaguyak | Village Chief along with 3 other men tried to get a boat to take women and children to safety. Last seen holding on to overturned skiff - body never found. |
| Anderson, Eddie | Kodiak | Never found | |
| Anderson, Mary | Kodiak | Never found | |
| Anderson, Rudy | Kodiak | Never found | |
| Arrigone, Adolph John | 65 | Crescent City Ca. | Native of Italy |
| Ayers, Kenneth T. Sgt. | Valdez | ||
| Baker, Clayton James | 45 | Anchorage | An invalid - killed at his home 2036 W. Marston Drive |
| Barnes, David George | 35? | Whittier | Father of 3 children below - body never found |
| Barnes,
Micky Lee
Barnes, Ricky Dean Barnes, Vicky |
5
4 6 |
Whittier
Whittier Whittier |
Child of David George Barnes body never
found
Child of David George Barnes body never found Child of David George Barnes body never found |
| Bledsoe, Clarence Paul | Kodiak | ||
| Blendheim, Alfred | Port Ashton | ||
| Boddy, Dan | 47 | Valdez | Fairbanks resident working in Valdez for the day |
| Brossow, Fred | Seward | Never found | |
| Brown, Freddy | Valdez | ||
| Bushor, Jack Leroy Jr | 7 | Kodiak | Son of Arlene (Boyer) Wallace and Jack Bushor
Sr.
Step-son of Airman Gordon Wallace |
| Byers, Charles W. Sr. | 84 | Cordova | Died of heart attack |
| Carriker, Duane Rev. | 33 | Valdez | Pastor of Assemby of God Church, body never found |
| Carrol, Thomas | Valdez | ||
| Chimovisky, Alex | b.1902
Nutchek |
Port Nellie Juan | Son of Chief of Old Nutchek |
| Chimovisky, Annie | b.1898
Chenega |
Port Nellie Juan | Wife of Alex Chimovisky |
| Chimovisky, Emanuel | b.1928
Chenega |
Port Nellie Juan | Son of Alex and Annie Chimovisky |
| Clawson, AgathaWinifred | 52 | Crescent City, Ca. | |
| Clawson, William Eben | 54 | Crescent City, Ca. | |
| Cunningham, Dennis | 15 | Valdez | |
| Curry, Maurice | 71 | Kodiak | Lived at Kalsin Bay |
| Damon, Frances | Whittier | From Soldotna Body never Found | |
| Damon, Larry | 16 | Whittier | Son of Francis From Soldotna Body never Found |
| Day, Leonard | 50's | Whittier | Lumber Company employee Body never found |
| Day, Alberta | 50's | Whittier | Wife of Leonard Body never Found |
| Deis, Mary Eva | 50 | Seaside, Oregon | Died of heart attack after wave struck her home |
| Edwards, Earl Floyd | 56 | Crescent City, Ca. | |
| Edwards, Juanita Pearl | 42 | Crescent City, Ca. | |
| Elbe, Emil | Seward | Died of heart attack while running from tsunami | |
| Eleshansky, Sally
Eleshansky, Steve Eleshansky, Ronda |
b. 1916
b. 1921 Infant |
Chenega
Chenega Chenega |
Wife of Mickey Eleshansky
Maiden name Selanoff
Father of Ronda Eleshansky Husband of Dorothy Selanoff Daughter of Steve & Dorothy "Tiny" Eleshansky |
| Erb, Frank | Point Nowell | ||
| Evanoff, Jack | b.1896 | Chenega | Brother of Willie Evanoff |
| Evanoff, Nellie | b.1906
Kniklik |
Chenega | Wife of Jack Evanoff maiden name Komokoff |
| Evanoff, Sally | b.1912 | Chenega | Wife of Willy Evanoff daughter of Anna Vlasoff |
| Evanoff, Willie | b. 1898 | Chenega | Village Chief in 1948
Brother of Jack Evanoff and husband of Sally Evanoff |
| Fenner, Mabel M. | Kodiak | Died of heart attack (local magistrate) |
| Fields, Joan Vey | 25 | Crescent City, Ca. | |
| Finke, Lester | 50 | Seward | Body never found |
| Granger, Douglas | 50+ | Valdez | |
| Gregorieff, Paul | Valdez | Crushed by shifting freight on "Chena"
Husband of Mary (Vlasoff) Gregorieff |
|
| Groth, Bruno | Valdez | ||
| Growden, James Sr. | 29 | Valdez | Teacher & coach at Valdez High School |
| Growden, David | 3 | Valdez | Son of James Sr. |
| Growden, James Jr. | 4 | Valdez | Son of James Sr. |
| Hammerly, William | Seward | ||
| Hammerly, William Mrs. | Seward | ||
| Harris, Margaret | 92 | Valdez | |
| Harrington, Donald | Seward | Never found | |
| Harrison, Robert | Valdez | ||
| Hatch, Jesse | 38 | Seward | Never found |
| Henderson, Henry | Valdez | Fisherman | |
| Hillsbery, Lavella | Crescent City, Ca. | ||
| Jackson, Arvilla | Chenega | Daughter of Dora Ribaloff Jackson | |
| Jackson, Cindy | Chenega | Daughter of Dora Ribaloff Jackson | |
| Jackson, Danny | Chenega | Son of Dora Ribaloff Jackson | |
| Jackson, Dora | 29 | Chenega | Mother of the above children & daughter of Sam Ribaloff |
| Johnson, Sam | Valdez | ||
| Jones, Bill | Kodiak | Never found | |
| Joslyn, George | Valdez | ||
| Joy, Billy | Port Whitshed | Washed out to sea | |
| Kleparek, Gary Lynn | Anchorage | Died in surgery from head injury from falling debris | |
| Knight, Leora | Anchorage | Wife of Virgil (Virgil lost, wife, home & leg) | |
| Knudsen, Stanley | Valdez | ||
| Kompkoff, Daria | b.1912
Tatitlek |
Chenega | Wife of Willie Kompkoff
Maiden name Levshakoff |
| Kompkoff, Willie | b.1898 | Chenega | Husband of Daria Kompkoff |
| Kompkoff, Julia | 9 | Chenega | Daughter of Nick & Mary (Selanoff) Kompkoff |
| Kompkoff, Norma Jean | 3 | Chenega | Daughter of Nick & Mary (Selanoff) Kompkoff |
| Kompkoff, Richard | Chenega | Son of Willie and Daria Kompkoff | |
| Kompkoff, Joann | 3½ | Chenega | Daughter of Avis Kompkoff
Body found on Knight Island |
| Krieger, Howard | Valdez | Crushed by shifting freight on "Chena" | |
| Kulstad, Patricia (Mrs. Robert) | Valdez | Lived on the dock where husband was night watchman | |
| Larson, John Sut | Afognak | Aboard vessel Spruce Cape (body found 4/3/1964) | |
| Layton, Virgil C. | 50 | Kodiak | Died 3/29/1964 doing salvage work at Kodiak harbor. |
| McKenzie, Louis | 8 | Newport, Oregon | Camping on beach with parents |
| McKenzie, Robert "Bobby" | 7 | Newport, Oregon | Camping on beach with parents |
| McKenzie, Richard A. | 6 | Newport, Oregon | Camping on beach with parents |
| McKenzie, Tammie | 3 | Newport, Oregon | Camping on beach with parents |
| Magruder, Oran Gilbert | 73 | Crescent City, Ca. | Died of heart attack |
| Manson, James W. "Jay" | Kodiak | Never found |
| Martinez, Joseph S. | Anchorage | ||
| McClure, Donald Sgt. | 36 | Crescent City, Ca. | Drowned while saving his friends life. |
| McCoy, Ross | Valdez | ||
| Mead, Perry III | 12 | Anchorage | Never found (child of Dr. & Mrs. P.A. Mead) |
| Mead, Merrell P. | 2 | Anchorage | Never found (child of Dr. & Mrs. P.A. Mead) |
| Mickelson, Lewis | 35 | Whittier | Father with 3 children (none of them
ever found)
Partner of David Barnes (also perished with his 3 children) |
| Mickelson, Teresa Lee | 6 | Whittier | Child of above father (never found) |
| Mickelson, Randy | 5 | Whittier | Child of above father (never found) |
| Mickelson, Keith | 2 | Whittier | Child of above father (never found) |
| Moe, Victor | Seward | ||
| Mueller, Donald | 38 | Valdez | Died on Valdez dock (never found) |
| Nielsen, Harry | Afognak | Lost when fishing boat, Spruce Cape, foundered | |
| Norris, Thomas Lt. Col. | Valdez | ||
| O'Leary, Don | Valdez | ||
| Osmonovich, Mike | Seward | Drowned | |
| Panamaroff, Ted | Kodiak | Died when boat Spruce Cape foundered | |
| Parks, James | 63 | Crescent City, Ca. | |
| Pettikof, Sammy | Shuyak Island
Cape St. Elias |
Disappeared on boat, assumed drowned in tidal
wave
Coastguardsman |
|
| Reft, Albert Sr. | 45 | Kodiak | He died trying to save a friends boat at the docks. Neither he nor the friends boat was ever found. |
| Robinson, Richard | Valdez | ||
| Rowe, James | Valdez | ||
| Rustigan, Mary Louise | 44 | Anchorage | Killed by falling concrete from J.C. Penny Bldg. |
| Schmidt, William | Valdez | ||
| Schultz, Eugene Albert | Kodiak | Died in tidal wave at Kalsin Bay | |
| Schultz, Rose Marie | Kodiak | Died in tidal wave at Kalsin Bay (wife of Eugene) | |
| Selanoff, Jeanne | child | Chenega | Daughter of Charlie & Kathy Selanoff |
| Selanoff, William (Billy) | child | Chenega | Son of Charlie & Kathy Selanoff |
| Selanoff, Thomas Paul | baby/twin | Chenega | Son of Paul Selanoff and Junie Elashansky |
| Selanoff, Robert Jr. | baby/twin | Chenega | Son of Paul Selanoff and Junie Elashansky |
| Simmons, __________ | Seward | Mother of Louise (never found) | |
| Simmons, Bob | Seward | Out fishing on his boat, never found | |
| Simmons, Louise | Seward | Never found | |
| Spadaro, Frank | 73 | Seward | |
| Stapp, Sterling | Valdez | ||
| Stuart, Deborah | Valdez | Wife of Earl Stuart | |
| Stuart, Earl "Smokey" | Valdez | ||
| Stuart, Janice | child | Valdez | |
| Stuart, Larry | child | Valdez | |
| Stuart, Marie | child | Valdez | |
| Styer, Lee | 19 | Anchorage | Killed at the J.C. Penny store |
| Tabasco, George | Valdez |
| Taylor, William G. | 45 | Anchorage | Died in International Airport Tower |
| Totemoff, Phillip Jr. | child | Chenega | Grandson of Willie Kompkoff |
| VanBuskirk, Jack | Valdez | ||
| Vlasoff, Anna | Chenega | Mother of Sally Evanoff body found on beach | |
| Vosgien, Richard P. | 12 | Kodiak | |
|
Wallace, Arlene |
26 |
Kalsin Bay |
Drowned while trying to get back to Naval Station Also drowned was Arlene's son Jack Bushor Jr. |
| Walunga, Frank | Seward | Never found | |
| Ware, Gerianne | 6 months | Whittier | Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Ware |
| Waseli, Eli | Kodiak | Never found | |
| Wheeler, Phillip G. | Valdez | ||
| Wisdom, Alva | 50's | Seward | |
| Williams, Milton "Bud" | Valdez | ||
| Wright, Bonita Ione | 3 | Cresecent City, Ca. | Daughter of Mr & Mrs. William Wright |
| Wright, William Eugene | 10 months | Crescent City, Ca. | Son of Mr. & Mrs. William Wright |
| Wyatt, Donald | 31 | Kaguyak | From Los Angeles. He was a geologist. He & his wife, Joycewere camped on Kape Kagyuak, east of the village. WalterCohen tried to save the couple. Donald was weighted down with packsack, gun and other gear. His body was sighted by a helicopter & recovered from the lake and buried in Kodiak. |
| Zeeda(e) (Zieder),
Nick (Anakenty) |
Kaguyak |
He and Simmie, Victor Melovedoff, Max Shelikoff tried to get a large skiff that they wanted to use to transfer the women and children from the hill. He and Simmie were lost. His body was found on the beach, covered by a broken section of the roof, body shipped to Seattle. | |
| Zook, Gerald Lee Hibner | Valdez | Died on the Valdez dock, body never found. | |
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