Mrs. Frank Blackburn

Date Unknown, Location Unknown — 1965, Seldovia, Alaska

Buried in Seldovia City Cemetery Plot #194

Mrs. Frank Blackburn was buried in the Seldovia City Cemetery in Plot #194 in 1965. We are not sure who she was but there is a lot of information for Frank Blackburn and perhaps we’ll someday find out her real name.

Frank BLACKBURN Family

Robert Everett BLACKBURN (b. Sept 18, 1872 in Canada, d. Dec. 13, 1925, Blaine WA) married Carrie Axlena TALIN. They had three children. They are buried in Haynie Cemetery in Blaine Washington, along with their sons Frank and George.

Beatrice “Bea” Lena BLACKBURN; born September 15, 1909; died September 8, 1997; buried in Lynden Cemetery, Lynden, Washington. On November 19, 1932 in Bellingham, Washington, she married Joseph Leonard Johnson (b. July 14, 1899 in Torka, Sweden, died August 15, 1990).

Beatrice and Joe had 4 children:

-a. Darrel JOHNSON

-b. Alison Roberta JOHNSON – 1935-2008

Alison Roberta Johnson, 72, died peacefully in her sleep on Monday, February 25, 2008, at Ashley Gardens Alzheimer Care Center in Mount Vernon, Washington. Alison was born in Bellingham, Washington on July 6, 1935 to Beatrice and Joseph Johnson while the couple was living on a dairy farm, just this side of the Canadian border. In 1939 Alison and her brother, Addison Merlin Johnson, moved with their parents to Port Graham, Alaska, where their father worked as foreman of a pile driving crew for salmon fish nets. There in this Eskimo fishing village, Alison was partially home-schooled with standard reading books obtained before the move. She also attended the Federal Government School for the native children while in Port Graham. After the fishing season in the fall of 1942, the Johnson family returned to Whatcom County as part of a North Pacific convoy of steamships under the protection of the United States Navy, including a sub chaser. During the journey they met with 50 to 100 foot high waves but made it safely to port. Once back in Washington the family purchased and settled on a dairy farm just north of Lynden. Alison started second grade in the Lynden grade school. Although she was behind, she caught up quickly. Another brother, Alerd Carrie Johnson, was born when she was 10 years old. It was at this time that she discovered she had a beautiful singing voice, which encouraged her to join the choir of the Lynden Methodist Church as a girl. Alison was also a gifted artist and loved her pinto pony named Sweetheart. A picture she painted of Sweetheart hung at the Lynden Grade School for many years. Alison attended and graduated from Lynden High School in1953 where she went toe-to-toe with the class “genius” for academic honors all four years. She finally bested him during her senior year in typing class. She was also known to have been a strong hitter during intramural baseball games. After high school Alison attended Washington State College in Pullman then entered Skagit Valley Junior College in Mount Vernon in the fall of 1954. It was here she met her future husband, Keith Stanford Johnson, in typing class. Keith and Alison were married at the Lynden Methodist Church on March 12, 1955, with Rev. Wells officiating. Besides being a full time homemaker, sewing by hand first-day school clothes, Christmas dresses and Easter outfits for her four daughters, Alison was also the receptionist and bookkeeper for the Johnson Realty real estate office for many years. Alison is survived by her husband Keith of 52 years at their home in Mount Vernon and by her four daughters; Danya Wolf (Don) of Mount Vernon, Lale Johnson (Tony Flynn) of Mount Vernon, Kari Greiner (David) of Homer, Alaska, and Moni Butler (Jim) of Kingwood, Texas. She is also survived by brothers Addison Johnson (Tamzan) and Alfred Johnson (Pat), niece Danette Johnson, nephews J Johnson and Curtis Johnson, as well as grandchildren Seaver and Rogan Milnor, Bryson and Landen Campbell, Louden and Jorden Greiner, Brooke and Kellen Butler and step-grandchildren Chris and Amanda Wolf, and Shane Flynn. She was preceded in death by a baby brother, Darrell Johnson, and her parents Beatrice and Joseph. Interment will take place at 11:30 AM on Thursday, February 28 at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in La Conner, with a Memorial Service at 1:00 PM at Kern Funeral Home in Mount Vernon, followed by a reception at the family home. Published in Skagit Valley Herald Publishing Company on February 26, 2008
c. Addison M. JOHNSON – married Tamzan - still living in Blaine, but has no knowledge of Frank having had a family but does think it would have been possible since the family “had lots of secrets”. He found a photo of Frank with a woman and child that Kari is trying to get a copy of to see if anyone in the area might recognize them.
d. Alfred C. JOHNSON – married Pat K

George BLACKBURN born April 9, 1911; died September 6, 1977) BLACKBURN, George E., age 66, of 9281 Stein Rd., Custer, passed away Tues., Sept. 6, (1977). A resident of the Custer area since 1920, he had owned and operated Blackburn’s Store on the Delta Line Rd. for 25 years, he also had worked at the commissary at Ft. (Port) Graham, Alaska. He was a member of the Custer Sportsmans Club, the Rifleman’s Assn. and the Delta Grange. Surviving a sister, Beatrice Johnson of Lynden; a brother, Frank of Custer; also several nieces and nephews. Burial in Haynie Cemetery.
Frank Lewis BLACKBURN was born August 10, 1913 in Washington. Frank died May 28, 1992 in Custer, Washington and is buried in Hayne Cemetery in Blaine Washington.
U.S. General Land Office Records, 1776-2015 Name: Frank L Blackburn Issue Date: 11 Feb 1972 Place: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, USA Meridian: Seward Township: 009s Range: 015W Aliquots: Lot/Trct 1 Section: 31 Accession Number: 50-72-0073 Document Number: 50720073

Townsite lands were first surveyed in Port Graham and Nanwalek during the 1960s. Outside the townsites, the land is either allotment or village corporation land. Two exceptions in the area include the Blackburn estate at AC Point and the Coal Mine site. Both locations were fee-simple holdings owned by private individuals. At AC Point, the buildings and some land around it were owned by the late Frank Blackburn who managed the ACC property. After it was subdivided, a portion was sold and the remainder passed on to heirs. Niece and Nephew: Alison R. Johnson, Addison M. Johnson, Alfred C. Johnson

Frank Lewis Blackburn granted Blackburn Subdivision to Donald M and Kathy Graves 1976 - LotB Frank Blackburn operated a circular sawmill at ACC Point, Port Graham and is listed in Alaska Directory in 1976. Alaska Commercial Company had a warehouse down at what is now called A.C. Point. They bought the land after America bought Alaska from Russia. They used to bring supplies in and store them in the warehouse. Then they would distribute them to English Bay and Kenai and other places from the warehouse at A.C. Point. Frank Blackburn managed the property and in 1972 patented land there some of which he later sold to Donald and Kathy Graves and the rest was inherited by his Johnson family heirs.

There are no census records for Frank Blackburn in Alaska through the latest made public (1940). His sister Bea and her husband Joe Johnson are listed in Seldovia in 1940, with 2 children. Their daughter Alison’s obituary says that the family was in Port Graham in 1939 when Joe was foreman for a pile driving crew for salmon fishing nets. In 1942 they moved back to Washington State. 1940 United States Federal Census Name: Beatrice Johnson Age: 30 Estimated birth year: abt 1910 Gender: Female Race: Aleut Birthplace: Washington Marital status: Married Relation to Head of House: Wife Home in 1940: Seldovia, Third Judicial Division, Alaska Map of Home in 1940: View Map Sheet Number: 14A Occupation: None Attended School or College: No Highest Grade Completed: High School, 4th year Weeks Worked in 1939: 0 Income: 0 Income Other Sources: No Neighbors: Household Members: Name Age Joseph L Johnson 41 Beatrice Johnson 30 Alison Johnson 4 Addison Johnson 2

Frank Blackburn