1964 Alaska Earthquake Fatalities

1964 Alaska Earthquake Fatalities

1964 ALASKA EARTHQUAKE FATALITIES

By Coleen Mielke

2023

THE
FOLLOWING EMERGENCY MESSAGE
WAS HEARD JUST SECONDS

AFTER
THE FIRST TSUNAMI WAVE HIT OLD VALDEZ ON 3/27/1964:

“Mayday!  Mayday!
 Mayday!

This is the
Motor Vessel CHENA calling ANYONE!!

VALDEZ IS GONE! VALDEZ IS GONE!”

On March 27, 1964 at 5:36 PM (Alaska
Time), an earthquake that lasted 4 minutes
and 37 seconds,
struck
south central Alaska; it was the strongest earthquake
ever recorded in the United States,
measuring
8.4 on the Richter Scale and 9.2 on the Moment Magnitude
Scale.

I was 14 years old and I will NEVER forget it!!!

  KODIAK
AFTER THE 1964 EARTHQUAKE

Two kinds of tsunami waves destroyed
many coastal communities in Alaska
that day.
Waves generated by massive tectonic plate
movements on the ocean
floor created gigantic waves
that traveled at tremendous speeds over great distances.
People as far away as
Oregon and California lost their  lives due
to tsunami’s generated in Alaska on 3/27/1964

The second type of wave was a  localized
tsunami wave, which was the result
of
underwater landslides and sediment
slumps (near the shore) in the bays and harbors of Alaska.

Those waves came ashore almost immediately
and were responsible
for the majority of lives lost in Alaska. Powerful
aftershocks plagued
Alaska for more than three weeks after “The Big
One”.

THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO DIED ARE

AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

This
memorial plaque, honoring those lost on Kodiak Island,
was donated by
Koniag Inc. They used my
research to compile their list of names.

NOTE:

When you search the Internet
for specific Alaska earthquake fatality statistics,
you
are going to find a wide variety
of numbers. Some sources list only those that perished
 in Alaska;
other sources add those who perished hours later due to tidal
 waves in California and Oregon.

  I
have tried to include the names of everyone who died as
the result of the
1964 Alaska Earthquake, including those who lost their
lives while helping others
 and those that died
from earthquake generated trauma such as heart attacks.
 
I’ve also included two babies that
aren’t on other lists; one that died of exposure right
after the earthquake and one that
was born prematurely and couldn’t get necessary medical

help because of the earthquake.
I’ve also included the names of 4 Alaska National Guard

members who died when their plane
crashed right after take-off. The men had just
delivered humanitarian aide to the
devestated town of Old Valdez.

The
following information is
privately owned, please DO NOT

re-print or re-publish
it IN ANY FORM without
MY written permission, Thank you.

 
Fields,

Joan V.
Age 25
Crescent
City, California
Fiancé of
Gary Clawson
7/26/1938–3/28/1964

Drowned when
boat overturned.

Finke,

Lester Floyd
1914-1964

b. Iowa

Seward, AK
Swept off
of a dock, Body
never found

Son of Fredrick
and Anna Katharina Finke. Three
children.

Granger,
Douglas
Arthur
1912-1964

b. Wash.

Valdez, AK
Son of Arthur
Hotchkiss Granger and Cora
Janette McMillan. Husband of Glenna Jane Day, father of Terry
and Oma Jean. Step-father of Becky. Ex-husband of Lucille
Ann “Callie” Holmes. Brother-in-law of Robert Percy
Harrison who also died that day.

Gregorieff,

Paul
Age 50

Valdez, AK
Longshoreman,
by shifting freight on
“Chena” Husband of Mary (Vlasoff)
Gregorieff. Son of Larry and Natalia Nellie
Gregorieff

Growden,

James Wilson Sr.
Age 28

Valdez, AK
Teacher &
coach at Valdez High School. Husband of Ellucia Hodge.Father
of David Lee, James Wilson and Rhonda Lynn Growden. Son of
William Nelson and Gwendolyn (Fisher) Growden. Born
in Ruby, AK and raised in Fairbanks. He died one day before his 29th
birthday.

Growden,

David Lee
Age 4
Valdez, AK
Son of James
Growden Sr.
Growden,

James Wilson Jr.
Age 2
Valdez, AK
Son of James
 Growden Sr.
Harrais,
Margaret Keenan
 Age
92

Valdez, AK
She died
3 weeks after the earthquake,
of pneumonia, due to water in her lungs
from the wave that washed her house away.
Came to AK in 1914 as a teacher. Widow of Martin
Harrais.

Herrington
Jr., Donald


Seward, AK
Crew member
of the oil tanker
AK Standard. Was last seen hanging onto
a barrel in the water. Never found.
Harrison,
Robert Percy
1913-1964

b. Canada

Valdez, AK
Longshoreman
unloading the freighter
Chena on dock at Valdez. Son of William
James Percival Harrison and Pearl Etta Nahrgang.Husband
of Fay Day.  Father of Bonnette, Steve, Andrea and Cyndie.
Brother-in-law of Doug Granger who also died that day.

Hatch,

1926-1964

Seward,
AK
Had been
out seal hunting
with Frank Walunga in a 14′ wooden skiff;
the 2 men were last seen 12 minutes after
earthquake by Dr. Starr and Bob Hayes
who said hunters refused aide. Bodies never
found. Son of Peter Ken and Annie
(Swanson) Hatch. Husband of Charlotte Lorraine Walker.
Was  named after Jesse Lee
Children’s Home in Seward (where his parents met).
WWI veteran.

Henderson,
Harry Alden
1915-1964

Anderson
Bay, AK

Fisherman
from Valdez. Harry,
his boat and his fishing cabin were
swept out into the ocean by the tsunami,
never found. Anderson Bay is near Valdez.
Hillsberry,

Lavella
1928-1964

Crescent
City, California
Native of
Blackfoot Idaho. She died
when she tried to warn friend;
she was found amongst the debris
in Elk Creek, California
Jackson,
Arvilla
child

Chenega,
AK
Daughter
of Dora (Ribaloff)
Jackson
Jackson,
Cindy
child

Chenega,
AK
Daughter
of Dora (Ribaloff)
Jackson
Jackson,
Danny
child

Chenega,
AK
Son of Dora
(Ribaloff) Jackson
Jackson,
Dora
29
Chenega,
AK
Mother of
Cindy, Danny and Arvella.
Daughter of Sam and Anna Ribaloff
Johnson,
Sam


Valdez, AK


Jones, William
“Bill”
1916-1964

Kodiak, AK
Lived in
Seward, but
was fishing near Kodiak on boat called Sunrise.
The tsunami rolled the boat and Bill was
the only one killed on the crew. Husband of Frances
Sarah Shea, they had 6 children. Son of George W.
Jones and Marian Humble.

Joslyn,
Chester George
1912-1964

Valdez, AK
Longshoreman
at the Valdez Dock. Son
of Clark and Cora (Stubbins) Joslyn.

Joy, Billy
Eugene
1941-1964

Point Whitshed,
AK
Washed out
to sea; was using
a clam shack on the beach, three miles south
of Cordova.
Kleparek,
Gary Lynn
1945-1964

Ft. Richardson,

AK

Died in surgery
after head injury from falling concrete
at the Ft. Richardson Skyline Service Club. He was a
Pfc. in Co. B, 33rd Signal Bn., Fort Richardson Army Base.
Son of Mrs. Naomi G. Swanson of Ohio.
Knight, Leora Ellen
1907-1964

b.North Dakota

Anchorage,
AK
Leora Ellen
(nee Oliver) Knight, wife of Virgil
Eugene Knight and mother of Carol Knight.
During earthquake, the ground opened in front of her house
and she fell in and was crushed as it closed back up.
Her husband, who also fell in the crack, lost his leg. Daughter
of Maurice Herbert Oliver and Ellen Maud Hulbert.
Knutesen
Jr., Stanley
 1950-1964
Valdez, AK
Son of Stanley
Knuteson Sr and Enola Mary(Shumaker) Swept off
of dock in Valdez.

Kompkoff,
Daria
1912-1964

b. Tatitlek
Chenega,
AK
Wife of Willie
Kompkoff

Maiden name Levshakoff
Kompkoff,
Willie
1898-1964
Chenega,
AK
Husband of
Daria Kompkoff
Kompkoff,

Julia Ann
9
Chenega,
AK
Daughter
of Nick &
Mary (Ribaloff) Kompkoff
Kompkoff,

Norma Jean
3
Chenega,
AK
Daughter
of Nick &
Mary (Ribaloff) Kompkoff
Kompkoff,
Richard
1939-1964

Chenega,
AK
Drowned  by
third tsunami wave while trying to help the
Vlasoff family.
*He was the son of Willie and Daria Kompkoff
Kompkoff,

Joanne
3½
years
old

Chenega,
AK
Daughter
of Joe and Avis
Kompkoff of Chenega.  

Her body was found on Knight Island
two weeks after tsunami.
Buried at Cordova.

Kraiger,

Howard H.
1903-1964

b. Michigan

Valdez, AK
Crushed by
shifting freight on the “SS Chena”.
Son of Elmer and Lenora Kraiger,
husband of Jennie Eva Thorstenson. Buried at Cordova.

Kulstad,
Georgia  “Pat” 


Valdez, AK
Wife of Robert
Kulstad, night watchman for the Valdez dock,
mother of Roger Kulstad (they lived in a trailer on the
dock).
Larsen,
John “Sutt”
1931-1964

b.Kodiak

Afognak,
AK
He was the
Skipper of a
boat called the Spruce Cape when
it broke apart. Son of Louie and Olga
(Naumoff) Larsen. Other crew on the boat
that died were Harry Nielsen, Eli Wasilie
and Ted Panamarioff. Larson’s body found at
Spruce Cape.
Layton, Virgil
Connoly
1913-1964

Kodiak, AK
Died 3/29/1964
doing salvage
work at Kodiak harbor
with the vessel Hekla. Husband: Stella Moniz
Layton, Daughter: Madeline Magnusson

McKenzie,
Louis Charles
age 8
Newport,
Oregon
McKenzie
family was from
Washington but they were

Parents: Monte and Rita Kay McKenzie
McKenzie,
Robert Russell
age 7
Newport,
Oregon
McKenzie
family was from
Washington but they were

Parents: Monte and Rita Kay McKenzie

McKenzie,
Richard Andrew
age 6
Newport,
Oregon
McKenzie
family was from
Washington but they were

Parents: Monte and Rita Kay McKenzie
McKenzie,
Tamara Nannete
age 3
Newport,
Oregon
McKenzie
family was from
Washington but they were

Parents: Monte and Rita Kay McKenzie
MacGruder,
Oran Gilbert
1890-1964
Crescent
City, California
Former stage
coach operator.He was
caught in the flood and died of heart attack.
Husband of Ann MacPherson (Ralph) MacGruder.
Manson,
James William “Jay”
b. 1893 Quarff,
Scotland

Old Harbor,AK

Husband of
Nellie Peterson (married 1938 Unalaska).
Lived
on Sitkalidak Island in Old Harbor area.
Lived alone with his dog. Was seen in a row boat
between tsunami waves, but never found after
that.
 
Taylor,
William George “Bill”
1918-1964

b. Oregon

Anchorage,
AK
Died in Anchorage
International Airport Tower.Son of George Washington Taylor (who
came to Alaska in 1897) and Elizabeth (Keedy) Taylor. WWII Veteran.

Buried in Anchorage.

Totemoff,
Phillip Jr.

Thompson, Ralph E.

child

Chenega,
AK

Valdez, AK

Son of Shirley;
Grandson of Willie Kompkoff

Third mate
on the SS Chena, had a heart attack
during the earthquake, died next morning

VanBuskirk,
Jack Theodore
1926-1964

b. Wash.

Valdez, AK
Son of Ralph
& Frances
Elba Onalee (Harris) Van Buskirk

Husband
of Betty A. Stinnett and father of Esther
and Mark.

Vlasoff,
Anna
b.1898 d.1964

Chenega,
AK
Mother of
Sally Evanoff, 
body found on beach, washed out of
her house when first tsunami wave hit. Buried in
Cordova.
Vosgien,

Richard Paul
1951-1964
Kodiak, AK
Richard (age 12) and Maurice Curry
(age 70) were walking along the beach at  Kalsin Bay on Kodiak Island,
when they were killed by a tsunami wave. Richard was the son of Art and Bessie
Berdina (Harris) Vosgien.

Wallace
Arlene
Wallace, Jack
(see Bushor)

1938-1964

Kalsin Bay, AK
Arlene L.
Boyer (Bushor)(Wallace) drowned along with her
son Jack Bushor, at Kalsin Bay on Kodiak
Island. They were trying to get back to Naval
Station . Wife of Airman Gordon Wallace.
Buried in Pennsylvania with son.  
Walunga,
Frank Tahlan
1919-1964

b.Siberia

Seward, AK
Had been
out seal hunting
with Jesse Lee Hatch in a 14′ wooden skiff;
last seen 12 minutes after earthquake
by Dr. Starr and Bob Hayes, but hunters refused
aide. Bodies never found. First wife: Gladys Tatoowi
(died 1953). Second wife: Myrtle James b. Keouk, AK. 
Ware,

Geriann Dee
1963-1964
Whittier,
AK
Daughter
of Jerry and
Judy Ware. Second tsunami wave crushed the family
trailer and pulled mother and baby apart. Baby found alive in snowbank,
but later died. Buried in Anchorage, she was 6 months old.
Wasilie,
Eli 
1938-1964

Kodiak, AK
Born in Karluk,
son of Willie Pete and Vera Wasilie. Was a crewman
on a boat called The Spruce Cape,
when it broke apart. Other men on the
boat were the skipper, John “Sutt” Larsen, Harry Nielsen
and Ted Panamarioff. Eli Wasilie was from Larson
Bay, his body was never found.
Wheeler,
Phillip 
1915-1964

Valdez, AK
(assumed)
Son of George A. Wheeler and Edith A. Peak

Wisdom,
Alva Marvin 
1910-1964

   

Seward, AK
Swept away
by a wave as he was clearing
tsunami debris that blocked an escape route (out of Seward) to
higher ground. Ex-wife: Helen Barger (1 son: Duane Wisdom) Alva Marvin
was buried in Seward
Williams,
Milton Thomas Jr.
“Bud”
1921-1964

b.Wyoming

Valdez, AK
United States
Navy WWII aboard the USS Delta.
Husband of Lois Lee (Gilliam) Williams. Father of Linda
and Toni.

Wright,

Bonita Ione
1962-1964

Crescent City,
California
Daughter
of William Eugene and
Kathern Ilene (Merz) Wright. Drowned while
she, her baby brother and mother
tried to flee their home near South Beach, Crescent
City, California. Age 2

Wright,

William Eugene 
1963-1964
Crescent
City, California
Son of William
Eugene and Kathern Ilene (Merz) Wright. Was
pulled from his mothers arms by the water
as they tried to flee their home near
South Beach, Crescent City, California
.   Age 10 months

Wyatt, Donald
Age 31
Kaguyak,
AK
From Los
Angeles.  He was
a geologist.  He & his
wife, Joyce were camped 2 miles from Kaguyak
Village. His body was found floating in
the lake (he was buried in Kodiak). Kaguyak
is on Kodiak Island.
Zeedar,

Age 49

Kaguyak,
AK
“Nick” Zeedar,
Simmie Alexandroff,
Victor Melovedoff
& Max Shelikoff tried to get a large
skiff that they wanted to use to transfer
the women and children to safety. Nick
& Simmie were lost. Nick’s body was
found on the beach, covered by a broken
section of the roof. Kaguyak is on Kodiak Island
Zeedar,
Baby
1964-1964

Akhiok, AK
Baby of Senafont
and Jennie (Peterson) Zeedar (of Ahkiok Village),
died right
after earthquake but before tsunami arrived,
probably
from exposure. Akhiok is on south end of Kodiak
Island.
(Name provided by Leandra Zeedar, Jennie’s granddaughter)


Zook, Gerald
Lee Hibner
“Jerry”

Age 27

Valdez, AK

Born in Wrangell, AK, son of Nettie Prescott and
 Lyle Hibner. Step-son of
Bill Zook. He died on the Valdez dock but his body was never found.



Carroll, Thomas Patrick

1918-1964

South Dakota

Adjutant General Carroll of the Alaska National Guard
and 3 others (on a humanitarian relief mission to Valdez)  died when
their Fairchild C-123J Provider crashed immediately after take off in a heavy
snow storm and sank into Valdez Harbor.
Norris, Thomas Earl

1919-1964

Utah

Lieutenant Colonel Norris (Pilot) and 3 others (on a
humanitarian relief mission to Valdez)  died when their Fairchild C-123J
Provider crashed  immediately after take off in a heavy snow storm and
sank into Valdez Harbor.
Rowe, James Ardin

1922-1964

Oklahoma

Air National Guard Major Rowe (Co-pilot) and 3 others (on
a humanitarian relief mission to Valdez)  died when their Fairchild
C-123J Provider crashed  immediately after take off in a heavy snow
storm and sank into Valdez Harbor.
Ayers, Kenneth Wayne

1936-1964

Georgia

Air National Guard (Flight Engineer) Ayers and 3 others (on
a humanitarian relief mission to Valdez)  died when their Fairchild C-123J
Provider crashed  immediately after take off in a heavy snow storm and
sank into Valdez Harbor.

 

CHENEGA (23* dead)

The small Alutiiq
fishing village of Chenega, perched on
the edge of Chenega Bay in Prince William Sound,
was completely destroyed by three localized tsunami
waves that came ashore within minutes of the 1964
earthquake. The waves washed away every house,
demolished the dock, destroyed their boats and drowned
23* of the 75+ residents. The only building that
survived was the school house because it was on high
ground.

The people of Chenega were earthquake savvy,
so when the earth started
shaking that day, they turned off their oil stoves
and headed for higher ground.

Parents told their older children to run
up the mountain which was directly
behind the village. Adults with babies and
pre-schoolers, tried to carry them up the mountain,
but were quickly hit by tsunami waves which pulled
the children out their arms, never to be found again.
Twelve of the 23 Chenega fatalities were children.

The records actually show 26 Chenega deaths due to
the earthquake. Twenty three died IN Chenega and 3 others
(the Chimovisky family) died at Port Nellie Juan (19½
miles from Chenega) where they were working as
cannery caretakers.

Chenega’s survivors were taken
to Tatitlek, Cordova or Anchorage
and never moved back to Old Chenega. Twenty years
after the earthquake, Chenega was re-established
(at a new location) on Evans Island.

VALDEZ
  (37 dead)

Twenty eight adults and children were
on the Valdez dock watching the
“M.V.CHENA” unload it’s freight when the earthquake
struck. The crew was  happily throwing candy and oranges to
the children on the dock.

The earthquake quickly turned the glacial
sediment along the waterfront, into “liquid mud” and a
huge 4,000′ x 600′ section of it slid out into Port
Valdez, displacing the water and collapsing the dock, warehouse, packing
plant, cannery and bar; it also threw everyone from
the dock down onto the muddy ocean floor. Almost instantly,
a 30′ wave of mud and water rushed back into the waterfront,
burying everyone and everything.

The next 30′ wave reached the business
district of Valdez and heavily
damaged 40% of the businesses. The Union
Oil tanks ruptured and caught fire and the water,
sewer and phones were crippled. The entire town
was damaged beyond repair in less than 10
minutes!! Three years later, the town of Valdez was moved
to a safer location, 4 miles away.

Four more men lost their lives, indirectly
due to the earthquake, when they crashed their plane on
take-off 4/25/1964. They were Alaska National Guard members
who were in Valdez delivering humanitarian aid to the devestated
town of Valdez. Their deaths brought the total number of lives
lost in Valdez to 37.

SEWARD
 (12 dead)

Both kinds of tsunami waves
hit the town of Seward. Less than a minute
after the earth started shaking, a 3,500′
section of the waterfront (at the south end of
town) slid into the bay, creating a 30′ localized
tsunami. The underwater land slide carried away the
cannery, the boat dock, the Army dock, part of the
railroad dock and the Standard Oil dock. To give you an
idea of how massive this land slide was: a 200 ton wharf crane,
at the railroad dock was swallowed up by the underwater
slump and NEVER found again.

Subsequent waves spread burning oil
(from the Standard Oil
Company tanks) toward the loaded railroad tank
cars and the Texaco tank farm, which then exploded,
spreading fire all over the town of
Seward.

Waves destroyed the small boat harbor and
shuffled (for the lack
of a better word) the 125 boats moored there; some
boats were pushed far inland, onto dry ground.
Railroad tracks were stripped off of their
rails and tank cars were tumbled like pickup sticks.
Remarkably, only 13 people died in Seward.

ANCHORAGE
 (8 dead plus 1 from Ft. Richardson)

Parts of Anchorage, the largest
city in Alaska, saw substantial damage;
not from tsunami waves, like other parts of
central Alaska, but from 4½ MINUTES of ground movement which turned
the Cook Inlet clay and sediment (that Anchorage
is built on) into a liquid which caused large landsides, like
the one that destroyed three blocks of Fourth Avenue.
Another problem area was over behind the old Alaska Native
Hospital, where a section of the bluff (650′ wide x
12′ deep) fractured and moved north, taking out a fuel storage
tank and lowering part of the hospital parking lot
by 25′. The south wing of the Government Hill Elementary
School dropped 30′ and the east wing of the school split lengthwise
and collapsed. The front of the new five story J.C.Penny building
collapsed as did the new six story Four Seasons apartment
building on L Street; the 60′ tall air traffic control tower
at International Airport also collapsed.

Major ground movement destroyed 75+ Anchorage homes and
killed 4 people in the exclusive Turnagain Heights area
(off of Northern Lights Blvd.) where many prominent families
lived on a high bluff overlooking the Inlet. When
the shaking started, the entire 8,600′ x 1,200′ bluff
slid nearly 1,000′, breaking homes in half and burying others.
Today that area is called Earthquake Park.

WHITTIER  (13
dead)
The
devastation in Whittier happened at
lightening speed during the 1964 earthquake.
Even before the earth stopped shaking, three
40′ localized tsunami waves
came ashore (90 seconds apart), killing
13 of Whittler’s 70 residents and depositing
two ton boulders on shore. The waves demolished
the railroad depot, the Columbia Lumber Company
and tipped over the Union Oil tank farm which
then exploded and sent burning oil out into the Bay
and filling the town with black smoke.

KODIAK ISLAND 
(22 dead)

Tsunami waves came ashore at the city of
Kodiak about every 55 minutes
for almost 10 hours. The first 30′ waves were the
largest, but the smaller ones were none the less
deadly. The waves pushed 50 and 100 ton crab
boats over the harbor breakwater and deposited them
2 to 3 blocks into town. Downtown, buildings were pushed
off of their foundations and relocated from one block
to the next. Forty percent of Kodiak’s business district
and thirty percent of its fishing industry facilities
were demolished. The small boat harbor was destroyed, as were
158 homes. Thirteen people were killed in the town of Kodiak,
3 in Kaguyak village, 3 in Afognak village, 1 in Old Harbor and 1
in Kalsin Bay.

In Seward, Alaska
 The power of the earthquake
tossed these
 railroad cars like pick-up-sticks
You can see the burning oil storage
tanks in the distance