FLOYD MARGESON

Big Lake resident Floyd Elmer Margeson Sr., 83, died Sept. 20, 2001, at Valley Hospital in Palmer.

An informal memorial service and celebration of his life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at the family home in Big Lake.

Mr. Margeson was born June 2, 1918, in Portland, Ore. He attended high school in Goldendale, Wash.

He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as seaman first class, in the Pacific Fleet on the USS Orestes.

He came to Alaska in 1969 and resided in North Pole from 1969 to 1990, and in Big Lake since 1990.

He worked for Washougal Woolen Mill in Washington state in 1939-40, for a Camas, Wash., paper mill in 1940-42, for a Vancouver, Wash., shipyard in 1942-43, for the U.S. Navy in 1943-45, for the mothball fleet of the U.S. Maritime Commission in 1945-46, as a ferry operator in Umatilla, Ore., in 1946-50, as a tug operator in Willamette, Ore., for the Corps of Army Engineers in 1950-58, as a tug operator from 1955 -58 for Utah Union Pacific Great Salt Lake Rail Crossing, and for the trans Alaska pipeline from 1969-79, doing dam construction in Washington and Idaho. He retired from Laborer's Union Local 942 in 1979.

Mr. Margeson enjoyed ATVing, snowmachining, hunting, fishing, RC model airplane building and flying, and ultralight flying on Big Lake.

His family said: "He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He will be greatly missed by all. Floyd started snowmachining and four-wheeling in his 80s and enjoyed riding in the Big Lake Poker Runs with his wife and son, Floyd Jr. Floyd and his wife were the oldest couple in the 1981 Run.

"He found joy in the simple things in life, like get-togethers with family, friends and his grandchildren. He especially enjoyed being at the lake with his son.

"His son said he lost the best friend he ever had. We will carry him in our hearts forever."

Memorial donations for the Veterans' Memorial may be made to Forrest Miles, 1801 Vaunda Ave., Wasilla, AK 99654.

Survivors are his wife, Dorothy of Big Lake; son, Floyd Jr. of Big Lake; daughter, Rose Welsh of Wasilla; grandchildren, Forrest Miles, Scott Miles, Sandy Ebbs, Billie Welsh, Kathryn Shafer, Michelle Dykeman, Patrina Langevin, and Jeremy Welsh; brother, Jim Margeson; and 26 great-grandchildren.

Arrangements were made by Valley Funeral Home & Crematory of Wasilla.