HEDY NICKITA

Anchorage resident Hedy Nickita, 75, died of natural causes at Cook Inlet Elder Housing in Anchorage on April 16, 2005.

A visitation will take place Monday, April 25, from 10 a.m.-noon, at Witzleben's Bragaw chapel, followed by a graveside service at Knik Village Burial Ground, located at Mile 13, Knik, at 2:30 p.m. Pallbearers will be Jason Williams, Alfred Tellman, Raymond Theodore, David Theodore, Rusty Gump and Roy Mendenhall.

Ms. Nickita was born April 30, 1929 in Knik. She attended BIA school in Eklutna and lived in Talkeetna for 33 years. She was a CIRI shareholder, Knik tribe member and was also affiliated with the Russian Orthodox church.

Her family wrote, "Hedy loved nature and walking on long walks and being close to nature. She will be lovingly remembered as one who seldom complained and had an unbending spirit, always being a lot stronger than she appeared.

"Being close to nature, she had a very fond regard of Talkeetna, where she lived for 33 years, residing with the Wernberg family as a caretaker. Growing up in childhood meant surviving from the land and sometimes walking for many miles for groceries."

Ms. Nickita is survived by her daughter, Marie Williams; brothers, Nick, Paul and Ray Stephan, and grandsons, Jason T. and Doug R. Williams. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Eva, Olga, Barbara, Katherine, Annie and Virginia, and her brothers, Richard and Robert.

Family and friends may leave memorial tributes at www.mem.com. Arrangements were provided by Witzleben Family Funeral Home.