JAMES NORTHERN

James Charles Northern, 63, died Jan. 21, 2008 from cancer, at his home in Wasilla.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 29 at Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel, 1015 S. Check Street in Wasilla. Public viewing and visitation will be for one hour prior to services. Pastor Doug Ferrett of Independent Baptist Church of Big Lake will officiate. Cremation will follow the services.

Northern was born Feb. 29, 1944, in Lebanon, Ore. He came to Alaska in 1979, from Sweet Home, Ore. He was a lifelong truck driver, and had worked on the North Slope building ice roads for Klondike Concrete, K & K Enterprises, Titus Trucking, Northern Trucking and Wyble Trucking. His hobbies and special interests were fishing, hunting, driving and country music.

His family wrote, “He loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing and taking long drives. He also loved his animals and spending time with his family and friends.”

He was preceded in death by his parents Ray and Vernice Northern; father James Robinette; and brothers Jimmy Robinette and Ed Northern.

Surviving are his daughters and sons-in-law Sherry and James White, Linda Hurst and Bill Madison, and Jenni and Mike Haire, all of Wasilla, and Robbie Lee Blevins of Sweet Home; sons and daughter-in-law Tracy Boyland and Tammy Deford of Wasilla, and James Northern II of Sweet Home; former wife and her husband, Norma and Keith Buchanan of Wasilla; sisters Carolyn, Betty and Patsy, and brothers Ronnie and Gayle of Sweet Home; best friend Billy Martin of Eagle River; 24 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren in Alaska, Oregon and Washington