In Loving Memory of Bernhart (Ben) Michael Savikko (1917‐2010)

 

Bernhart Michael (Ben) Savikko, passed away at the age of 93 on August 18, 2010 in Douglas, Alaska.

I am blessed to have been the firstborn of 5 children (and only daughter) born to my Alaskan pioneer father, and Cajun French mother, who now survives him. 

Along with myself, Michele Savikko Bilyeu (Larry) of Salem, Oregon and four younger brothers, Dr.Douglas Savikko (Rebecca) of Eagle River, Herman Savikko (Paula) and Kurt Savikko (Holly) of Douglas, and Rick Savikko (Shelley) of Juneau.

Our wonderful father was an avid outdoorsman, a talented craftsman, artist, photographer, writer and electrician. He worked as newpaper delivery boy,, and photographic apprentice, as well as herding dairy cattle from Douglas Island (on a barge) to Juneau Alaska for grazing and milking) and eventually his lifelong job for the Alaska Light and Power Company in Juneau, Alaska until his retirement. He studied electrical courses by correspondence along with many other classes sharing his love as a life-long learner even after the births of his five "stair step" children! Our home was filled with music, art, photography,  joy and a love and beauty of the natural world that surrounded us.

He loved his wife, our mother Nellie Grace Peltier Savikko, devotedly throughout his life and was a constant provider of fish, game, and love for all of us.

Our father Ben Savikko was introduced to my mother through the mail by an Alaskan cousin who had been our mother's penpal. He in Douglas, Alaska and our mother in St. Martinville, Louisiana, thanks to a Douglas High School penpal program in the 1940s!

Ben Savikko along with five of his brothers were members of the Armed Forces from the then Alaskan Territory.  The Savikko family was known as a Five Star Family with 5 sons all leaving home to fight in WWII. 

He attended the University of Washington after World War II and later Tulane University in New Orleans,  Louisiana. He dreamed of being a doctor someday and remained interested in the medical and healing arts throughout his life 

Ben and Nell were married on April 9, 1949 in Louisiana but later moved to Alaska to live and raise their family. My father hand washed baby diapers on a scrubbing board and hung them out to dry on my French grandmother's clothesline completely amazing her with both his love and adoration of my mother and myself, but his total willingness to do hard work of all kinds, especially that considered a "woman's work! Ahead of the times in so many, many ways!!

Their first three of 5 children were born and raised as infants first in St. Martinsville and then in New Orleans, Louisiana, where my father continued his college education at Tulane University. He moved our family by traveling 5,000 miles by car from Louisiana up and onto the Alcan (Alaska-Canadian) highway to Haines, Alaska, where we then were put on a ferry, to travel to Juneau and then across the Gastineau Channel to our island home in Douglas.

We were blessed to grow up on this beautiful island surrounded by water, mountains and fern-filled forests and to learn to be self-reliant, independent, and hard working and to never give up no matter what challenges life might give us from this strong-willed Finnish father and our beautiful  French mother.

When our father passed away at age 93, he died proudly knowing that he was the oldest surviving resident to have been born and raised on the island of Douglas at that time.

My father leaves behind not only all that he taught and gave to us with rich memories bound to the deepest love of family, tradition, integrity and loyalty , but he leaves his five children, their spouses, 13 grandchildren and 4 great-grand children.

We were amazingly blessed to not only have had this wonderful man in our lives for so many years, but to have learned that if he could survived traveling with young children 5,000 miles back and forth to Louisiana multipletimes,  raising a family in a U.S. territory! As well as hunting and fishing to supply us with food, loving playing with us beyond what men of his generation did with their children.

Teaching us, loving us, and showing us that we could survive anything from major illnesses, having our home burned to the ground with family members asleep, one son in a body cast, two more tossed from burning windows by my father, my mother in a nightgown running for help, and all of us surviving so much over our lifetimes!! 

 

My father's final years of his life included caring for my mother through stage 3b breast cancer, (first in my home in Oregon and later after care in Alaska) and having her survive (against all odds) but also caring for her as she was stricken with Alzheimer's 5 years later after returning back to the Juneau area.

He watched over her, cooked and cleaned for her, tested her insulin levels ,

Many times a day giving insulin shots as needed with complete and total dedication for his five final years  He loved her so deeply that this is by the far the greatest gift this dear man could ever have left us.

He is remembered by an entire community for being a member of one of the area's earliest pioneer families and for being a good and forever friend to all he ever met and knew.

We will treasure forever all that he taught and gave to us and hold him and have him live everlastingly in our hearts.

XXXOOO Dad

Love,
Michele
Douglas Island, Alaska/Salem, Oregon