Barbara Samuels

Nov 1, 1931 -

Aug 1, 2022

Longtime Alaska resident Barbara Samuels passed away in Nevada on Aug. 1, 2022. Born on Nov. 1, 1931, in San Jose, Calif., she began her grand Alaska adventure upon graduation from Biola Bible College in Los Angeles in 1953. Her parents gave her a one-way ticket to Nome, Alaska, as a graduation gift, assuming she could work her way home if needed. She soon got a job working for Alaska Airlines writing tickets and meeting airplanes. One of the flights delivered Charles Samuels to Nome for his first assignment as the weather observer. Barbara put her education degree to use when she became a Nome schoolteacher. Barbara and Charles married in Nome on July 22, 1956. They lived in many places in Alaska at various times - King Salmon, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Metlakatla, Delta Junction - while Charles rose through the ranks of the Weather Service, finally making a permanent residence in Anchorage in 1980.

Barbara was involved in genealogy research and traveled across the U.S. and abroad for her studies. She authored two books of family genealogy. An original member of First Evangelical Covenant Church of Anchorage, she remained active there until her health started to fail.

She was preceded in death by her son, Duane. She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Charles; daughter, Paula Lindstam (Larry); and son, Ralph Samuels (Portia) of Anchorage; grandchildren, Valerie Walsh (Brennan) and Jilli Lindstam of Anchorage, and Thor Lindstam of Juneau, Alaska; and great-grandsons, Hugo and Magnus Walsh of Anchorage. Peace to her memory.