A little something more about Harry E. Lorig, Sr.

Harry Lorig, Anchorage, Alaska, ca 1941

This wonderful photograph of Harry dressed in traditional Iniut clothing was taken while he was working in Anchorage, Alaska in 1941.  His brother-in-law, Dick Thompson, had this picture in one of his scrapbooks and had written Harry’s name on the back.

There are few photos and not very much information about Harry, the older brother of Walt Lorig, so it was a delightful surprise to find a couple of new pictures and some additional information about him.  Several years ago Walt had told me that his brother Harry left his large family around 1940 or 1941 to go to Alaska to find work.  This would have been shortly after Harry’s youngest child, Gilmore, was born in the fall of 1940.  

World War II Draft Registration card, Harry Lorig

[Note:  Deceased, with the date, has been written in the margin of the card.  Also the condition of his signature on the card.]

Since many people in the family had gone to Alaska to work in the fishing and canning industry I assumed, incorrectly as it turned out, that Harry had gone there to do that type of work also.  However, his World War II draft registration card, above, tells as different story.  It shows he was a civilian working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers building Fort Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska, and other things related to the beginning of World War II.  Much like my Dad who was needed as a construction worker during the war, Harry was exempt from the draft as an essential worker at home.  The registration card shows he was living in Federal Rooms at the time of his death 5 March 1942.  Following Harry’s death Walt went up to Alaska to take care of the funeral and burial and he told me his brother had been living in a hotel.  It now appears that rooms in a hotel or possibly a barracks were available for the people doing the work at the fort.  Fort Richardson was built during 1940-1941 and would have been completed just prior to the time Harry died.   He is buried in the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery.   

Harry’s grave, Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery, Alaska

Bessie, Harry holding Gloria, Maggie with Betty Lou standing in front of her, Edd holding Sonny, and Walt holding Patty, 1933

There are not many photos of Bessie as a young mother so this was sort of a double bonus photo.  It looks like it was probably taken in the yard at Maggie and Edd Lorig’s home in Seattle.  This was another photo in Dick Thompson’s collection and conveniently had the names written on the back of the picture.  Although Walt said his brother could do just about any kind of work, Harry is listed as a plumber on census records. 

I will be curious to learn if any of the extended family that connects to the Lorigs has seen these or similar pictures before or knows more about Harry’s time in Alaska.