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Additional Resources

Readers' Reviews

Free Reader's Guide

Alaska Unit Study Guide

Meet Anna on DVD

Valdez Museum

Reviews

"As I read both books, I kept thinking about how different, yet similar, Alaska is today. While we have made great technological advances since the 1950s and 1960s, Alaska is still not for the faint of heart. Due to geography and weather, conveniences can be scarce. The connections to the past, coupled with attitudes of ingenuity and optimism, give the reader of these two books a sense of adventure and inspiration to head north to Alaska." — Patricia Relay, Valdez Museum and Archives, In the Alaska Historical Society Publication

"I couldn't get over how Anna's life was so out of the ordinary - and what a pioneer she was. I felt as though I was right beside her, wondering where she'd go next, experiencing her emotions, and anticipating what she'll find ahead of her. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a true story! Whereas non-fiction books can seem so emotion-less and factual, this book read like fiction. I really admired her faith, too." — Joy Fredericks, Parker, CO

"The 'A' is for Alaska book so interesting! So very well written. It keeps me wanting to read just one more ABC section! I have a hard time stopping. " — Marianna Gaede, Volunteer at the Women's County Jail, Volunteer Reader at Public Schools in Fresno, CA

"Anna was quite a woman. I appreciated the way you made her faith shine through without dwelling on religion. She was obviously a gifted teacher who put her heart and life into her job. Wish we had more of those teachers today. I enjoyed the cameo appearances of you and your family. I loved the remark you made about your Mom's picnic solution for both discouragements and celebrations. That one remark put your Mom's personality in a nutshell and once again brought out my admiration for who she was. More than a few times, I laughed out loud at the way you phrased things." — Karen Isaak Encelewski

"When I read about Anna Bortel Church giving the Nunamiut people an education, I was in awe of her strength, her dedication to her profession, and her love for the people around her. She put a lot of faith in God to keep her safe." — Roger Olsen, Plant Manager of local telephone company in Winthrop, Iowa

"I was amazed by Anna's willingness, and sacrifice, to go so far from home and invest in the lives of children. The stories flowed so well and I felt as though I was right there beside her, enduring lack of plumbing, dealing with heating freeze-ups, and coping with a difficult supervising teacher. While I'm impatiently waiting to find out what happens in the following book (A is for Anaktuvuk), I'm enjoying reading more bits about her in Alaska Bush Pilot Doctor and From Kansas Wheat Fields to Alaska Tundra. " — Myra Stutzman, Goddard Women's Club, Goddard, KS

"As we follow Bortel through her years in Tanana and see the heartaches and disappointments, we also see the resilience and resolve that characterizes anyone who lasts longer than a few years here." Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

'A' is for Alaska:
Teacher to the Territory

'A' is for Alaska: Teacher to the Territory
A is for Alaska Back Cover

(Larger Image)

About the Book

Just as the Alaska spawning salmon swim upstream, so did this single woman swim against the current of a society that expected her to fit the mold of wife and mother. When this rite of passage eluded Anna Bortel, she did not bemoan her singlehood. Instead, in 1954, this young school teacher drove up the Alaska-Canada Highway from Ohio to Valdez, where snow was measured in feet and an Easter Egg hunt unheard of event.

Her curiosity wasn't quelled. She pushed farther north to an isolated Athabascan village along the Yukon River. Teaching and living in drafty Quonset huts with freezing oil lines at 50 below zero added to her teaching rigors. Discouraged? Yes. Daunted? No.

You'll smile, laugh, and shake your head in amazement as you read these heartwarming, inspiring, and captivating stories of teaching in the Territory of Alaska.

Takes Place In

This book takes place in Ohio (1923-1954), Valdez, AK (1954-1957), and Tanana, AK (1957-1960).

Chapters In The Book and Excerpts
  • Growing into a Schoolteacher
  • North to Alaska (read excerpt)
  • This Territory Called Alaska
  • Puzzle Pieces
  • If God Builds the Foundation
  • The Unwelcome Visitor
  • Romance Arrives
  • Needed: Teachers in the Territory (read excerpt)
  • All I Need is a Break
  • Chocolate Cake Flambe
  • Beware the Blows!
  • Easter Eggs: Boiled or Frozen?
  • A Stepping Stone North
  • Getting Acquainted
  • Making Myself at Home
  • School Bells (read excerpt)
  • The Automatic Flu
  • No Doubt About it - Winter is Here!
  • Christmastime in Tanana
  • Potlatch Celebration
  • Ordinary Village Life
  • An Uncertain Future
  • The Going Gets Tough (read excerpt)
  • The Tough Get Tougher
  • The 49th State
  • Farther North?
  • Breakup
  • A Few More Alaska Experiences
  • Taking it Easy
  • Changes, Chickens, and Conclusions
Tiekel Roadhouse

In the "Romance Arrives" chapter, page 81, you read about Anna and Al's outing to Tiekel Road house. This is what Tiekel road house likes like today. It was purchased in 2007 by Jim and Charlotte Shephard.

Tiekel Roadhouse
Original front of the roadhouse.

Tiekel Roadhouse
A relocated outhouse.

Tiekel Roadhouse
I'm having tea in the Tiekel Roadhouse with Jim and Charlotte, who overwhelmed me with their kindness and generosity while I was in Valdez, AK (July 2012).