richard proenneke obituary richard proenneke obituary

In his will, Proenneke left behind his Twin Lakes cabin to the park rangers as a gift. His quiet life and wilderness ethic the belief that wildlife should not suffer for his presence could easily have gone unnoticed, but his story became widely known in 1973, when Sam Keith published the book One Mans Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey, based on Proennekes daily journal entries and photographs. The Donnellson Public Library in Donnellson, Iowa, close to his hometown of Primrose, opened a Richard Proenneke museum exhibit in 2012. View images of Proenneke's cabin and of the beautiful Twin Lakes area where he built his wilderness home. I first met Dick in the summer of 1979. Jerry and Jeanette Mills and my dog Trapper made the hike. His letters are some of my most cherished possessions words of wisdom from a man I loved and admired. Dick's wilderness ethic was simple: "Twin Lakes and the wildlife therein should not suffer for his presence.". Proenneke wrote regularly in his journal; he filled hundreds of steno pads, many of which the Park Service now owns. 99653, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. The day after my birthday, we went to the other side of the lake and picked blueberries. Born in rural Iowa in 1916, Dick was a child of the Great Depression. To my knowledge, the cabin door was never locked. NPCA names partner recipient of annual award in honor of commitment to national park protection. The world is full of such things., Proenneke left Twin Lakes in 1998, when he was 82, to move in with his brother in California. Developed May 1984. He took some line and threw it in the lake with a hook, and then we headed up behind his cabin. That glacier doesnt have a name. Richard L Proenneke of Hemet, Riverside County, California was born on May 4, 1916, and died at age 86 years old on April 20, 2003. The votes are in! There, surrounded by mighty glaciers and solemn pine trees, he would remain for the next 30 years. In mid-2007, his cabin and the outbuildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places. Learn who Richard was, about his 30 years of homesteading in Alaska, and see a lifesized replica of his Alaskan cabin. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data. He also carried a camera and tripod with him, which he used to record some of his daily activities, in case anyone would ever be interested to see how he lived. Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Richard's lifetime. They just worked on my senses. He returned to Twin Lakes the following spring and remained there for most of the next thirty years, traveling to the contiguous United States only occasionally to visit his family. An experienced solo traveler and NPCA staff member offers pro tips to make the most of your park visit. The cattle may not have worked out, but when the naval station on the island learned of Proennekes capabilities, he was immediately put to work as a dieselmechanic. 300 Blackout vs 308 Win: Which Round Reigns Supreme in AR-15s? Richard L. Proenneke (U.S. National Park Service) A master craftsman dedicated to living simply on the land, he used local materials, simple tools, and human ingenuity to craft a home and life in keeping with the wilderness. Dick would stay on at Twin Lakes into the late 1990s, spending a little more time down south every year. 2 years longer than After one tiring hike up and over Low Pass to the Kijik area with my sister and Dick, who was then 79 years old, we returned to soak our feet in the lake in front of Dicks cabin and eat his famous blueberries with Tang. We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. The Unbelievable Story Of Dick Proenneke, The Man Who Lived Alone In The Alaskan Wilderness For 30 Years. It was the last time he would walk unassisted for another six months. When 2 or more people share their unique perspectives, Fortunately, he knew just the place. They rode west and worked the wheat harvest in Oklahoma, then on to pick apples in Oregon. In how many days is his birthday? He said, Ive been practicing chin-ups so that on my birthday, I can do 80., He was up to 60 when I landed, and he said he was adding two to four a day. Richard Proenneke - Celebrity biography, zodiac sign and famous quotes Dick took a special liking to me and showed me a lot of his favorite places around both upper and lower Twin Lakes. Doing a job to completeness satisfies a man. Returning now more often to the Carrithers cabin at Twin Lakes, Dick found his answers in the solitary wilderness. Proenneke's cabin at Upper Twin Lake stands out for the remarkable craftsmanship that reflects his unshakable wilderness ethic. He was a highly skilled . Free Shipping on all orders within the United States. Share highlights of Richard's life. We paddled at a steady but slow pace. If they had only slowed down to savor the moment. Unable to restart the iced-up engine, he made a forced landing outside of Copper Center, Alaska. No, oh no, Dick would quickly command. More than once he verbally confronted them over leaving behind trash or useable meat. Carrithers and his wife, Hope, were building a cabin at Twin Lakes on what was then Bureau of Land Management land. His love of nature can be traced back to his mother, who enjoyed gardening. Flying solo in his Piper Cub, he was luckyto be in sight of a road when the engine cut out. Proenneke has often been referred to as a hermit, alone and isolated and cut off from any type of contact. Genealogy Collection :: Donnellson Public Library Once in a while, on a visit, we would walk down and each get two one for eating right now and one to take back. I was the first and only field ranger assigned to Lake Clark National Monument that year. Today, Proennekes slower, simpler lifestyle remains an inspiration to many. His skills as a technician were well-known and sought after, and he was able to save for retirement. To say he was ahead of his time is a massive understatementespecially when you consider all of todays survivalist-type cable TV programs. Betty Sue died from complications of emphysema in Waverly, Tennessee. Richard was excited about getting back to Twin Lakes spending nine weeks on this trip in 1965. One of his admirers didnt live too far away and, in fact, owned the small lodge that had been built in the only private non-native inholding in the Twin Lakes area. American Frontiersman Summer 2022: Coming in Hot, Loaded for Bear! . New Book: 'The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke' - Lost Art Press Following his retirement, he decided to live alone in the wilderness of Alaska and on May 21, 1968, he arrived at the spot he had chosen near the Twin Lakes. (1) Proenneke aboard his Tom Sawyer raft on Lachbuna Lake. A third part was announced but never aired. Watch as Richard and brother "Jake" salvage a crashed Ketchum plane in Lower Lake. He worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service at King Salmon on the Alaska Peninsula. Ill lose some sleep thinking about that one . Far from anti-social, he welcomed them all with hot tea and popcorn. The early 1980s must have been an anxious time for Dick and many others who lived inside the boundaries of newly created parks and preserves. Beforehand, he made arrangements to use a cabin on Upper Twin Lake owned by retired Navy Captain Spike Carrithers and his wife Hope of Kodiak (in whose care he had left his camper). He began keeping his Journal only after everyone had gone from Sept. 16 through Oct. 10th. Dick lived his life at Twin Lakes with the same spirit he used to build his cabin, with purposeful intent. Port Alsworth, (His belongings were there but without him there it was an empty shell.) Proenneke's Cabin - Lake and Peninsula, Alaska - Atlas Obscura His main cabin is roughly a 12-foot by 16-foot structure built from round spruce logs, with the roof being covered by sod, moss and grass that he added over the years. Maybe it rubs off on them during their stints in Washington, like spruce pollen on a moose. AK Not long after, he and a friend set out to see the country. Thoreau was no doubt a great philosopher, but in truth he only spent two years on Walden Pond. Another friend from Kodiak, Herb Wright, had applied for a Small Track Lease on the site in 1960; however, in a sad turn of events, Wright became terminally ill. Proenneke chose to live in this isolated wilderness without electricity, running water, telephone, or other modern 'necessities.'. Invite family and friends to share what they know about Richard L Proenneke. Ashley Paige Milstead Nov. 28, 1986 - March 16, 2023 MORTON - Ashley Paige Milstead, 36, of Morton, passed away at 6:18 a.m. Thursday, March 16, 2023, at her home surrounded by family after a . He supported the raised storage with poles higher than traditional Athabascan caches in the region to avoid bears breaking in, and wrapped tin around the poles to prevent small rodents from climbing. Once when we visited, I noticed a fish line in the lake with what appeared to be fish intestines carefully threaded on the hook. AK His friend and Lake Clark National Park employee John Branson edited his journals to publish two books, 'More Readings From One Man's Wilderness' and 'The Early Years: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke 19671973'. The fireplace and flue were made from stones he dug from around the site and mortared in place to create the chimney and hearth. Dick Proenneke's cabin on Twin Lakes Alaska Fly In TripAlone In The Wilderness Volume I. The last time I saw Dick was after a hike from Telaquana Lake to Twin Lakes in August 1998. This section is to introduce Richard Proenneke with highlights of his life and how he is remembered. Then, learn about Chris McCandless, who hiked into the Alaskan wilderness in 1992, never to be seen alive again. He had two brothers, Robert and Raymond (Jake), and three sisters, Helen, Lorene, and Florence. I considered it an honor to have met and spent some time with this remarkable man. Your tax-deductible membership donation of $25 or more entitles. Nonetheless, he had become such an integral part of the parks ecosystem that the rangers had trouble imagining life without him. Dick eventually came to view the National Park Service as the lesser of two evils. My partner, Tim Wingate, and I would be flown to Twin Lakes for a variety of assignments. Richard Louis Proenneke died on Easter morning, 2003, in Hemet, Calif. Self-sufficient as he was, Dick was always dependent on the outside world. In all his years at Twin Lakes, Dick only documents killing a ram and a caribou himself. I was at Dicks place the day the associate directors visited. He collected gravel from the lake bed to build the cabin's base, and hand-selected trees, manually cutting them down and creating interlocking joints for the walls and roof rafter framing. I hope the snow falls lightly and the wind howls softly. He died in April 20, 2003. (2005), Author: Richard L. Proenneke, Branson, John B., ed. Bush pilot and fishing guide John Erickson has been flying visitors to Twin Lakes for almost 25 years. Afraid he didnt have the discipline to keep from eating the whole box at once, he stored them in an abandoned cabin he used as storage. Who were the people in Richard's life? He said that he had caught a lake trout that morning and rather than throw away the insides, he put them on a hook and figured he would catch a burbot for another meal. Today its overshadowed by his other accomplishments, but he was truly one of the premier wildlife photographers of his time. Even Babe Alsworth makes an appearance when he flies in to pick up Roy Allen. Richard Proenneke's birthday is on May 4, 1916. when he died at the age of 86. Keiths book, One Mans Wilderness, was published in 1973 and introduced Dick to the world. Edited by Keith, it was re-issued on its 26th anniversary in 1999, which won the 'National Outdoor Book Award' (NOBA) that year. One day I learned that Dick did have a sharp side to his personality. In October, the couple published Dick Proenneke: Reflections on a Man in His Wilderness, a compilation of essays written by (or drawn from interviews with) his friends and admirers. This couldn't be further from the truth. See What AncientFaces Does, We stopped in at his cabin but without Dick there, it lacked everything that made it special to me. Richard Proenneke passed away at age 86 years old on April 20, 2003. Thanks to Alaska Northwest Books for reissuing this 50th Anniversary Edition and turning on a whole new generation of readers to the tale of Proenneke's eighteen months alone in the . I grew up here in Alaska. He possessed tremendous attention to detail as the faintest track or the slightest movement was sure to catch his eye. Welcome to The Official Richard Proenneke Website! and you'll be alerted when others do the same. I visited Twin Lakes the following year in October to photograph bull moose and Dall Sheep but Dick wasnt staying for the winters anymore. In 1999, 82-year-old Richard Proenneke left his cabin and came to live with his brother Jake in Hemet, California. Add family and friends whose lives he impacted. Proenneke remained at Twin Lakes for the next sixteen months, after which he briefly visited home to visit relatives and secure more supplies. . Come in out of the subzero and shiver yourself warm in front of a wood fire? Richard Louis Proenneke was born on May 4, 1916, in Primrose, Harrison Township, Lee County, Iowa. When we got back to Dicks cabin, we found a very large lake trout on the line, and Dick made much of it. Reflections on a Man in his Wilderness National Parks Conservation When I worked at Lake Clark in the summers of 1990 and 1991, Dick and I would check in with each other on the radio most mornings. The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke - Lost Art Press I have found that some of the simplest things have given me the most pleasure, he wrote in his diaries. While waiting for redeployment, he was stricken with rheumatic fever in San Francisco. In 1995, when he was 79 years old, on October 16th, the Million Man March took place on the National Mall in Washington DC. Proenneke would stomp out a runway for pilots during the winter. Richard Louis Proenneke 1916 - 2003 . [citation needed]. One Man's Wilderness - Wikipedia In his minimalistic life he needed few material things. In 2020, the fifth and final collection of Proenneke's journals, Reaching the End of the Trail: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke 19922000 was published. Being together was always very comfortable, whether conversation came or not. Stu Coleman recently retired from a job working among the bison and bears at Yellowstone National Park. While living in his cabin, Richard Proenneke spent a lot of time hunting for meat, growing vegetables and collecting wood for fire. The cabin stands today, a testament to his exceptional craftsmanship and resourcefulness. 2 birth, 1 death, View Proenneke's friend, bush pilot and missionary Leon Reid "Babe" Alsworth, returned periodically by seaplane or ski-plane to bring mail, food and orders that Proenneke placed through him to Sears.[7]. Thanks to his carpenting skills, Proenneke was able to construct a cozy cabin from trees he cut and carved on his own. He lived in complete isolation for 30 years. a In 1949, Dick Proenneke moved to Portland, Oregon, to study diesel mechanics and heavy equipment operation. Pull on dry woolen socks after youve peeled off the wet ones? You can bet he made use of every scrap. After they left, I asked Dick, So howd it go? He instantly lit into them. I think we both recognized we were on the same side concerning the protection and preservation of the wildlife and natural resources in the new park site. He donated his cabin to the National Park Service, following which it became a popular tourism attraction as NPS offered trips to the site during summer. Richard Proenneke did what most nature buffs can only dream of: At age 51, he quit his job as a mechanic and moved to the Alaskan wilderness to become one with nature. Over the years many have drawn parallels between Proenneke and Henry David Thoreau. During the recent Athlon Outdoors 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme. . the average Proenneke family member The following is excerpted from " The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke ," by Monroe Robinson. Four years later, Proenneke died of a stroke on April 20, 2003. The landscape commemorates the life of Richard L. Proenneke, a legendary writer, wildlife photographer, and conservationist who lived alone in a cabin he built by hand. After 56 years, Richards first handwritten Journal has found its way back to his film. In our collection of film taken by Richard and Raymond Proenneke was film labeled 1965 Twin Lakes. A nature lover, Proenneke soon gave up his career as an engineer to work at a sheep ranch in Oregon, and later relocated to Shuyak Island, Alaska, in 1950. 99653, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. After Dick Proennekes death, park rangers turned his cabin into a monument. He initially stayed at the cabin for 16 months before returning home to visit relatives and to collect more provisions for a longer stay. When they came in, he would pass out crackers and tell visitors, Now hold the cracker tight. Through the early 1970s, land usage debates raged in Alaska. Winners Announced: Ballistics Best Readers Choice 2022, New for 2023: The 21 Best New Handguns Seen at SHOT Show, First Contact: The Laugo Alien Pistol Has Landed, and Its out of This World. His observations have inspired several books and videos. - January 18, 1981. He got to work with even bigger machines when joining the U.S. Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor. While at work at Chiniak he sustained an injury that nearly cost him his vision. He primarily stored his tools and a huge pile of wood in the shed. Despitethe hard times, by 1939 Dick had saved enough for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Richard Proenneke Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life Proenneke often credited his Iowa farm upbringing with giving him the skills needed to hunt, fish, and fend for himself. Some parks are using reservation systems to manage crowds and ensure visitor access. We've counted the ballots, and we're excited and impressed by you, the My agency only authorizes duty weapons for off-duty carry. He made a film record of his solitary life which was later re-edited and made into the documentary Alone in the Wilderness. Physically, his lifestyle and attitudes about work kept him fit as a fiddle well intohis 70s. Most of what he did have he made himself. In addition, he had a keen mind and loved to learn, mostly through observation. After hiking on a mountain near San Francisco he contracted rheumatic fever and was hospitalized at Norco Naval Hospital for six months. Richard's immediate relatives including parents, siblings, partnerships and children in the Proenneke family tree. He writes 'I just want someone who knows how to live life to its fullest to show me how to stay alive,' end of quote. Port Alsworth, Competition 101: Preparing for Your First 3-Gun Competition, TESTED: Shooting the New Hornady 7mm PRC Rifle Cartridge. During the next few years, he earned a reputation as a very skilled mechanic thanks to his adaptability, strong work ethics and intelligence. Chris Degernes made Dick chocolate peanut clusters a few times a year. PO Box 227 Two New Richard Proenneke DVD Documentaries are here! Betty Sue is survived by two daughters, Lynn Markworth and Audrey Dyer and five grandchildren. One sunny day, Dick and I were relaxing on his well-raked beach enjoying a little chat. . In this edition readers find him going about his daily chores, documenting wildlife behavior, and . Along with a biography composed by his friend Sam Keith, Proennekes notepads and camera footage were later turned into a documentary, Alone in the Wilderness, which shows Proennekes simple lifestyle in all its glory. Protecting Our Future. When did he die? Hardly a sedentary retirement, he was up before dawn each and every morning. Everyone, it seemed, had a story about him, and the Bennetts decided to collect some of them before it was too late. Today, Twin Lakes is best known for being Proennekes private retirement home. I was one of 19 rangers from the Lower 48 who had been selected and sent to Alaska to watch over the new Park Service monuments covering 48 million acres that had been designated by President Jimmy Carter. That summer Proenneke harvested spruce trees and in 1968 he began construction on what would become his cabin and wilderness home during the next thirty years. Cassandra Faye Shaffer Obituary. When more footage was found from his recordings, a second part was made and aired on December 2, 2011. He saw his correspondence, films, and journals as a way to share a life untethered to the commercial world. Sam Keith, who came to know Proenneke at the Kodiak Naval Station and went on numerous hunting and fishing trips with him, suggested that Proenneke's journals might be the basis for a good book. The Biography section is collaborative, where we work together to present the facts. Remembering Richard Schneider | Search Obituaries | Central Cremation Eventually, large swaths of the diaries, more than 250 steno pads in all, were published in three edited volumes, and several filmmakers used footage Proenneke had shot in biographical movies. He has since been writing for more than five years, developing his expertise in subjects like Soviet history as well as World War II, and his work has appeared in Esquire, Hyperallergic, Polygon, History Today, and The New York Observer. Proenneke hunted, fished, raised and gathered his own food, and also had supplies flown in occasionally. Hey, guys, come on, you guys. Dicks jay calling is etched in my memory. Instead, he was a simple man, in harmony with his surroundings and perfectly content with what the land provided him. He vowed it would be the last. I took off my boots and Dick noticed how callused the balls of my feet were. Proenneke hunted, fished, raised and gathered much of his own food, and also had supplies flown in occasionally. Fans of the book (and the other publications and films) admire Proennekes self-sufficiency, close observations of nature and unencumbered, off-the-grid lifestyle. After a little while, it was clear the visitors from California wanted to keep moving, so they quickly left to make their way down the mountain and back to their boat. In 1997 Bob Swerer and Bob Swerer Sr flew to Twin Lakes to visit with Dick Proenneke and explore the Twin Lakes region. We continued to exchange letters for a few more years, even as Dicks health failed more and more. Ive never known a person who could put as many miles on his legs as easily as Dick. One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey is a book, first published in 1973, by Sam Keith, based on the journals and photography of Richard Proenneke who, in 1968, retreated to the wilderness of Twin Lakes in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska to build a home for himself and live alone in the wilderness. Select " [relationship]" I first met Dick in 1986 when my former husband Gary Titus and I bought one of the two private property in-holdings on upper Twin Lakes, across from Dicks place. AncientFaces is a place where our memories & family stories live. Wikimedia CommonsThe cabin Richard Proenneke would build on Twin Lakes in his 50s included a stone fireplace. An estimated 850,000 people attended. About 45 feet east of the cabin, he built a woodshed-cum-outhouse with a slanting shed roof, modeled after Adirondack shelters. I think of Dick as a kindred spirit. In October of 1976, Dick nearly met an untimely demise while flying south to Iowa. When you share a memory, or just show that you care by interacting with the biography, He had suffered severe damage to his lower spine and numerous lacerations to his face. next to their name to remove from the family tree. Proenneke would return to work on Kodiak, but Twin Lakeswas never far from his thoughts. Select "Add Memory" to share stories and photos. Journal and DVD Documentary "Alone At Twin Lakes - 1965!" The very first known Journal kept and original film Richard shot at Twin Lakes in 1965! He documented his activities in journals and on film, and also recorded valuable meteorological and natural data. Richard Louis Proenneke was one such individual who left his career and life in the city to live in the wilderness of Alaska. Man in His Wilderness, edited by Alan and Laurel Bennett, go to So his clock was behind mine. You can read this and other stories about history, nature, culture, art, conservation, travel, science and more in National Parks magazine. Billions of dollars were lost and some investors committed suicide as a result, having lost their fortunes. He next went back to school to prepare himself for a career as a diesel mechanic. ADVERTISEMENT He died of a stroke on April 20, 2003, at the age of 86. Though adept at his trade, Proenneke eventually yielded to his love of nature and moved to Oregon to work at a sheep ranch. His pants were just flapping in the wind where the seam used to be. Select the pencil to add details. Monroe Robinson's "The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke" is a treasure and complement to the story of Alaska's . It pleased him to see hunting pressure ease on his wild neighbors.. [1]:xiii According to one of his biographers and friend, Sam Keith, the illness was very revealing for Proenneke, who decided to devote the rest of his life to the strength and health of his body. Joyce Ann Marie Kemp April 20, 2023 (94 years old) View obituary. He lived alone in the mountains of the arctic from 1969 through 1999! Richard Proenneke did what most nature buffs can only dream of: At age 51, he quit his job as a mechanic and moved to the Alaskan wilderness to become one with nature. One fall, I came to visit Dick over my birthday. Richard Louis Proenneke was an American self-educated naturalist who lived alone for nearly thirty years in the mountains of Alaska in a log cabin that he constructed by hand near the shore of Twin Lakes. His mother, Laura (ne Bonn) (18841966) was a homemaker and gardener. He loved the photo sessions and knew exactly where he wanted everyone to stand to take advantage of the sun. Richard M. Schneider, 68, of Kenney, Illinois left this world and entered heaven on April 19, 2023. These records include but are not limited to obituary care and filing for lee county, contiguous counties, and local Illinois and Missouri obituaries. Fish On: Use These Simple Lessons to Catch More Fish! He passed away at his home in Kenney. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Sturdy and modest, it measures 11 by 14 feet and wouldbe his home for the next 30 years. Thanks to the precision he took in documenting detail about the happenings in the Twin Lakes area, the reader is able to travel along with Proenneke, as if he was right by the reader's side. . The world is full of such things.. I asked him why he placed the pin on the map and he jokingly responded, So if anyone is interested enough, they would know where to look for my body! On a more serious note, visitors who had business with him could see where he was and perhaps, how long he might be gone.