Since the weather has turned colder (and snowy in some places) I decided to cast out to the far north where snow has been on the ground for weeks – Circle, Alaska. A small marker was placed over Nellie Ross Cullens-Norwood’s grave in this remote area of Alaska. Only fifteen of the graves have any kind of marking on them according to Find-A-Grave, but perhaps as many as thirty-four people are buried in Circle Hot Springs Cemetery.
I was intrigued by this one because I couldn’t locate any other Norwood’s buried in the area and Nellie was close to 80 years old when she died (noted on the marker). So, what is an elderly lady doing way up in remote Alaska living alone – there has to be a story here!
This article was significantly enhanced with new research, complete with sources, and published in the August 2018 issue of Digging History Magazine. Should you prefer to purchase the article only, contact me for more information.
I invite you to check out Digging History Magazine. Since January 2018 new articles are published in a digital magazine (PDF) available by individual issue purchase or subscription (with three options). Most issues run between 70-85 pages, filled with articles of interest to history-lovers and genealogists — it’s all history, right? 🙂 No ads — just carefully-researched, well-written stories, complete with footnotes and sources.
Want to know more or try out a free issue? You can download either (or both) of the January-February 2019 and March-April 2019 issues here: https://digging-history.com/free-samples/
Thanks for stopping by!
Nellie Norwood was my great grandmother. My mother, Nellie Pauline Dover, was the youngest daughter of Warda Cullens Dover. Mom was born in 1919 and had little memory of her grandmother but does remember reading the letters sent to them. From her memory, Nellie Norwood went to Alaska with her son Warren Ross when he decided to go to Alaska to teach ‘manual arts’. She was a widow again and thought it would be an adventure. Her son eventually returned to the midwest, but Nellie Norwood loved Alaska and stayed there. She did not have any Asian heritage but she was quite small with a very wrinkled face that made her eyes appear to be similar to those of an individual from the Asian region. From what we were told the pilot in the picture with the plane is Wiley Post who delivered mail to the region. He often took people up for quick flights and Nellie Norwood was one of them.
Thank you so much for stopping by and providing more information about Nellie. I was so fascinated with this little elderly lady way up in Alaska I had to write a story. I had no idea who the pilot was but that is history isn’t it?
Nellie is also my great great grandmother. This is amazing. From what I know She was born in Maine. Her family went west in a covered wagon to Oklahoma and then she went to Alaska.
Steven — thanks for stopping by and now you’ve found some more kinfolks! Nellie’s story was pretty amazing wasn’t it?