Walter's Story

Several years ago, while working on a family tree for the community of Pedro Bay I became intrigued by the region's past and its many fascinating characters. Soon thereafter, I decided to document the history of the north Iliamna Lake region through the eyes of one of my uncles, Walter Johnson. Walter is the son of a man from Estonia and a local Dena'ina/Russian woman, Annie, my great grandmother. Although Walter was one of nine children, he grew up alone with his mother. From her he learned the Dena'ina language and its folklore. Walter's wonderful storytelling captures well what life was like on the lake for most of the 20th Century.