Margaret Koka Andrews

Margaret Koka Andrews was born to Paul Hunt and Tatiana Enakak in Chaneliak, Alaska, located at the mouth of the Yukon River, on April 17, 1921. She died peacefully in her sleep early in the morning of December 21, 2017 of natural causes due to her advanced age of 96 years at the Prestige Care and Rehabilitative Care Center in Anchorage, Alaska. Margaret married Aleck Andrews in Chaneliak on May 12, 1947, where her grandparents also raised her. They moved to Kotlik in 1965 to be close to the BIA school and the Catholic Church and had five children: Rita, Gabriel, Maria, Lucy (who was adopted by the Andrews family in Mountain Village) and Ellen.

Margaret was raised in the Yup’ik traditions of hunting, fishing and gathering berries and greens of the tundra. She was an ardent Yup’ik dancer and expert in sewing, knitting, arts and crafts and was a traditional healer. These skills led her to her long career as a Health Aide for the village of Kotlik for which she received a distinguished service award from YKHC upon her retirement.

Margaret was known as a sweet, kind, gentle, caring and very loving person. She made friends with everyone she met. She was a mom and grandmother to many including those who adopted her as their own. She would often give each new adopted person a new name different from their own and would call them by that new name as an endearment. She often shared her traditional knowledge of Yup’ik culture and stories with many who visited her in her room at the Prestige Care Center.

Margaret is preceded in death by her parents Paul and Tatiana, her husband Aleck, siblings Aleck Hunt, Andrew Hunt, Martina Aperezuk, Susannah “Susie” Chiklak, daughter Lucy, and granddaughter Josephine.

She is survived by brothers Isador Hunt, Michael Hunt, sister Monica McMackin, daughters Rita Martin, Maria Charles, Ellen Keyes and son Gabriel.

She is also survived by grandchildren Joey and Aleck Leichty; Sean Paul and Thomas Martin; Theresa Bobbitt; Sonya, Matthew, and Francis Charles; Crystal, Andrea, John, and Matthew Keyes; Sandra Allen; Candace, Harold, and Daryl Fisher; Rosalie Martin and adopted granddaughter Sylvia Shavings; including her siblings, children and grandchildren, and many of her friends who adopted her as mom and grandmother.

Her surviving great-grandchildren include Caitlin, Ashley, and Jordan Bobbitt; Gabriel Lloyd; Seth Charles; Quincy and Kezia Martin; and twenty other great-grandchildren.

The family would like to acknowledge and thank the many organizations and people who helped and gave support to the family during this time of their bereavement:  including the Prestige Care and Rehabilitative Care Center, Evergreen Memorial Chapel, YKHC, Calista Corporation, Kotlik Traditional Council, YDFDA, Kotlik Yupik Corporation, Kotlik Bingo, the coffin and cross makers and those digging the grave, and those bringing food and cleaning mom’s house in preparation for visitation. There are also many others not mentioned who gave their support and help for which the family is very grateful and thankful.