Frances D. Frazier

Sterling resident Frances D. Frazier died Monday, Feb. 2, 2004, at her niece's home in Anchorage due to natural causes. She was 80.

A funeral mass will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at Holy Family Cathedral Catholic Church in Anchorage. The Rev. Donald Bramble will officiate. Mrs. Frazier will be cremated, with burial in Anchorage Municipal Cemetery to follow. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Soldotna. The Rev. Frank Reiter will officiate.

Mrs. Frazier was born July 2, 1923, in Fairbanks, the daughter of William and Bertha (Solomon) Depperman. She attended grade school at Holy Cross Mission and was a graduate of the Eklutna Industrial School. She has lived in Fairbanks, Holy Cross, Eklutna, Bethel, Anchorage and Sterling. She was a member of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Soldotna and the Sterling Homemakers. She was employed by the state of Alaska in the Department of Health and Social Services. She enjoyed collecting Alaska Native artwork, gardening, reading and raising her dogs.

"Frances enjoyed living in Alaska, from dog mushing as a young woman to digging clams with her nieces in her later years, gardening in the summer and sewing bead work in the winters. She also enjoyed the time spent with her fellow Sterling Homemakers. Her beloved dogs were her constant companions. She will be missed dearly by her family and friends," her family said.

Mrs. Frazier was preceded in death by her son, Michael L. Frazier; sister, Mildred M. Jacobsson; brother, William A. Depperman; and nephew, Charles E. Jacobsson III.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, John and Jan Frazier of Decatur, Ala.; grandson, Matthew Frazier of Decatur; granddaughters, Kim Gober and Amy Johnson of Birmingham, Ala.; nieces, Jeane Hull of Azusa, Calif., Hilda Vandergrift of Ironton, Mo., Erica Jacobsson, Deirda Viera, Frieda Bosette, June Jardine, Valerie Gallegos and Chrissy Jacobsson, all of Anchorage, and Regina Depperman of Syracuse, N.Y.; nephew, John Jacobsson of Anchorage; aunt, Hana Solomon and family of Fairbanks; and more than 50 great-nieces and nephews.

Arrangements were made by the Anchorage Funeral Home and Crematory.