Annie Wilson was born to parent Evan and Staphantia Apokedak on January 23, 1946. She was the third oldest, under two brothers, Nick and Peter, sister Mary, brother John, and sisters Sophie and Shirley and one more brother, Raymond came after her. Born in her parents house in Igiugig, Annie spent the first ten years of her life e in Igiugig. When she was eight, she attempted first grade in Newhalen, one of the larger villages with a school. Though she was determined, she lasted four months and was brought back to Igiugig by dogsled with her father. Her two oldest brothers completed school in Newhalen.
Annie remembers winters with her parents and younger siblings spent at Kaskanak, aiding their father with his winter beaver and mink traps. Heading for the winter camp well before freeze, Annie and her family stayed in tents, only to return to Igiugig for the Russian Orthadox holidays, and return to their winter camp to stay throughout the summer. Winters provided not only furs and meat for the family, but Evan also had traps for lingcod, a fish very similar to the bullhead.
Though Igiugig had a trading post, located across the river from the village, the store was not always stocked with items in need, for that there was another trading post, twelve miles outside of the village Levelock. Boating down and up with Evan, Annie remembers having to camp halfway up the Kvichak at Ben Courtney’s cabin.
At the age of ten, Annie and her family moved to Levelock, where she finished her schooling. The summer of 1964, Annie spent one month set net fishing in her now sister-in-laws set-net site. It was the only summer she commercial fished. Fishing wasn’t her calling, being a health-aide was. Receiving training from the Bristol Bay Health Corporation, she was a health-aide when she met her husband, Georgie Wilson. George, being a Levelock native, caught Anni6e’s eye in 1965 and they were promptly married a year after on December 15, 1966.
Starting their life together, the couple had three children: Annette, George Jr., and Georgette. In 1976 the family moved to Igiugig, where Annie took a job as a health-aide, switching places with late Anecia Olympic. Georgie and Annie have lived in Igiugig since their move up the Kvichak. Raising their three children and watching them graduate has kept them pretty busy. Currently, Annie holds a position with the Lake and Peninsula School District as a preschool teacher, she has taught preschool since 1995.
Annie is an active community member and serves on the Igiugig Village Council board.
