James SHIELDS

SHIELDS, HERRON, KELLEY, HUGEBACK, SCOTT, BARBER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/17/2006 at 17:47:40

James Shields, 89

Longtime Alaskan James Lowell "Happy" Shields, 89, died of natural causes May 7, 2004, at his Anchorage home. Mr. Shields was born Sept. 2, 1914, in Goldfield, Iowa, to Addison and Della Shields. After graduating from Goldfield High School in 1930, he left the family farm, and at the height of the Great Depression, he jumped a freight train heading west. He described his travels for the next several years as "on the bum" and crisscrossed the country working at any job available. He later mesmerized family members and friends with tales of his experiences. While watching "The Grapes of Wrath," he once said, "That was our life, but really it was much worse," his family said.
In 1939, he married Celestia Evelyn Herron. They moved to Alaska in 1952 and carved out a life in an undeveloped Anchorage. Living in a 12-by-16-foot cabin, he worked as a carpenter and was active in the Carpenters' Local, often assisting in negotiating wages and standards for its members. After several years working on the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, Mr. Shields retired in 1977 and promptly threw away his alarm clock and razor. He then focused on fine woodworking, perfecting hand-turned bowls, plates and vases. His art was displayed in local shows and won numerous awards. His family said: "Happy loved fresh air and spending time with his family. A lover of nature, his observations rivaled that of any trained naturalist. Happy made a simple drive along Turnagain Arm an adventure. To those fortunate to accompany him, he shared a reverence for nature and knowledge that few learn in a classroom. "In his passing, another link to the old Alaska has been broken. Like many of his generation, he was a veritable history book, whose experiences culminated in a man of passion, integrity, strength and humor. Happy was a wonderful and giving father -- the dad you really did not want to get mad and the man who held his family gently in big arms."

He was preceded in death by his wife, Celestia.
He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Smiley and Sue Shields; daughter, Ramona Kelley; daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca Shields and David Lasman; grandchildren and their spouses, Colleen Kelley and Don Hugeback, David Kelley and Carol Paul, Jennifer Shields and Alex Scott, Brennan and Debbie Shields, Juliana Shields and Jeff Barber; seven great-grandchildren; brother Lyle; and many friends.Arrangements were with Evergreen Memorial Chapel.

Anchorage Daily News (AK)
June 14, 2004