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Laurel Baird

Laurel Baird

Laurel Baird was born in 1949 to Nellie Lena Anderson Olssen and Lawrence Olssen, and grew up in Seldovia, Alaska. Her father was a fisherman of Swedish heritage, arriving in Seldovia in 1912. Her mother was from Chignik, Alaska and was of Russian and Alutiiq/Sugpiaq heritage. In 1959, the family moved to Kodiak, Alaska for a few years as her father followed the fish. Laurel was gone from Seldovia from 1965 to 1980. Laurel is a member of the Seldovia Native Association. She remembers growing up in the small community and playing on the boardwalk and the local beaches, collecting subsistence foods, and the many people who helped make it a welcoming and friendly place.
Date of Birth:
Oct 23, 1949
Laurel Baird appears in the following new Jukebox projects:
Interview Title Abstract Archive #: Oral History Project Date of Interview
Laurel Baird

Laurel Baird was interviewed on October 10, 2014 by Jan Yaeger at the Seldovia Conference Center in Seldovia, Alaska. In this interview, Laurel talks about her family background and growing up in Seldovia. She shares memories of playing as a child, what the community was like and activities they did, and particular people she remembers. She also mentions changes after the 1964 Alaska Earthquake.

 2014-17-05 Seldovia Oct 10, 2014