Franklin Simon

Franklin Simon was born in the old village of Cutoff, Alaska in February 1934. His parents were the late Edwin Simon and Huslia's beloved Elder Lydia Simon. In 1949, the family moved to Huslia from the old village of Cutoff. Franklin lived the subsistence way of life around Huslia by hunting, fishing, gathering from the land and trapping, first as a child, then as a young man and finally as an elder. In 1962, he married Lillian Koyukuk from the village of Allakaket. Franklin and Lillian raised 4 children and one grandchild. Franklin worked early on at the Hog River Mine, Naknek and Helmik Canneries, and he also worked for the late Jimmy Huntington on the barge hauling freight and construction materials along the Koyukuk and Yukon Rivers, and later for Yutana Bargelines. Franklin also worked as a seasonal Emergency Firefighter for BLM for 15 seasons, and then retired after many years as a the Huslia AVEC maintenance electrician. As an elder, Franklin enjoyed helping young people get ready for their subsistence hunting, fishing and trapping activities, and provided valuable information to the young people and their leaders. Franklin Simon passed away in 2011 at age 77.