Turnpaugh's "Aleut Doll with Basket" is part of the Museum of the Aleutians collection (Rasmuson Foundation)

An Unangan elder known for her art and commitment to preserving the history of the Aleutians passed away this week at the age of 84.

Maria Turnpaugh was born in Unalaska in 1927 to Joe and Agnes Chagin. Her grandfather was a chief and a warden in the Russian Orthodox church. As a child, she learned Unangam Tunuu from her mother. She recalled her youth fondly and told stories about what life was like then with a sense of humor. In this clip from 1996, she describes family meals as part of the Communities of Memory project.

We had fish 6 days a week, I guess. I mean everything, clams and whatever. It was such a treat to get corned beef (laughter). To this day I love corned beef soup.

In that same session, Turnpaugh also described how religion was practiced in the community. She said that almost everyone was part of the Russian Orthodox church, and that services were solemn. But then as now, that didn’t stop children from occasionally being children.

You kneel an awful lot during Lent, in church, you know (laughter). And that was the most horrible thing. One of the boys would start do something, and try to keep from giggling in church was the hardest thing I ever had to do. (laughter)

When she was a teenager, Turnpaugh and her family were forced to evacuate Unalaska after an attack by the Japanese in 1942. They spent the rest of World War II in a camp in Southeast Alaska and returned in 1945. She eventually started a family of her own, and became a mother to 13 children. In her lifetime, she saw four generations follow her.

As an adult, Turnpaugh earned renown for her basket-weaving. Her art is in collections maintained by the Museum of the Aleutians, the Museum of Natural History in Anchorage, and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.

Turnpaugh passed away on October 20 at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage. She is survived by her sister, Kathy Grimnes, 10 children, 32 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

A potluck celebrating her memory is being held at the senior center tonight at 6pm.