Thomas Fox and Emma Gardner

My grandfather was born 7 March 1877 in New Castle Under Lyne, England.

His father was William John Fox, born about 1810 England, and his mother was Katherine Kenny, whom we think was born in 1852 in Ireland, and died 12 March 1910.

Census RG 12 2151 Reel 51 year 1891 reports: William Fox, Hospital, age 81, Staff Newcastle, England, Chair Maker.

Aunt Katherine (Katy) Kashavarof, my grandfather’s daughter, said that he was in the British Navy. It was said that he sailed out of Liverpool, England, at age 14, then was sent back because he was so young. He immigrated to the United States from Sydney, Australia, on 10 October 1901 on the sailing vessel “Servia.” He filed for naturalization in the District Court of the Territory of Unga, Alaska, on 18 August 1913. He came with MacMeekan, and may have jumped ship in San Francisco. He was 5 foot 5 inches tall, color white complexion, blue eyes, brown hair. Aunt Katy said his hair was curly red and he had a red mustache. A visible distinguishing mark was a tattoo ring on left small finger. It was also said that he was shipwrecked in the water near Unga, Alaska.

He never talked about his father, but said he had a brother George who must have worked in the coal mines in New Castle. He said that he wouldn’t walk down the street with him because he was so dark. Fred and I went to where the mine was in New Castle under Lyne.

Thomas lived in Belkaska near King Cove, Alaska. He was at King Cove when the Japanese invaded there. He worked as a cod fisherman, a saloon keeper, a gold miner, and a trapper. When he stopped at Unga a Mr. Nelson who owned a saloon talked him into working for him. Aunt Katy said that he was a great entertainer and played the guitar and sang Gaelic songs. He also liked to read and to gamble.

The world could fall in when he was in a book and he would never look up. (Sounds like some others in the family).

When the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands the family had to run to keep from getting bombed.

Emma Gardner was born in Unga, 17 August 1888. She was nicknamed Nellie by Tom.

Emma Gardner’s mother was Hannah (Anna) Lazaroff of Belkofski. Her name was changed to Zaroff. Her father was John Saullivan Gardner who emigrated from Scotland to Alaska in the 1800’s. He was tall, strapping, and husky. They married 17 March 1878 in Belkofski, Alaska. John S. Gardner died 15 March 1953.

Emma and Tom separated and she moved with her children to Unalaska by 1929. She and George Torgramsen had a son, Marvin Edwin Fox. Emma died 6 April 1941 in Unalaska. Thomas died 20 September 1948 in Unga.

The children of Thomas Fox and Emma Gardner were:

• Katherine, born 5 May 1906 in Unga, Alaska; died 22 March 1998, Anchorage
• Thomas Kenny, Mae’s father, born 23 August 1907 in Unga, died 20 September 1943 in Seattle, Washington.
• Edna Justiniia, born 12 August 1908 in White Salmon, Washington; died 12 April 1976, Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo
• May, born 1 April 1912 in Trout Lake, Washington, died 31 December 1993, Pismo Beach.
• William John, born 29 June 1913 in Trout Lake, Washington; died 16 July 1992.
• Mable, died after birth . . .
• Hazel Irene, born 23 June 1914 in Unga; died in 1920.
• Sidney, born in Alaska around 1915; died 1920 of the flu.
• Mary, born about 1919; died age 12 and is buried in Unga.
• George, born 20 January 1920 in Unga; died in Italy, World War II, 1 June 1944.

The family bought a ranch in Trout Lake in 1908.

In 1920 the influenza epidemic hit the Alaskan villagers hard. Some villages were wiped out. In Unga, the Fox and Gardner families lost three of their young children, Hazel age 6, William (Billy Boy) age 7, and Sidney age 5.

George Fox

George Fox, buried next to his mother, Emma, is the only known Aleut soldier killed in action in World War II or in any war since. He moved with his mother to Unalaska and joined the army on 11 January 1941. He was killed in action on Anzo Beach, Ardea, Italy, on 1 June 1944.

His body was returned to Unalaska for burial in April 1949, but a gravestone was not put up until 2022. The words on his gravestone are supposed to have been from a letter that he wrote from Anzio Beach Head to his father: “wish all love.”