There is a cyber-photo album featuring pictures and commentary concerning persons from Barrow in the 1920s and 1930s. It was developed in 1993-1994 by Elizabeth Cook, an anthropology graduate student at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, as part of the Apple Jukebox Project. The following information concerning the Greist family is taken from some of the interviews conducted with several older women as they review the photographs from their childhoods and talk about the people in them. One can enjoy the entire project at the UAF Elmer Rasmussen Library, Alaska and Polar Regions Archives.
David Greist (with parents Dr. and Mrs. Greist) was one of us. He speaks Inupiat like a real pro. He interpreted for his father. He was going with Maria Brower, Terza Hopson recalls. Greist visited the community not long ago, and "after a few disagreements, we were back like we were. He was like a brother to us," she adds.
"Maria is my sister," says Sadie Neakok, "He was sweet on her. They were quite close, he and Maria."
Mrs. Greist organized the first Mothers' Club in 1920 or 1921. We'd go to the manse for these Mothers' Club meetings. She (Mrs. Greist) liked my mother. She could speak a little English," Sadie adds. It was Mrs. Greist who taught Sadie how to cook.
It was Sadie who later the second Mothers' Club. The men were frequently away from the village and we were "trying to get the mothers to talk about the problems we had in the school; how to make it better," she explained. "We couldn't call it a PTA because the fathers were out hunting and couldn't come."
Sadie goes on to explain that some of the teachers couldn't cope with some of the older kids coming to school without baths or clean clothes. They began melting ice at school for the mothers to heat up and use for cleaning. A group of mothers went to each home to see if things were clean and that the kids were being taken care of.
Dr.Greist arranged for many of the children to be sent south for additional high school and college training, "which we are beginning to find out is not right," recalls Alice Solomon. Cornelia Henderickson went to Sitka, became an R.N., and came home and worked at the hospital. Flossie George Connery was a Sunday School teacher at the Presbyterian Church and a public school teacher.
The Greist family had a major impact on the community of Barrow.