Margaret Rose “Peggy” Geddes (1947 – 2013)

Peggy Geddes was born at home at Mile 816 of the Alaska Highway to parents Ted and Anne Geddes. She caught tuberculosis at age four and was transported by an American Army mercy flight to the Charles Camsell hospital in Edmonton where she stayed for two years. The family followed Ted Geddes’ construction work and they lived in Taylor Flats, British Columbia and then Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. They returned to Whitehorse and Peggy attended Whitehorse Elementary. When she was fourteen, her parents separated. Ted got custody and Peggy and her two sisters were put in the Baptist mission school because of his work. Peggy said it was a total shock and as terrible as people have written about it. They spent two years downtown behind the Elks Hall and then one year at Porter Creek at the Ridge View Home for Children. Peggy married soon after leaving the mission and had five children she raised as a single mother.¹⁾

Peggy worked at many jobs including the Yukon News, YANSI, CYI and Tlingit Teslin Council. She took courses at Grant McEwan College in journalism, photography, editing and English. She visited Old Crow and area trap line camps, interviewing people at the Flats and taking photographs for the Indian News. Peggy was a loving mother and a great friend and sister. She was one of those fortunate people to whom laughter came easily.²⁾