Yukon who is who

Irene Alice Crayford, nee Caley (b. 1928)

Irene Crayford was born in Dawson to parents Fred and Dorothy (Skistad) Caley. She had siblings Madge (Gillespie), Bobbie, Doreen, and Gordie. Irene was a Brownie and a Girl Guide. She worked in her father’s store and in her teens she and her sister Madge operated a little grocery/magazine shop. Irene and William John Crayford were married in 1947 and they had four children. In 1948, Irene found that panes of glass they intended for a greenhouse were photographer Eric Hegg’s valuable old glass plate negatives.¹⁾

Will bought Klondike Motors in the mid-1950s and operated it as family business for more than twenty years. The Crayfords sold wood, gas, and plumbing supplies, and did minor automotive repairs. They had the Ford and Arctic Cat dealerships for the area. They also operated a taxi and bus service and ran the school children from Bear Creek into Dawson for many years.²⁾

Irene was the tour agent for Cordova Air. She served on the Dawson Council, and worked for the Tourist Information Centre for twelve summers. Irene and Will owned mining claims. The annual gold panning championships were a regular event for them and Irene sometimes won the top award. She was active in women’s hockey and fastball. She was a member of the Eastern Star and served on the Yukon Heritage Resources Board. Irene and Will sold the business in 1976. They were made life-time members of the Dawson Curling Club and were designated Mr. and Mrs. Yukon for the 1985 Sourdough Rendezvous. They moved to Whitehorse in 1989 to be close to daughters Judy and Karen. Irene remained an avid gardener and active participant in all her extended family’s events.³⁾