Jan Doris Couture (1942 – 2022)
Jan Couture was living in Yonkers, New York in the 1960s when she started being very concerned about pollution. Around 1970 she set out for Alaska to live a clean, free life. She stopped at Whitehorse and met her future husband Gerry Couture. She started cooking for Gerry and his crew building the Tin Cup Lodge. In 1975, Gerry, Jan and their three-year-old daughter Misty were living at Mile 931.9 on the Alaska Highway is a log house built by Gerry. They raised dogs for sale and so Gerry could run in the local races. Jan was alone a lot but was proud of being strong enough to cut wood and haul water. In 1975, the Coutures were planning on moving to Thistle Creek on the Yukon River where they would support themselves by farming and trapping.1) The Coutures lived at Thistle Creek for thirteen years. Jan raised chickens, goats, and geese and grew and preserved almost everything the family ate. They hunted and fished for meat and raised their children Mistie, Meredith, and Guy.2)