Yukon who is who

Loretta Isabel Warnsby, nee Barber (1946 - 2022)

Loretta Warnsby was the daughter of Clarence (Mike) Ruben Barber and Agnes Rose Barber (nee Simon). Loretta was a member of the Crow Clan and a Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in citizen. She grew up on the White and Stewart Rivers where her family trapped and cut wood for the paddle-wheelers. She attended elementary school in Dawson, FH Collins high school in Whitehorse, and then secretarial school. She worked several jobs around the Yukon before returning to Dawson to work at the Commerce and Montreal banks. She met Ben Warnsby in the late 1960s and they were married in 1970 in Merritt, Britiah Columbia. Her only child, Benjamin Bruce, was born in 1984. Loretta worked at the Yukon Native Teacher Education Program in the 1990s and graduated from Yukon College’s Social Work program in 1997. After obtaining her degree, Loretta worked for many years with Yukon’s Healthy Families. In retirement, Loretta enjoyed Elder Active programming including Carpet Bowling (winning medals) and singing with the Han Singers. She was actively involved in Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in as a regular attendee at meetings.¹⁾