Elder Voices: Lela Oman
In April 2005, Lela Oman shared her story for an episode of Elder Voices. Lela was born in Noorvik on December 15th, 1915. As an adult, she worked at the hospitals in Mountain Village and Kotzebue, raised five kids, and visited Nova Scotia to speak about the Alaska judicial system.
In the episode, Lela describes the challenges of motherhood, facing severe weather, and living through a tuberculosis epidemic. She says prayers, family, and education were the things that helped her thrive.
Hear the story in Lela’s words in a rebroadcast of Elder Voices: a window to the past, a door to the future. The episode airs this Wednesday, April 12th, at 11am and again at 6pm.
Thank you for recording the history and lives our parents went through in their time. Growing up in those times, we as children did not know how much our parents had to endure and go without so that their children could live a better life. Listening to mom’s “elder voice” brought back a lot of fond memories of “growing up” with an “Elder”.
Keep up the too work!
Bob Oman
I used to love talking to Lena. Thank you.