Gastineau Channel Memories

Hermann

Janice Taylor

The Hermann family which came to the Juneau-Douglas area in the late 1920?s was of German origin. They were from Prussia which later became part of Germany. They were in Pennsylvania for a while, then moved to Goodhue Co., Minnesota, prior to 1865. Gustave, one of the three Hermann brothers, moved his family to the Seattle area in 1889 or 1890.

Gustave and Ingeberg (Paasch) Hermann had eight children. William, George, Louisa, Martha, Harry and Minnie were born in Minnesota. Russel and Frank were born in Seattle. All the boys in the family became pharmacists.

William G. Hermann, born 1877, married Nellie Miller of the Wenatchee, Washington area. They had one son, Rex Allan, born June 1908 in Seattle. During the Depression, Rex came to Juneau with three of his uncles, George and Frank who never married, and Russ. The three pharmacist brothers worked their profession, eventually opening Juneau Drug in downtown Juneau. Russ had married Mildred Robinson originally from Indiana. They had a son Russel and a daughter Barbara. Mildred was a school teacher, then studied law with Judge Wickersham and took correspondence courses. She was admitted (reluctantly it seems) to the bar in Alaska, practicing until her death in March 1964. The Juneau Empire?s 1999 summer supplement listed numerous organizations she worked with as well as being secretary of the Alaska Statehood Commission during its existence, and a prominent delegate at the Alaska Constitutional Convention.

Rex Allan Hermann was a hard rock miner for the AJ Mine. He served in the Army and was an engineer for Toner and Nordling. He married Dagny Alice Hagerup, born August 1911 in Douglas. They had three boys. Son Rex Allan lived in Juneau, but never married. Ray Elton lived in Douglas, Haines and Juneau and has children all living in Alaska. Trygve Robin lives in the Seattle area and has children.