FORT MCPHERSON - For many months after her husband's disappearance, Mary Teya tried to stay hopeful.

But now, nine months after William Teya went missing on Sept. 21, she is joining the community in mourning his death.

It has been nine months since the disappearance of William Teya. On June 23, the community held a memorial service. -

Teya said a funeral service was scheduled for June 23 at Fort McPherson's St. Matthew's church.

A cross has also been placed in Fort McPherson's cemetery for the respected and traditional man who had spent his life in the hamlet.

On June 18, Mary Teya said she was very upset with grief.

She said the worst part of her ordeal was the uncertainty.

"It's been really tiring for me, sitting here and kind of waiting all the time," she said. "Many people in the community feel like that too."

Teya added the funeral service would help people mourn her husband, and accept he is most likely dead.

"We made a decision to have a memorial. We're going to do that now and kind of put a bit of closure to it," she said.

In September and October of last year, dozens of volunteers from Aklavik, Fort Good Hope, Inuvik and Tsiigehtchic spent more than three weeks searching for William Teya, who was 73.

They were assisted by RCMP helicopters and police dogs, and even scoured the bottom of rivers.

According to local RCMP, the case of William Teya is still considered open, because no clues have ever been found as to his whereabouts.