Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

INUVIK (Mar 05/99) - As family and friends mourn Vivian Koe's death at the age of 88, many remember her as a mother, a loyal wife and an early member of the NWT Native Women's Association.

"Vivian was very active in the Native Women's Association," says former executive member Bertha Allen.

"As a matter of fact, when we started we knew little about how to communicate effectively, how to be assertive and how to have a positive outlook. We lacked that when we first started."

Then, around 1977, the Department of Indian Affairs came through with funding for 20 Northern women to attend a conference in Winnipeg to enhance these life skills.

Allen says Vivian attended the conference and returned to share those skills with younger women to give them confidence when presenting ideas to government and other agencies.

In 1978, Vivian won the NWT Native Women's Association's most active community member award.

Two years later, her husband of 51 years, Jim Koe, passed away in Inuvik.

Together, Vivian and Jim raised six children: Janet and Marilyn who have passed away, Allen who lives in Aklavik, Gladys who lives in Calgary, Freddy and Janet who live in Yellowknife and Edwin who lives in Edmonton.

"My mum was a great cook and loved to bake -- everything," says son Fred Koe.

"Raisin bread was my favourite, bannock, pies, everything."

Many of his memories are of going out to fish camps, muskrat camps, berry picking camps and fall hunting camps.

"Everywhere we went she always was baking. She loved to sew and I always had fancy clothes to wear. And she loved to dance."

Vivian was born in Fort McPherson on Oct. 19, 1911, to Charlie and Dora Bell.

She was a devout Anglican and was very active in church activities, both in Aklavik and Inuvik.

She worked for several years at Peffer's Cafe in Aklavik as well as at the Inuvik Regional Hospital.

The last years of her life were spent at Aven Manor and at Stanton Regional Hospital in Yellowknife.

She passed away Feb. 16.