Alice Martin was our first Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Queen.
She was from Dawson City, and was a truly beautiful Queen of the Rendezvous.
She recently passed away.
Looking at the News-Advertiser, an old local paper, from February 21, 1962, a large headline proclaiming “Alice Martin, Queen” appeared on the front page.
The News-Advertiser was the forerunner of the Yukon News.
The paper featured a large photograph of Alice wearing her crown and a beautiful parka. The caption read: “Miss Alice Martin, ‘Miss Yukon,’ who was crowned Sourdough Queen on Saturday night at the Ice Palace. Miss Martin was chosen from nine contestants. When asked by an Advertiser reporter how she felt about the whole thing, she replied, ‘I feel great. Everything and everybody is just wonderful.’”
Many people in Dawson backed her by buying books of tickets, not just a couple, because they were so proud of her.
She was their girl.
Alice was raised by her grandfather Rev. Richard Martin and her grandmother.
She will be remembered by many forever.
Many thanks to Whitehorse’s Pat Ellis for providing the old newspaper with the information.
Postscript: I’d like to mention that Helen Van Bibber, another very beautiful Sourdough Rendezvous contest queen, also passed away recently.
She, too, was a beautiful lady of the North.
Anyone with information about this subject, please write Jim Robb: The Colourful Five Per Cent Scrapbook—Can You Identify? c/o the Yukon News, 211 Wood Street, Whitehorse, Yukon,
Y1A 2E4, or e-mail through the News website, www.yukon-news.com.