A real girl named Klondy lived in Ophir Creek, Alaska, one hundred years ago. Her father was a miner who never struck it rich. He did love gold more than anything. You can read more about Klondy Nelson Dufresne on pages 96-98 of Gold Rush Women. She is also profiled in Children of the Gold Rush in a section titled Klondy Nelson: Life Without Papa, on pages 58-68. This story contains information about gold rush life in Nome as well as Klondy's childhood tales.

Klondy’s father left for the Klondike gold rush in 1897, soon after Klondy was born. His wife Alma, a Swedish immigrant, had only lived in America for eighteen months when Mr. Nelson went North.

After the Klondike, Klondy’s father went to mine at Ophir Creek, where Klondy and her mother joined him. The miners tried to make Klondy feel at home. During that time herders raised reindeer near Ophir Creek. The miners hired one of the herders to play Santa for Klondy that first Christmas.

Later Klondy’s father mined enough gold to buy them a home in Nome. Klondy and her little brother Ophir had fond memories of growing up together in Nome. Klondy raced dogs, learned to play the violin, and went ice fishing with the Inupiaq Eskimos.

Klondy became a professional violinist when she grew up. Later she got married and lived in Alaska with her husband and four children. She wrote a book about her childhood experiences called Daughter of the Gold Rush. This is where the details for the story Gold Rush Winter came from.

Klondy’s father never stopped looking for gold and he never spent much time with his family. But Klondy had a very happy life with her children.

Teacher Comment

“Wishing Klondy’s dad were able to spend more time with the family, was not only tender, but I was thinking of it from our students’ point of view. They will connect — single families, homeless shelters, or at children's village. One hundred years won't make a difference for them.
-- Librarian Beth Dane, Winton Elementary