Thank you for checking out our site!  I’m Betsy Albecker, the operator of GGRGGallery: a Skagway family owned business.  I am the fourth Skagway Grandmother to take part in our family’s business ventures, and as such the four “G”’s in the name have a dual purpose, representing each of us four Ladies, and also standing for the name of the gallery.

My great grandfather, George Dedman, started a laundry here in Skagway in 1898. His wife, Clara, joined him several months after his arrival. She landed two days after Soapy Smith was shot. They purchased a two story mercantile building, moved it from State Street to Broadway and turned it into the Golden North Hotel in 1907.

Barbara’s mother, Bessie White, came to Skagway, taught school, fell in love with Henry Dedman, and, after her marriage, established a photo finishing business here in Skagway which included framing.

Their daughter, Barbara Dedman, had four children at the old White Pass hospital where she herself was born and I, Betsy, am her first born. My son was born in that same White Pass hospital but in the room across the hall which had been my grandmother’s recuperation room while I recuperated in what had been my mom’s birthing room.

I am the traditional type A, hyper oldest child involved in too many projects but when I discovered Glass Fusing in 2009 in Donna Snyder’s workshops I was entranced and had to try making frames. I now have two kilns of my own and am happily playing around slumping and fusing glass frames, pendants, buttons, and small dishes. I love the challenge of designing frames to enhance specific pictures. I designed and built copper foiled stained glass windows for my cabin years ago and fully intend to do more of that one of these years. Other hobbies include gardening, beach combing, choir directing, reading, playing ragtime piano, and serving as the local “Pampered Chef” Consultant.... the list goes on and on.

More of our family history below!

The 4 Grandmothers of Granny’s Gallery:

1.  Barbara Alice Dedman born in  Skagway, AK - with  Dewey, the Bear- 4th of July parade

  Because of WWII Barbara graduated from high school in Vallejo, California in a class of 600+ students where she was lost in the crush. She's always been a bit disgruntled as she'd have been valedictorian in a class of 8 if she'd been able to remain in Skagway. Barbara took up the autoharp and has been performing at the Jnu Folk Festival for almost 30 years. She was also a news stringer for most of the Alaskan papers during the 60's and 70's. Riding her bicycle in the parade is one of her favorite annual events and she started doing that around the age of 10.

2.  Betsy's great grandmother, Clara Broughan Dedman Born in Vancouver- She and her husband, George, established the Golden North Hotel,"Home away from home" for sourdoughs  headed outside from Dawson City each fall.  They had a horsedrawn taxi for the hotel but switched to a motorized cab, a chevy? becoming the first hotel in Skagway to haul guests around in a "horseless carriage".

3. Bessie Moser White, born in Germantown in Philadelphia, moved to Florida during her teen years and wended her way to Alaska as a young woman. She stopped off in Seattle and worked for JC Penny's at $5/wk until she saved enough to get her steamship ticket to Skagway, Alaska where she taught 4th graders. A 92 year old Alice Selmer remembered getting her hand smacked by Mrs. Dedman for cheating in math-she never cheated again. She also remarked that she and her classmates wondered if Mrs. Dedman would be as mean to the baby she was expecting  as she was mean to her students. No. The answer is, "No". Little Miss Barbara Dedman was famous as being spoiled rotten.

4. Betsy Kalen Albecker (Myself) and her granddaughter Megan Elise Harp. Megan is already working with her mom, dad, and brother, at Dedman's over on the main drag (Broadway) but it will be some time before she qualifies as one of the Skagway business grandmas. Betsy (granny) owned Keller's Curios, on Broadway during the 80's but is relieved to be "off the beaten path" with her framing business, gallery and fused glass studio, GGRGGallery.

More Family History:

Canvass White; born in Mt. Chunk in easter Pennsylvania, the heart of coal country. He was Bessie's dad. He drove to Seattle from Florida after his wife passed away. He crossed the Continental Divide with his Model T in reverse as it had more power to do hills in reverse. He was a customs agent in Skagway and a legendary raconteur around the family style dinner table at the Golden North Hotel. Up until WWII it was common for many folks to take up residence in hotels in many places. Meals were provided so there was an annual winter gathering of tenants.

Henry Alaska Dedman born in Skagway 1899. He carried a 50lb suitcase containing a 5x7 view camera which used glass plates over the Chilkoot Pass in the 1920's. It poured down rain every day and he came home without a single picture. He was a machinist, worked in CA during WWII in the shipyards, then on a gold dredge up in Fairbanks.

George and Clara Dedman in front of the Golden North after jacking it up and adding the 3rd floor on the ground.