Saint Olga, a native of Alaska from the Yupik tribe, was born on February 3, 1916. Her husband, Nikolai Mikhail, was the postman in the village and the manager of the general store, who later became a priest and then an archpriest. She has served her community as a priest’s wife, but also as a midwife. She gave birth to thirteen of her own children, often without the help of a midwife or her own people, of which eight survived. She was known for her sympathy and care towards those who had suffered all kinds of abuse, especially sexual abuse. While her family was poor, she generously gave to those who lived worse than she did, often giving away her children’s clothes to the needy. She was also known for her ability to tell when a woman was pregnant, even before the woman herself. Saint Olga reposed on November 8, 1979. Many people from the surrounding areas wanted to come to her funeral, but since it was November, due to bad weather, it seemed impossible. But from the day of her funeral, a wind from the south brought warm weather, thawed the ice and snow, and made the trip to Kwethluk possible. When the mourners left the church to take the body to the cemetery, a flock of birds followed. Those who dug her grave found that the ground had also thawed. In the evening, after her funeral, the usual harsh winter returned.
Translated by Dr. Nick Stergiou
