LATEST
Dee Dee placed in the top ten again, 2013 being
her 31st Iditarod.
Direct link to this page:
http://bit.ly/fGSSpn
Bio
Results
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Contact: www.deedeejonrowe.com
Bio
DeeDee Jonrowe, 62, was born in Frankfort,
Germany, while her father was in the military. The
family moved to Alaska in 1971 where her dad was
stationed at Ft. Richardson. DeeDee has a B.S.
degree in Biological Sciences and Renewable
Resources and now lists her occupation as kennel
owner and dog racer. She began mushing in 1979 when
she was living in Bethel and her mother was excited
about volunteering in the early Iditarod races. She
says, “This will be my 34th Iditarod start, 16
finishes in the top 10. My competitors have become
my family; sometimes dysfunctional, but still I
love them dearly. As I have lost most of my
immediate family and all my worldly belongings
except my dogs, along with my close neighbors, I
have seen the very best in hearts of Iditarod fans,
volunteers and competitors, all of whom have
reached out to support each of us. This race for me
has always been about the passion for my dogs and
culture of the Alaskans in the rural areas. Now it
has once again expanded to my being reminded how
very good people are. And that, faced with the
choice of all my material belongings or my dogs, my
first reflex was to save my dogs. God gave me that
privilege. I lost everything else. Only
relationships really last.” DeeDee is a member
of the Big Lake Baptist Church, the Willow Running
Club and the State Veterinarian Licensing Board.
She says her hobbies and interests include
“training Labrador Retrievers, Pekingese
Rescue, Quality of Life opportunities particularly
for senior citizens, hiking and trail running in
back country and the history of early Alaska during
territorial days.” DeeDee is married to Mike,
secretary of the Iditarod’s Board of
Directors.
DeeDee Jonrowe, 58, was born in Frankfort
Germany while her father was in the military. The
family moved to Alaska in 1971 where her dad was
stationed at Ft. Richardson. DeeDee has a B.S.
degree in Biological Sciences and Renewable
Resources and now lists her occupation as kennel
owner and dog racer. She began mushing in 1979 when
she was living in Bethel and her mother was excited
about the early Iditarod races. She says, "The
Iditarod has become my lifestyle choice that
permitted me a chance to celebrate Alaska's history
and the partnership that dogs have had in it. I
have had a chance to experience this relationship
and to bond with the Alaskan culture that I admire.
God has blessed me with the health to once again
travel through His most beautiful handiwork,
experiencing a reflection of His unconditional love
thru the bond I have with my team. The volunteers
and residents of rural Alaska are an important
element of the experience for me, and I am blessed
to continue participating in this race." DeeDee is
a member of the Big Lake Baptist Church and is
involved in co-ed softball. She says in her spare
time she enjoys Labrador retrievers and Pekingese's
and she is an advocate of in-state cancer care and
treatment. She is a triathlete and bike racer.
DeeDee is married to Mike.
DeeDee Jonrowe, 54, was born in Frankfort
Germany while her father was in the military. The
family moved to Alaska in 1971 where her dad was
stationed at Ft. Richardson. DeeDee has a B.S.
degree in Biological Sciences and Renewable
Resources and now lists her occupation as kennel
owner and dog racer. She says, "The Iditarod has
become my lifestyle choice that permitted me a
chance to celebrate Alaska's history and the
partnership that dogs have had in it. I have had a
chance to experience this relationship and to bond
with the Alaskan culture that I admire. God has
blessed me with the health to once again travel
through His most beautiful handiwork, experiencing
a reflection of His unconditional love thru the
bond I have with my team. The volunteers and
residents of rural Alaska are an important element
of the experience for me, and I am blessed to
continue participating in this race." DeeDee is a
member of the Valley Women's Running Team and the
Big Lake Baptist Church. She says in her spare time
she enjoys Labrador retrievers, Pekingese's and
mountain running. She is a triathlete and bike
racer. DeeDee is married to Mike.
Dee Dee finished 15th of 95 mushers in the 2008
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and won $26,500.
GCI Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award- Presented by
Gary Samuelson (GCI Nome Alaska) to Dee Dee Jonrowe
from Willow Alaska who was the first musher to
arrive in Cripple Alaska. Dee Dee received a
beautiful trophy and $3,000 in gold nuggets and
which she said she’d be giving to her husband,
Mike, who celebrated his birthday on the day
Jonrowe reached Cripple.
DeeDee Jonrowe lives in Willow, Alaska
with her husband. She is the only musher who
competed in both the Alpirod and Iditarod for 3
years straight (1992, 1993, and 1994). Her best
place in the Iditarod was 2nd in 1993. She has
consistently placed in the top ten for the
past.
She grew up loving dogs, though she had no idea
what a dog musher was. She was born December 20,
1953 in Frankfurt, Germany. Her father was in the
army, and the army brought her family to Alaska
when she was in high-school. Growing up she had
many pets, dogs, a cat, a horse, and guinea pigs
that she used to play with instead of dolls. She
had a younger sister named Linda.
DeeDee went to college at UAF (University of
Alaska Fairbanks), and studied wildlife management.
Her first introduction to dog sledding and the
Iditarod was in 1978. Her college basketball team
was visiting in Nome to compete in a tournament,
while they were there she got to watch Rick Swenson
win the Iditarod.
Seeing Rick win the Iditarod inspired her to get
into mushing. She had her first race that same
year. She begged a friend of hers, Walt Palmer, to
let her drive five of his dogs in the Anchorage Fur
Rendezvous Women's World Championship. She didn't
do well on this, her first race. But that was soon
to change.
In 1977 she married Mike Jonrowe. Later she and
Mike bought some dogs and DeeDee began mushing. By
the fall of 1979 she had 25 dogs. She registered
for her first Iditarod in 1980.
"It's my goal to always do better. Only one spot
in the standings would allow me to say I had done
better - first place."
DeeDee has authored a book about preparing for
the Iditarod called Iditarod Dreams. During the
off-season she contributes much of her time giving
back to Alaska. She will often take some of her
dogs and visit children in the hospital and make
other community appearances.
In October of 1996, she was severely injured in
an automobile accident near Fairbanks. Having spent
weeks in the hospital, DeeDee was nonetheless ready
to face the challenge of "The Last Great Race"
again and finished 4th in 1997, in a very close
race.
http://library.thinkquest.org/11313/Iditarod/deedee.html
dee dee photo on trail - iditarodtrail
Results
Dee Dee finished 15th of 95 mushers in the 2008
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and won $26,500.
GCI Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award- Presented by
Gary Samuelson (GCI Nome Alaska) to Dee Dee Jonrowe
from Willow Alaska who was the first musher to
arrive in Cripple Alaska. Dee Dee received a
beautiful trophy and $3,000 in gold nuggets and
which she said she’d be giving to her husband,
Mike, who celebrated his birthday on the day
Jonrowe reached Cripple. In 2009, she finished
13th.
She's be racing the Iditarod since 1980 and has
finished in the top 10 15 time, nine of those in
the top five including a second in 1998 and 1993.
She finsihed 10th in 2012 and 2013 and was the
first off the line in the 2011 Iditarod. As of the
0215 Iditarod, DeeDee had finshed 30 full
races.
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