Lu Young, the wife of Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), died overnight Saturday at the couple's home in Virginia. She was 67.

Young was Gwich'in Athabascan from the village of Fort Yukon. She was married to the Congressman for 46 years and played a big role in his campaigns and his work on Capitol Hill.

"She was an ambassador on Native issues. Whenever Don needed help, she reached out and got information," Matthew Nicolai, the chief executive of Calista Corp., told The Anchorage Daily News.

Rep. Young, one of the most powerful Republicans in Congress, named the 2005 highway reauthorization bill for his wife. The bill is known as Safe Accountable Efficient Transportation Act: A Legacy for Users, or SAFETEA-LU.

Get the Story:
Lu Young, wife of Rep. Don Young, dies at 67 (The Anchorage Daily News 8/3)
Wife of Alaska congressman dies (AP 8/2)