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Though diminutive in stature, Sue Covich handily fills the Alaska woman image described by the state's official balladeer, Hobo Jim.

She's tough. She met her husband while both were working as teamsters on the North Slope.

She's humble, but determined. She started out as a young bride in a 200 square-foot cabin tucked out in the woods of North Kenai, and she had the vision to see the house through four expansions as she and her husband, Dave, raised three children, now grown.

She's persistent. With a drive and a bit of stubbornness perhaps borne of her devoted mother, Ann, she fulfilled her father's promise to see her complete a college degree, even if it took 30 years.

Never one to seek the limelight, Covich returned to the workforce as a substitute night custodian at Nikiski North Star Elementary School after taking off 10 years to raise her family.

When asked if she used her father's influence to land the job, with a slight smile she said, "It never came up."

In fact, many of those with whom she interacts on a daily basis are not even aware that Covich's dad is U.S. Senator Ted Stevens, one of the most influential men in the country today.

So what is it like being the daughter of such a prominent Alaskan?

"It's pretty awesome. It's quite an honor," said Covich. "As a history major myself, I know he's making history.

"In the '70s, when he was working on the (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty), I first realized the importance of what he does for the world," she said. "It's awesome."

Born in Fairbanks in 1954, Covich was only 4 years old when her father was named solicitor to the Interior Department working on statehood for Alaska and the family moved to Washington, D.C. A few years later, it was back to Alaska, this time living in a Hillside motel along the park strip before settling into a log home at 12th and P Street.

Ted Stevens ran for state Senate in 1962, but lost. In 1964, he ran for state House of Representatives and won. The family, now consisting of parents Ted and Ann Cherrington-Stevens, Sue, Beth, Walter, Ted and Ben, traveled to Juneau during the legislative sessions, but did not sell their house in Anchorage.

In 1966, Stevens was re-elected and in 1968, ran again and lost in the primary to Anchorage Mayor Elmer Rasmuson. Democrat Mike Gravel won the General Election. Later that year, however, Alaska's first U.S. Senator, Bob Bartlett, died in office and Gov. Walter Hickel appointed Stevens to the U.S. Senate.

In 1969, it was back to Washington for the Stevens family.

Looking back, Sue Covich has no regrets having grown up as the senator's daughter, but she recalls being upset with that move to the nation's capital when she was a teen.

"I slammed doors. I hated it," she said.

Her father told her to settle down ... make friends. Everything would be OK, and it was.

Once, when the Stevens family was invited to attend church services at the White House, Sue again rebelled.

"I wore a pink tennis dress," she said.

Her dad became very upset, but her mom said, "Don't worry. She'll only embarrass herself."

"I did," Covich said.

After successfully running in 1970 to complete Bartlett's term of office, Stevens has been re-elected six times, his current term expiring in January 2009.

Tragedy struck the Stevens family in 1978.

Sue and Dave Covich were planning to get married on Dec. 30 of that year, but on Dec. 4, the airplane carrying Sen. Stevens and wife Ann crashed at Anchorage International Airport, killing Ann and four others on board. The senator was injured, suffering temporary amnesia which required a hospital stay for a couple days until he regained his memory.

"Even though it was a hard time, we came together and decided the wedding was still on," Sue said. "Dave and I were married in a private ceremony at All Saints Episcopal Church in Anchorage."

Sen. Stevens assigned a chore to all the siblings and a family friend, Matilda Stepovich, wife of Alaska Territorial Gov. Mike Stepovich, stood in for Sue's mom.

Dave Covich is the son of Walt and Eldy Covich, missionaries from Russia with the Slavic Gospel Mission, which built the Kenai Bible Church on the bluffs in the late 1940s.

Dave's parents moved to Palmer where he attended high school, graduating in 1971. He attended college for a time, playing basketball for Montana State, and then went to work with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as a fish counter in Prudhoe Bay.

Sue and Dave met in 1977 in Prudhoe where both were teamsters ? he driving a big rig and she a potty wagon.

"Seriously," Sue said. "The environmentalists wouldn't allow porta-potties out on the tundra. My job was to drive a potty wagon out to the men."

Sue had started working on the North Slope in 1976, just one semester shy of graduating from the University of Denver, much to the chagrin of the senator.

"Everytime I saw him, it was, 'Are you goin' back to school?' 'Are you thinkin' about school?'" she said.

Finally, two years ago, Sue did go back. She attended Kenai Peninsula College and the University of Alaska Anchorage, earning a degree in history.

"It took 30 years, but I graduated," she said. "When I finally called (Sen. Stevens), he said that was the one thing he promised mom ... that I'd finish college. I still got my $1,000 check like everyone else when they (graduated) ... even though I was 52."

Sue remembers her mother as being very strong, very intelligent, reading a book a day.

"She was the glue that stuck us all together," Sue said. "Dad was off in D.C. working on land claims and the pipeline authority. She kept everything going."

About two years after Ann's death, Sue and her sister took their father out dancing at Bobby McGee's disco in Anchorage where he met Catherine. In late 1980, she became Catherine Stevens.

"He was pretty good as a disco dancer," Sue said. "He's still a good dancer. He likes to dance."

After Sue and Dave got married, the couple moved back down to the Kenai Peninsula where Dave hired on with Quik Construction, working construction in the winter and fishing with a neighbor, Paul Dale, in the summer. After three years, Dave went to work at the Tesoro refinery in Nikiski where he has worked since.

Soon after the couple moved to North Kenai, their first daughter, Sara-Ann was born.

Dave and Sue were living in a tiny, 200 square-foot cabin, and at the time, had it jacked up, planning to build a foundation underneath. A sheet of visqueen covered the roof.

A plank was propped up to the house so people could get in without stepping in mud, Sue recalls.

"Catherine was here with me, and dad came," she said.

"'You're bringing my granddaughter in there?'" he asked.

Soon after Sara was born, the senator and Catherine also had a baby girl, named Lily.

"It was cool to have (another) sister," Sue said. "She worshipped us older kids. She's a good kid."

About the same time, Dave and Sue had their second child, this time a boy, John-Peter. Laura-Beth followed a year later.

Ten years after she took time off to raise her family, Sue went back to work as a night custodian substitute at Nikiski North Star Elementary School, the position she quips that did not require her dad's influence to land.

She has held a number of jobs with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District ranging from food service, to secretarial to working with computers, and now is a substitute teacher.

Over the years, Sue says some people know of some of the things her father has accomplished, but no one knows all the things.

"He's always wanted to do what's best for Alaska," she said.

One accomplishment that had a direct effect on her was his work on the Title IX education amendment that prohibits discrimination based on gender for any education program or activity receiving Federal funding.

While at the University of Denver, Sue was not allowed to be on the school's ski team. It was only for men.

"We skied intramurals with the (university) ski team, but there was nothing at the competitive level for women," she said.

As a result of Title IX, both of Dave and Sue's daughters were able to participate in women's sports.

Another accomplishment she points to is her dad's efforts for tele-medicine in rural Alaska.

"With tele-medicine they can deliver quality medical care for Native Alaskans. That's huge," Sue said.

"Conversations I've had with him might have had an influence on him ... we do talk about things," she said.

"I remember one time ... my biggest fear was the drive from Anchorage to Portage because there were no guard rails," Sue said.

"I can't say it was my conversation with him, but he's always thinking ... trying to make things better."

Today guard rails protect motorists the entire stretch along Turnagain Arm.

When Sue visits her dad in Washington today, she says it's fun to run into some of the friends she grew up with as a teen, but she also feels that the city is somewhat of a burden ? "a good burden," she says.

"I see him as my dad. That's his job," she said.

"He wakes up every day with the same enthusiasm, the same dedication, the same desire.

"I go with him to receptions for the military and they truly appreciate what he's done," Sue said.

When asked if she is involved with her senator father politically, Sue said she has campaigned for him in the past and "probably would like to be involved with his campaign this year ... primarily because it means being with dad."

"I'm proud to be his daughter."

Phil Hermanek can be reached at phillip.hermanek@peninsulaclarion.com.