| Number 8 | April 1, 2000 |
BEATING LEAVES VICTIM BLIND AND DISFIGURED
A friendly game of pool in a Dartmouth tavern went awry when the players encountered problems with a group at the next table. 51-year-old William Barr, the husband of provincial court Judge Fran Potts (1.4.2.4.8,2,) was knocked to the floor and kicked and stomped during the altercation. The details came out in a court hearing on Feb. 1. Court was told that the vicious beating left the victim with severe facial disfigurement leading to the loss of his sight.
Four young men were given sentences ranging from three to six years after they pleaded guilty to participating in the attack. Charges against three other people were dropped.
The dispute began when David Scott Ackman, who was drunk and playing on a neighbouring table, tried to play pool on Bill's table. Bill told him he was playing on the wrong table, but it happened again. The bouncer intervened and put the group out, telling them that Bill was married to a judge.
One of the group came back in and started a fight and that's when Bill decided to leave. He met the group in the lobby as he was going out. They knocked him down and kicked and stomped him while he was on the floor. His friends called to the bouncers for help, saying "They are killing Bill."
They weren't far wrong. Bill spent more than three weeks in hospital and required 10 to 12 hours of reconstructive surgery that left him without sight. He lost most of his teeth and was on a liquid diet for weeks. His weight dropped from about 150 pounds to less than 120.
The four attackers, who had been in jail since the fight, stood and apologized to Bill and his family. However he was not in court to hear them. It was a cold day and that affects the titanium plates and screws used to reconstruct his face.
"Unless the miraclous happens, I will never see the faces of my wife and children again," Bill wrote in a victim impact statement read to the court by the prosecutor. "For the first several weeks after my discharge from hospital I was in such pain that I was awake almost 24 hours a day," he wrote. He added that he suffers from severe depression because the blindness has cost him his independence.
In an interview later he told the Halifax Daily News that he's learning to read braille, walks with a cane and listens to audiobooks. Bill had worked at a meat store before the attack and hopes to work again with the help of friends.
60 TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
by Friend Herring
Louis and Carrie (Chapman) Herring celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary February 17, 2000. They were married at Murray Harbour in 1940 and have made their home there except for several years in the mid-forties when the family was in Nova Scotia.
Louis and Carrie raised two children, Friend and Elaine, and have two grandchildren, Josie and Jon.
An afternoon "cake and tea" was held in the Murray Harbour Community Centre when family and friends gathered for a "best wishes only," celebration from 2 - 4 pm. Violin and guitar music was supplied by family members Cecil and Ken Chapman, Jo-Anne Ford and Mel Giddings, a good friend. It was a relaxing chance to chat, reminisce and look at pictures from earlier times.
Louis is related to the Becks through his mother, Josie Ann Beck, whose parents were Benjamin Beck and Mary MacLean. Josie married Louis Hedley Herring, a schooner captain, on August 8, 1905. They raised 12 children, seven of them boys. Seven of the family are living; Louis, May, John, Hubert, Cliff, Joy, and Margaret. Harry, Myrtle, Friend, Len, and June have passed away.
Carrie is related to the Becks through her mother, Louise Emily Dunn, the daughter of Jessie Ruhama Beck and George Dunn. Louise married Captain John Milton Chapman on May 19, 1910. They had 10 children, five boys and five girls: Carrie, Robie, Rita, Alice, and Cecil are living while Cy, Bertha, George, Dorothy, and Roy are deceased.
The original Herring family arrived from Cornwall, England, in 1831 with William, his wife, and five children, William, Frank, Pascal, Ann, and Mary. They settled on the islands at the mouth of the Murray River where they farmed and fished.
As a young man, Louis tried his hand at a number of jobs. He sailed on vessels with his father, Louis H. and his brother, Harry; he drove a gravel truck and taught in schools from Murray Harbour North to Cape Traverse during and after attending Prince of Wales College. He spent the war years in Pictou and Halifax working as a carpenter building such things as life boats for the ships crossing the Atlantic.
Louis, Carrie and daughter, Elaine, live in their home of more than 50 years, located at the south end of the bridge at the Harbour. It's one of the original buildings in the village. Louis and Carrie bought it from Jack VanIderstine in the late forties and continued to operate it as a general grocery store. Carrie also opened a hairdressing business at the same time and continued "to keep" the store. Louis returned to teaching and eventually became school superintendent.
Carrie and Louis have been active in the Murray Harbour Church of Christ throughout their marriage. Louis taught adult Bible school and young peoples groups and served as an elder. He has also enjoyed carpentry work, building and sailing small boats of various sizes, a 30-foot vacation trailer and a two-storey cottage at Beach Point. He operated a ham radio for some time and still pursues his love of poetry from the school books of earlier days. As a student and teacher, Louis enjoyed poetry for its beauty and message. Although his eye sight does not allow for much reading these days, he is led through the familiar pages by Elaine and Carrie.
Louis will be 92 on May 5th and always celebrates with a lobster supper with members of his immediate family, usually at Brehaut's Restaurant.
Carrie has not been missing too many chances to use her talents either. She has always enjoyed being church organist and continues to play as she now proceeds through her eighties. She has helped revive a love of the violin both as a teacher, player and accompanist, especially within the local community school. She and her sister, Bertha MacKay, sang many beautiful duets for numerous functions. She has also taught crocheting, knitting and oil painting courses at the community school. In addition, she was active in the Women's Institute and Ladies Aid through the years.
The family enjoyed the anniversary celebrations with many friends and relatives and voiced their thanks for all the cards and best wishes received.
60 TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
by Friend Herring
EIGHT WEEK LAYOFF FROM HOCKEY
Thatcher Bell ( 1.4.6.5,3.6,3) has been sidelined from hockey for two months with a broken collarbone.
He suffered the injury in a game in late February bringing an end to his regular season play. He returned to his home in Guernsey Cove for a week of rest after the injury.
Thatcher plays centre for the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and had 26 goals and 43 assists for 69 points in just over 50 games this year. He is eligible for the National Hockey League draft in June and he told the Eastern Graphic that he has had talks with several teams. However, he's only 18 and expects to be back in the Quebec Junior League again next year.
Thatcher was one of 40 Junior players chosen by NHL scouts to play in the "Prospects" game in Toronto in early February. The action took place during the NHL All-Star game weekend. He was part of the team coached by former Boston Bruin great, Bobby Orr. A couple of nights later he played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League All-Star game.
He expects to be back in the lineup about April 20 to help his team in the playoffs.
In our report on Thatcher in the February newsletter we mentioned that several of his great uncles on the Harris side of the family had been good hockey players. It was pointed out later that his grandfather, Louie Harris, was also part of the Murray Harbour Bruins team that won a number of championships in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The next generation produced hockey talent on the Bell side of the family. Thatcher's uncle, Gerry Bell, was an excellent player and could have gone far in hockey had he chosen to do so. With talent on both sides of the family, Thatcher appears to be well on his way to the top.
Proposal to provide future Beck genealogy books on CD ROM
by Doug Beck (1.4.6.6.1.2.)
Advantages
-More information can be provided than in a book, such as biographies, pictures and even movies.
-Most computers have CD ROM readers these days, even those that are 5 years old.
-Blank CDs can be bought for about $1 each, which is a significant saving over printed books.
-CDs require significantly less storage space, i.e. they are physically smaller than a book.
-CDs are difficult to damage and do not decay over time.
-CDs allow users to make electronic searches for names, saving time.
Disadvantages
-Even in the year 2000, not everyone has a computer which may mean that we need to still print books
Given the numerous advantages, perhaps the best plan is to provide CD ROMs for the majority of those interested and only provide a few printed books. This way, we can provide far more information to most while making only a modest investment in books.
We would welcome your ideas, suggestions or thoughts on Doug's proposal.
VITAL STATISTICS
NEW ARRIVAL
John and Royelle (Carver) MacKay (1.4.8a,4,2.1.2.) of Beach Point have a new daughter, Julie Margaret, born on February 29, 2000. This is their second child. Their first daughter, Billie Royelle, was born December 25, 1998.
DEATHS
HERRING, June Elizabeth (1.4.2.6,11) The death occurred at the Kings County Memorial Hospital, March 16, 2000, of June Herring of Murray River, age 72 years. She was the daughter of the late Louis H. and Josie Ann (Beck) Herring. She had suffered a stroke about 5 years ago and had been in the Manor in Montague since then. June is survived by brothers Louis (Carrie) Herring, Murray Harbour; John (Ethel) Herring, Charlottetown; Hubert (Stella) Herring, Calgary; and Clifford (Norma) Murray River; as well as by sisters, May Herring, Murray River; Joy Fraser, Hopefield; and Margaret Herring, Charlottetown. She was predeceased by brothers, Harry, Friend and Leonard; and by a sister, Myrtle MacWilliams. The funeral service was held Monday, March 20, at the Murray River Church of Christ, with interment in the Murray River Cemetery.
LELACHEUR, Florrey H. (1.4.1,10,8,) The death occurred at the Kings County Memorial Hospital, Montague, on Friday March 3, 2000, of Florrey Harriett (Gosbee) LeLacheur of Guernsey Cove, age 76 years. She was the wife of Kimball LeLacheur, and the mother of Thane (Elizabeth), Whim Road; Donna (James) Butler, Alliston; and Scott (Vera), of Stratford. She was also survived by eight grandchildren; brothers Louis, Charles, Lovell and Elmer Gosbee; and sisters Dorothy Jackson and Ruth Hawkins. She was predeceased by her brothers, William and Murray, and her sister, Sadie Bell. The funeral service was held on Sunday, March 5, with interment in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.
BIOGRAPHY
Philip Strickland (1.12,6,) was born in Newfoundland on May 4, 1870. The Strickland family moved to Beach Point in 1876 when Philip was only 6 years old. They came looking for a better life after hard times struck Newfoundland. Fish catches were very poor in the 1860s, improved from 1869 to 1874, but collapsed in 1875 causing a lot of hadship.So the Strickland family headed for Prince Edward Island.
Eugene Strickland, Philip's grandson, said that they stopped off in Beach Point before moving on to Trenton, N.S. where Philip's parents are buried. Gene said he didn't know how Philip arrived back in Beach Point, and there is a possibility that he may have been left and grew up there.
It was at Beach Point that he met and married Caroline (Carrie) White. Philip was a carpenter and he walked to and his from his work which was mostly in the Murray Harbour area. He designed a canvas bag to hold his tools, making it easy to carry them as he walked. Gene said his Grandfather told him that he used to get a dollar a day, plus meals when he was on the site.
Philip was a member of the building committee that planned for and constructed the Church of Christ at Murray Harbour in 1899. He was also one of the volunteer carpenters who worked on the building, which was completed in August of that year.
He had a workshop in his yard where he could build smaller items. He made all his own mouldings and trim for around doors and windows. Philip also made coffins, and he kept two or three stored in the loft of his shop all the time. Gene has fond memories of visiting that shop as a boy and watching his grandfather at work.
Philip's oldest son, Victor, inherited the property and lived there after his parents died. Years later Gene came home from Ontario on vacation and wanted to see the workshop again. "I remembered this place as being a huge, huge workshop," he said, "something like a hangar you might store a 747 aircraft in."
So he went to visit his Uncle Victor and asked, "What ever became of Grandfather's workshop?" Victor said it was still there. Gene said, "where?" "Come on," said Victor "we'll go out and go through it."
Gene said he opened this small little building and we went in. I said, "No, no, Uncle Vic, I mean Grandfather's big workshop."
"This is it," he said.
Philip Strickland died Dec. 31, 1948 and is buried in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.
FROM NORTH TO FARTHER NORTH
Tight budgets at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, are resulting in layoffs and consolidation. For Alan Beck (1.11.8.3.1.1.) it means his job at Rankin Inlet in the Eastern Arctic will be disappearing. That does not mean that he will be out of work, though. Alan says he is being transferred to Whitehorse as a senior maintenance technologist.
Asked how he felt about the move, Alan replied, "We are excited. I get to possibly own a Volkswagen again."
If so, that will be their second car. "Of course," says Alan, "Bev gets her Minivan again first. At least the vintage Caravan we can afford has a Volkswagen engine in it."
Alan admits to being a cultist when it comes to Volkswagens.
"My last one was a $3,500.00 Turbo Diesel with 375,000 miles on it. It got to 450,000 before the guy I sold it to killed it. Perhaps I could buy it back again and fix it up?" he muses.
"I wouldn't mind pulling the engine apart; I'm not afraid of such things. Getting compression to beat 160 psi is a feat though."
Alan expects the move to take place during the Summer.
PREPARING FOR THE CLASSROOM
Tobi Jackson (1.4.6.8.3,4) is in training to be a school teacher. As the final phase of her teaching degree from the University of Maine, Tobi is getting "on the job" experience in PEI at the moment. She spent January and February at Southern Kings Consolidated in Alliston where she taught Grade 6. She is teaching Elementary to Grade 2 in Montague during March and April, and will go back to Fort Kent for Graduation on May 13.
Tobi earned excellent marks last fall, finishing with a 3.95 GPA average, which has earned her a listing in, "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges." It rewards and recognizes individual academic excellence on a national level. Once selected, a student is a lifetime member.
Tobi's plans are uncertain at the moment. "I'm not sure where I plan to teach. I know that I
definitely want to go overseas."
She is thinking about returning to Korea, but is also considering Japan, Hong
Kong, Egypt, and Poland.
BELL WAIVES PAROLE
A man who alarmed Prince Edward Islanders with a series of bombings over an 8 year period has waived his right to parole. Roger Charles Bell (1.4.1,10,5.2.) was eligible for day parole in late December. Calling himself the Loki 7 bomber, Roger pleaded guilty to planting bombs at the P.E.I. Supreme Court building in 1988; Point Pleasant Park in Halifax in 1994; the Island Legislature in 1995, and a propane storage yard in Charlottetown in 1996. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and is serving his time in Springhill, N.S. He is eligible for full parole on June 29 but has also waived that right.
A native of Murray Harbour, Roger was a high school chemistry teacher and had been living in Charlottetown. He never revealed his motive for the bombings.
It's not known why he chose not to apply for early release. A parole board spokesman said this is sometimes due to the fact that the prisoner hasn't completed treatment.
BOOKS STILL AVAILABLE
While the latest version of the Beck listings is sold out, there are still copies of the 1983 book, The Descendants of Vere Beck. This is the professionally printed and bound volume and it includes generations 1 to 6 and some of generation 7.
It's more than adequate for people interested in tracing their line back to Vere and Elizabeth Beck, or for browsing through the early generations of the family. If you're interested you can get a copy from Dr. Mac Beck, 5 West Street, Charlottetown, PEI. C1A 3S3. Mac's phone number is 902-894-3544. The price is $10.00.
A Couple of Reminders
First, my address has changed in the last month. You can now reach me at imunn@accesswave.ca
My home page has also moved and is located at http://www.accesswave.ca/~imunn/
We're always looking for news of family members. If you know of any significant events drop me a line with the information.
The Vere Beck Family Home Page
The Marfleet Home Page
Ivan Munn's Home Page
We're always looking for news of Beck family members. If you know of any significant events drop me a line with the information.
imunn@accesswave.ca
imunn@accesswave.ca