| Number 11 | October 1, 2000 |
PLANS UNDERWAY FOR THE NEXT REUNION
Jim Beck of Michigan, our chief genealogist and champion of everything connected with the Beck family, spent a week on PEI in early September. He took advantage of the opportunity to get some planning done, and provided this report.
A meeting of the Beck Reunion Committee was held September 5, 2000 at
the cottage of Dr. Mac Beck in Brudenell. Those attending were Christie
Beck (who acted as secretary), Eileen Tanner (who is treasurer), Mac Beck,
Barry Beck, Barb and Jim Beck. (1.4.6.6.1.)
Alan Beck was not able to come.
Since
a chairperson has not been selected,
Jim Beck acted in that capacity for the
meeting. Some discussion was held regarding finding a permanent chair. It
was agreed that the person should reside on the Island, and some names were
discussed.
Tentatively the next Reunion will be the weekend of July 12, 2003. The
Northumberland Arena in Murray River seems the best location.
The committee was very supportive of the work that Ivan Munn is doing
with the Beck Bulletin. It was agreed to support the Bulletin financially
from the treasury. Jim Beck was to tell Ivan of the support of the committee
and to indicate the possible financial support.
Various possible projects were discussed. One relates to the scanning
of family pictures into a computer. The older ones are of most
interest but all family groupings and scenes are needed, including homes and boats. For those on the
Island, Ron Harris has agreed to scan pictures and return them to the owner. Ron now lives in Gladstone, near Murray Harbour. His telephone number
is 902-962-3616 and his e-mail address is rharris@pei.sympatico.ca.
Pictures can also be mailed to him.
Doug Beck, Jim's son, is also willing to scan pictures into his
computer, and has agreed to act as custodiam of all the graphics collected. People who have scanners could prepare images of their relatives and forward them to Doug by e-mail. After the pictures are scanned, they then become available to all
relatives. In future we might have picture albums on CD ROM available for family members at little more than the cost of production. Pictures would have to be mailed to Doug and he would mail them
back. Doug's addresses are:
Doug Beck
2645 Vidalia Terrace,
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Tel no 719-532-1289 E-mail: dougb@market1.com
Ron Harris has also agreed to serve on the Reunion committee, with
particular emphasis related to the pictures.
The next meeting of the planning committee is tentatively set for June 29, 2001.
BOMBS IN THE BACK YARD
The Second World War was taken seriously on Prince Edward Island. In the early years as Hitler marched across Europe there were German U-boats off shore and people prepared for possible air attacks. Sirens were installed in every community, blackout drills were practised and wardens were appointed to enforce them.
Edward MacDonald, a historian at the University of Prince Edward Island, provides details of those days in his new book, "If You're Stronghearted: Prince Edward Island in the 20th Century." He says the first precautionary blackout was tried on Prince Edward Island January 19, 1942, as officials considered German air attacks possible if not probable. The following is an excerpt:
"To guard against the possible, an Air Raid Detection post 
was set up in the summer of 1942 on the roof of Charlottetown's tallest building, the Charlottetown Hotel. Among the volunteers who helped staff it was Preston Beck.(1.4.3A.2A.1)
As it turned out, it was not enemy airplanes that Beck had to worry about.
One dark night in February 1943, four twin-engine bombers flying out of Halifax encountered a deadly freezing rain storm. They floundered on blindly through the blackness, instruments useless, losing altitude and lift as ice built up on their wings. Two of the planes made forced landings at the Charlottetown airfield. A third turned back and was lost near Dartmouth. Anticipating a crash landing, the fourth jettisoned its bomb load over what it presumed was the Northumberland Strait. Instead, four depth charges and eight practice bombs rained down onto a snowy field behind the house on Mt. Edward Road where Preston Beck and his wife Jessie had just gone to bed. At first, Jessie Beck thought the brilliant flash outside was lightning. Then the shock wave from the explosions struck her in the face, and windows all over the house shattered.
Miraculously, no one was hurt. Even the air crew survived. They ended up bailing out over the Northumberland Strait, and were picked up by the car ferry Prince Edward Island after spending five days on an ice floe. Their plane crashed-landed itself near Shediac, New Brunswick.
The bombing of Charlottetown was a local sensation, but military authorities moved quickly to exert damage control, and only a heavily censored account made it into the local papers. The Air Force paid the Becks $150 for their shattered windows and broken plaster, but nothing for their shattered nerves. "There are no bomb craters in our fields YET!" a Department of Labour ad in The Guardian proclaimed that summer. As usual, the government was wrong."
Printed with the permission of the author, who told me he talked with Jessie about the incident and then checked the details with official sources. The book will be launched on Oct. 11 at the Charlottetown Hotel.
IRVINGS POPULAR HOSTS
Traffic was heavy on the Machon Point Road in Murray Harbour in early September 
as Chet and May Irving (1.11.2,1.2.) played host to a rally of 40 large motor homes. The visitors came from around the Maritimes for the Labour Day holiday. A neighbour who owns a vacant lot next to the Irvings makes it available for parking the vehicles.
This is the seventh rally hosted by the Irvings. There were 58 motor homes at the last one three years ago.
"They had a good time the last time they were here and asked us to host another," Chet told the Eastern Graphic. The Irvings had help from their friends, Larry and Margie McLaughlin of Moncton, N.B., who brought equipment to help with various functions.
"We couldn't have done it without them," May said.
The Murray Harbour Drama Club put on a dinner on for the campers on Saturday night and served 98 people. This was followed by entertainment and a dance.
THE BECK FARM CAPTURED IN CERAMICS
The above platter is the work of Marion Elizabeth (Beck) Maxwell (1.10B.7.4.2,) of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. During a visit she and her husband, James, made to PEI in 1980, James took pictures of the Beck Homestead in Guernsey Cove and the Bell Home Farm of her grandparents in Murray Harbour. Marion was involved in ceramics and decided the two pictures would make good subjects for her work. James sent me an Email describing the process:
"These 'platters', for want of a better name, are more like a serving platter than a plate in that they are oval in shape and measure approximately 33 cm long and 24 cm wide. They are
usually formed or poured in the shape desired prior to "firing" in a ceramic kiln. The first firing is coated with a base coat of paint on which the desired decoration is applied. In this case, Marion made a sketch from the photos to approximate the picture desired in the same way any brush artist does his or her design."
Next month we'll show the Bell Home.
MARRIED
Tracy Elizabeth Jackson, (1.4.1,10,2,1.2,) of Beach Point and Murray River to Glen Chaisson, son of Jerome and Josie Chaisson of New Perth, P.E.I. The wedding took place on Saturday, Sept. 9, under clear, sunny skies. The ceremony was held in the Murray Harbour Church of Christ. The reception was in the Murray Harbour Community Centre, followed by a dance there later in the evening. There was a large turnout with guests from as far away as Saskatchewan, Ontario, Michigan and Nova Scotia. Tracy and Glen plan to live in Murray River.
DEATHS
BECK, H. Russell - (1.4.3A.2A.2.) Died at Riverview Manor, Montague, on Saturday, September 9, 2000, in his 92nd year. Until recently he had been at Shady Rest Home in Lower Montague.
He was born in Alliston, the son of Nestor and Sarah (MacSwain) Beck. He grew up in that community and his first job was with his Uncle Rob at the monument business, Vere Beck and Son in Montague.
Russell moved to Toronto in the early 40s. He became interested in the Society of Friends or Quakers, and went to China as an ambulance driver for them during the War. He served in combat areas and experienced first hand the horrors of war.
He returned to Toronto in 1947 and went to work for a monument company there. He married Marguerite Tustian in 1948 and they moved back to PEI after he retired. He is survived by his son, Garry Beck, Vancouver, B.C.; his sister-in-law, Jessie Rosina Beck, Charlottetown; his aunt, Ethel Beck, Montague; numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and nephews and many cousins.
Russell was predeceased by his wife, Marguerite, brothers, Preston Vere and Artemas Vincent and his niece, Dr. Adele Beck-Savoury. The funeral service was held from Ferguson's Funeral Home in Montague Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 2 PM with interment in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.
BREHAUT, Lillian Louise (1.4.4,2,4.) - The death occurred at Sunset Lodge, Charlottetown, on Monday, August 28, 2000, of Mrs. Lillian Louise Brehaut (nee Herring), formerly of Guernsey Cove, age 95 years. She was the wife of the late Leonard Brehaut. The funeral service was held at the Cutcliffe Funeral Home, Charlottetown, on Wednesday, Aug. 30, at 11 AM. A private interment followed in the family plot in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.
MACKENZIE, Ferne E. - Died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Charlottetown on Wednesday, August 30, 2000, at the age of 67. She was the wife of Warren MacKenzie. She had been married earlier to Floyd B. Buell (1.6B.6.5,1) She is survived by daughters Susan Buell (David) McCann, Montreal; Karen Buell, Ottawa; and a son, Kevin Buell (Christine), Calgary. She was predeceased by an infant son, Paul Buell. The funeral service was held from Ferguson's Montague Funeral Home Chapel with interment in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.
BIOGRAPHY
Selina Jane MacKenzie (1.5,2.3) was born at Beach Point on March 3, 1877, the daughter of John MacKenzie and Bessie Grimley. She married Ernie Penny on June 10, 1897 and they had six children. They owned a farm near the dividing line between Murray Harbour and Beach Point. Selina was a very religious woman and she and Ernie were listed among the 13 original members of the Church of Christ at Murray Harbour when it opened in 1899.
She was also active in the Women's Aid Society which helped to raise funds for the Church. The church history published in 1999 mentions that in 1901 a quilt made by Selina sold for $9.28 and the money went toward paying the debt on the building.
A grandson, Eugene Strickland, remembers her love of the scriptures. The Penny's moved in with Gene's family about 1948 after his father became ill, and spent the rest of their lives there. "She came down from her bedroom in the morning and sat in her rocking chair and had a cup of hot water and spent some time reading the New Testament," Gene said. "She read it every day and it's well worn." When she died, she left her Bible to Gene and he still has it.
He said he thought the reason she drank hot water was because they couldn't afford tea or coffee. "But some folks later told me that they drank hot water because they didn't want to become addicted to tea or coffee."
Selina died January 9, 1958 and is buried in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.
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 and the price is $10.00.
The Vere Beck Family 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