| Number 26 | April 1, 2003 |
LOTS OF INTEREST IN THE UPCOMING REUNION
Enthusiasm is building among Beck Family members as the date of the reunion draws nearer. A lot of interest was generated by the article in the last issue of this newsletter as people got some idea of the plans for the reunion. It is unquestionably the most ambitious get together ever planned by the descendants of Vere Beck.
The agenda was spelled out in an article by Jim Beck of Michigan that included most of the highlights of the event. Jim followed that up with a letter to a number of relatives that we did not have email addresses for. There were many requests for more information and about a dozen newcomers have been added to our email list.
Reunion activities are spread over four days, starting with a lobster supper at New Glasgow, PEI on Thursday evening, July 10 for those interested. The day on Friday will be devoted to serious genealogy work with people available at the community center in Murray Harbour to exchange information on Beck descendants. We want any information you can supply on your direct branch of the family, and we'll be available to share everything we have with you. Friday evening we move to the Northumberland Arena in Murray River for a ceilidh featuring Beck family talent. There'll be lots of music and entertainment with fun for all.
Saturday morning there'll be an open house again at the Community Center in Murray Harbour, along with pre-registration for the afternoon's activities and tours of local areas of interest.
In the afternoon, there will be registration from 1 to 3 pm at the Northumberland Arena. The latest family books will be available for sale, and people will be on hand to record corrections and additions to the family tree. This will also be a time to meet and greet old friends and make new ones.
The formal program gets underway at 3 PM with Alan Windsor Beck of Virginia as the main speaker. He will explain how he started searching for his relatives in 1998 and suddenly found a whole host of them. Later there will be a potluck supper at the arena followed by another evening of entertainment.
We'll be back at the Arena again on Sunday morning for a church service, led by another Alan Beck. You can check the full agenda here.
THE BOOKSHELF
It wouldn't be a reunion without copies of the latest edition of the Beck listings! And this year will be no exception. Jim Beck (1.4.6.6.1.) of Michigan, our chief genealogist, has been faithfully adding names to the listings over the past five years and will have new books available when we gather in PEI in July. We also plan to have a Compact Disk for sale with additional information in it. It will contain the listings, all the pictures Jim has been able to gather of Beck family members, and all the back issues of this newsletter - The Beck Bulletin. The price will depend on production costs, but it's expected the Listings will sell for about $20 Canadian, and the CD for about $15.
Placing orders early guarantees you'll get a copy and makes Jim's job much easier as he tries to decide how many copies of each to produce. A number of orders have already been confirmed, but we'd like to hear from you if you are interested in buying a book, a CD or both.
Something else that we'd like to receive is details of any changes in your own immediate family. Have there been any births, marriages or deaths in the past five years? Are there corrections to the information in the last book? We want the Listings to contain accurate and up-to-date information. Send an email to Jim Beck jamesverebeck@attbi.com
There's also a new departure in the book line this year. Sarah Jackson (1.4.6.8.3,) of Beach Point has produced a family cookbook.
It's called, "Recipes from the Descendants of Vere Beck," and contains 200 pages of family favourites submitted by a number of relatives. There are 500 recipes in it, ranging all the way from appetizers and beverages to pages and pages of tasty desserts.
The book is attractively bound, with a wire coil spine that allows it to lie flat on your counter.
The cookbook will be available at the reunion for $10 a copy. You can reserve one by contacting Sarah. If you would like to have a copy sooner, postage costs will push the price higher.
You can contact her at this email address for details: Sarah Jackson hsnjackson@pei.sympatico.ca
NO BAN ON COSMETIC PESTICIDES
Montague Town Council is continuing its effort to have all cosmetic pesticides banned in Prince Edward Island. Last year it sent a resolution to the PEI federation of municipalities asking that it endorse Montague's stand and forward it to the province. 
The minister of the environment, Chester Gillan, has rejected the request saying the province isn't interested in banning cosmetic pesticides.
The original motion was introduced by Montague's deputy mayor, Jock Beck, (1.4.3B.7.2.2.) who said there are many alternative products to control weeds, using organic and natural compounds that are not a threat to the environment or to people. Jock said his wife, Gwen, is one of many who suffer from environmental sensitivity and need protection from cosmetic pesticides.
Jock made the motion calling on the the federation to reject the province's letter. "I'm wondering why they would reject something like this," he said.
Mayor Pat McGowan said with all the concern about the safety of the province's groundwater, it's hard to understand their lack of action on this matter.
PEI DAY IN FLORIDA
About 700 Islanders and their guests gathered in St. Petersburg in mid-March to meet and greet old friends under sunny skies. This was the third annual get-together, and like the other two, was held in Fort DeSoto Park. One of the organizers, Alex Campbell, a former Island premier and Supreme Court justice, wrote a story on the gathering for The Guardian.
A number of well known Islanders played prominent roles in the days events, and many of those in attendance drove several hours to be there.
Paul Jenkins (1.4.3B.7.6,) of Charlottetown represented the Canadian Snowbirds Association. Paul is the First Vice President of the Association and has been on the board since 1996. He introduced Jerry Brissenden and Bill Leeder, two other members of the executive.
Bringing their own lunches and lawn chairs, Islanders enjoyed the favourable weather, entertaining themselves with familiar down east music, swimming in the warm Gulf waters or just relaxing and chatting in the shade of the nearby palms and pines.
Next year's PEI Day will be held at the same location on March 14, 2004.
HEALTH QUERY GOES UNANSWERED
The Prince Edward Island government is refusing to release information on the reasons it decided to amalgamate the Eastern Kings and Southern Kings Health Regions. The Eastern Graphic made a request in December under the Freedom of Information Act for details of the amalgamation decision. The Department of Health responded with 41 pages of information, but there was nothing that made reference to the rationale for the merger.
Alan Beck, (1.4.3A.3.1.3.) a member of the Eastern Kings Community Health Care Group said it shouldn't surprise anyone that there's no information on the amalgamation. He said in his opinion the department never did a cost-benefit analysis and the minister, Jamie Ballem, "made it clear at a public meeting that the change was not for monetary reasons." Alan added that the health minister never gave any reason for the move.
Alan is the minister of the East Baltic Church of Christ and a vocal critic of the amalgamation.
NEW INFORMATION ON AN OLD COMPANY
Some new details have come to light about Beck Brothers store in Murray River. I've discovered it was not exactly where I understood it to be. In earlier reports in The Bulletin, I said it was the same store that Fred Johnston operated in later years. When my father told me about Beck Brothers he said they were located "over at Fred Johnston's" and I understood him to mean in that very building. It turns out that the Beck operation was located on the next lot beyond Johnston's and the buildings were moved away nearly 90 years ago.
John Beck (1.4.2.3.) and Hubert Beck (1.4.2.4.) went into business as Beck Bros. about 1905. They carried everything for the people of the surrounding farm community, including groceries, dry goods and feed. They extended credit to their customers and the business failed when they were unable to collect the money owing to them.
Charles (Buster) Dutney of Murray River, a student of local history, grew up just across the street from where the Beck buildings had been. The company went out of business sometime between 1912 and 1915 and Buster remembers playing as a boy on the cement floor of what had been the warehouse. He said Jim Stymeist bought the warehouse and moved it up the hill and located it on what is now known as Mill Street. He converted the building into a sawmill and operated it there for many years. It was destroyed by fire in the late 1940s.
John Beck moved the store to his farm on the Commercial Road and used it for a hen house. All the buildings on his property have fallen down and are long gone.
CONDITIONAL RELEASE ANNOUNCED
Roger Bell (1.4.1,10,5.2.) will soon be released from prison, but there will be restrictions on his freedom. The National Parole Board has attached special conditions to his release. 
That's because the board feels that Roger, the PEI serial bomber, may still be a threat to society. He was sentenced in 1997 to 10 years in prison after setting four pipe bombs over a nine-year period. Roger has now served two-thirds of his sentence and by law is due for release on Friday, June 27th.
In a Mar. 10 decision reported in The Guardian, board officials said they felt it was necessary to impose special conditions on his release. He will be required to live at a community correctional facility, probably in Halifax. He will be allowed to come and go according to the policies of the centre he is in. He must also follow psychiatric/psychological counselling, as arranged by his supervisor, and is to abstain from all intoxicants.
The board said Roger's offences were extremely serious and were clearly intended to generate fear in a number of people toward whom he had held considerable resentment.
Roger, a native of Murray Harbour, broke nearly six years of silence last summer, when for the first time he spoke out during a parole board hearing about the crimes he had committed. He blamed a bitter divorce, and his decision to leave his job after being told that he could no longer teach chemistry. He gradually withdrew from all social contact, and said all he remembers is that he was mad at everybody because of his situation.
The board said the counselling Roger received in prison has not been marked by progress, and so the conditions imposed are reasonable under the circumstances.
DEATHS
Irene Margaret (Margie) Acorn (1.6B.5.2.3,1,1) of Murray River died on March 12, 2003, as a result of a fire in her home. She was 46. The fire marshal's office said the fire was accidental and started from an unattended frying pan on the stove. Damage was restricted to the kitchen area.
Margie is survived by her mother, Claire, a brother, Robert, his wife, Charlotte, and nieces Melissa, Laura and Tarah Acorn. She was predeceased by her father, Earle. The funeral service was held at the Southern Kings and Queens Funeral Chapel in Murray River, with interment in the Murray River Cemetery.
Eunice "Elsie" Brooks (1.3,1,3.6.) of Murray Harbour died on February 17, 2003, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown. She was the daughter of James F. and Mary Jane (Gordon) Herring. She was 95 and was predeceased by her husband, Roy P. Brooks; and sisters, Irene Burgess, Sybil Gosbee, and Louise Brehaut; as well as brothers Julian, Inman and Lloyd Herring.
She was survived by her brother, Marvin Herring, and many nieces and nephews. The funeral service was held from the Murray Harbour United Church with interment in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.
Mary Janet (May) Herring (1.4.2.6,4) died on Mar. 13, 2003, at the Dr. John Gillis Lodge in Eldon, PEI. She was 89. May was a daughter of Louis and Josie (Beck) Herring and was born and grew up in Murray River. She was a nurse and worked for many years in Halifax, N.S. After her retirement she moved back to Murray River. She is survived by brothers Louis (Carrie) Herring, Murray Harbour; Hubert (Stella) Herring, Calgary; Clifford (Norma) Herring, Murray River; and sisters, Joy Fraser, Hopefield, and Margaret Herring of Charlottetown. She was predeceased by her parents and by brothers Harry (Jean), Friend (Eileen), Leonard (Gloria) and by sisters Myrtle (Alfred) MacWilliams and June Herring. The funeral service was held from the Church of Christ in Murray River with interment in the Murray River Cemetery.
James MacDonald (1.4.3A.3.5,) of Charlottetown and formerly of Roseneath died at the Whisperwood Villa on February 26, 2003. He was 89. He is survived by his wife, Mabel (Beck) and five children: Gordon (Julie)of Kitchener, Ont., Audrey (Bryan) Brown of Burlington, Ont., Eileen Tanner of Charlottetown, Kathryn Anderson of London, Ont, and George of Niagara Falls. He is also survived by 14 Grandchildren and 15 Great Grandchildren, as well as a brother, Ivan (Kay) MacDonald. James was predeceased by his daughter, Donna, son Roger, son-in-law Terry Tanner, and brothers Wilfrid and Gordon. The funeral service was held from the Church of Christ in Montague with interment later in the Community Park Cemetery.
BIOGRAPHY
Mary Elizabeth White (1.5,2.2B.) was born in Murray Harbour, P.E.I., in 1874, the oldest of 11 children of Joseph White and LaVinia Weatherbie. Lizzie, as she was known, married Reuben Penny on Dec. 24, 1898. She was his second wife. His first wife, Laura Nicolle, died in 1895 at the age of 21.
Reuben and Lizzie had a large family, raising eleven children. She was described as a very hard worker and over the years she also cared for other family members including her elderly mother, as well as Reuben's oldest son, Alonzo, from his first marriage. Alonzo was raised by Laura's family and served in the First World War where he was gassed. When he came home he was in ill health and Lizzie looked after him until his death on Nov. 29, 1921.
Reuben died in 1939 and after that Lizzie continued to care for her mother until she died in 1942. Then she moved in with her son, Garnet, and lived with his family for about eight years and then went to live with her daughter, Marion, and her husband, Harold Bell.
Linda Penny was only a year old when her grandmother moved in with her family. Linda got to know her very well over the following years and says she remembers her well and loved her dearly. She said her grandmother was a really good cook. One of Linda's favourites was Banana Cream Pie and even after Lizzie moved in with the Bell family she'd always send word to Linda to come for a slice when she baked one.
Linda said that during the time her grandmother lived with her family she had a room of her own upstairs. She had a rocking chair in it and spent a lot of time there reading, "probably the Bible," Linda said.
Linda doesn't know where she got them, but her grandmother always had chocolates, and, "we always knew that if we went to her room we'd get a chocolate.
"We never went in when she wasn't there and never went nosing around," Linda said. "This was her own space and we respected that. We'd knock before going in."
Lizzie died in 1953 at the age of 79.
CHANGES AT POLAR FOODS
There has been a consolidation in the ownership of Polar Foods International of PEI. Four of the shareholders have bought out the interests of the other three owners. The company is now owned by the MacKay family of Beach Point, the Graham family of Gaspereaux, Eddie Babineau of Souris and Ken MacDonald of Graham's Pond.
Those selling were Garth Jenkins (1.4.2.3,5,4.) Jack Quinn, and Tom and Brenda MacDonald. Garth told The Eastern Graphic that he decided to sell because he is 68 and wants to retire. He said talks got underway among the shareholders in January and the sales agreement was finalized on March 7th.
Polar Foods was formed in 1998 with the merger of six family-owned seafood processing companies. It now one of the largest companies in the global seafood industry.
LONG SERVICE RECOGNITION
Carrie (Chapman) Herring (1.7.2,4,4,) of Murray Harbour has given 35 years of volunteer service to the Community School group in the village. She and Annie Williams of Beach Point were praised for their dedication at a ceremony in Murray Harbour on March 21, 2003.
The provincial co-ordinator of the PEI Association of Community Schools, Shirley Moore, congratuled the two women for their many years of service. They were applauded by about 120 people who attended a pot-luck supper to mark the closing of this year's Community School classes in the village.
Carrie taught music and helped revive a love of the violin in students who attended the Community School over the past 35 years. Courses such as music, arts, crafts, introductory computer, and many more are offered to all Islanders through the Community Schools program.
GUIDELINES PROPOSED FOR TOWERS
The Caledonia and Area Community Coalition (C.A.C.C.) is calling on the Prince Edward Island government to set up guidelines for the location of cell phone towers in the province. Geoff Genge, one of the leaders of the Coalition, has written to the papers with the proposal. It suggests, "that the Island establish a single network of cell tower sites, strategically placed across the province to provide comprehensive wireless and telecommunication service to all residents."
These sites would primarily be located in unpopulated areas and would be shared by all wireless companies. Geoff suggested that the planning process would take into consideration the health, land value, and aesthetic concerns of Island residents.
"Given the fact that the majority of these sites will occur outside of municipal boundaries, the provincial government has an obligation to take responsibility for rural land use," he wrote.
The C.A.C.C. was formed recently to oppose plans to locate a phone tower in Caledonia.
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