THE BECK BULLETIN



Number 36 December 1, 2004

LEST WE FORGET

November the 11th - Remembrance Day in Canada, Veteran's Day in the United States - a time when we pause to remember those who died in battle to preserve our freedom. The main Canadian ceremony is held at the Cenotaph in Ottawa with smaller ceremonies taking place in cities and towns across the country. In Murray River, Zelda (MacLeod) MacNevin (1.4.4,1.2,3,) placed a wreath at the cenotaph in honour of her brother, Leading Seaman Lowell Francis MacLeod,(1.4.4,1.2,1.) who died of injuries suffered in 1945.
Lowell was born in Murray River on Sept. 23, 1923, and was only 16 when the war broke out in 1939. He grew up on the family farm and attended school in Murray River. Zelda supplied a picture of him as well as memories of events that she and her brother, Ferg, could recall. They remember him as a quiet youth, “with a large appetite for literature.” He also loved horses and spent a lot of time with the farm animals.
Too young to enlist, Lowell went to Pictou with his uncle, Jack Ferguson,(1.4.4,1.5.) where the two of them found work in the Shipyards. Lowell worked as a plater until Sept. 23, 1941, the day he turned 18 when he joined the navy.He took his basic training at the Cornwallis naval base in Deep Brook, N.S. When he completed his training he was assigned to convoy duty on the North Atlantic, and served on the Corvette, Hawkesbury, protecting troop and supply ships sailing between St. John's, Nfld, and Londonderry, Ireland.
There was little time for R and R but Lowell wrote of his "Irish Mother" in Londonderry and "kind ladies" in St. John's who offered a second home. On leave in Britain he visited with Sir John Weir, personal physician to King George VI, who's mother, Jane MacLure was his Grandad MacLeod's first cousin. In the winter of 1945 during a severe storm at sea, the corvette iced up and Lowell fell while on duty.
After some weeks of pain he requested medical help and was told that he would have a medical appointment when the corvette returned to Halifax. When they got back in early May he was given leave. Arriving home, he went to see Dr. Lester Brehaut who sent him to the PEI Hospital where it was found that a broken rib had punctured his lung. A veterans' wing had just been opened at the Provincial Sanatorium and Lowell was there from June 1945 until his death on February 26, 1946.
A contributing factor to his death was the fact that his blood type was rh negative - resulting in an inability to receive blood transfusions.
Lowell was buried from the United Church in Murray River with a small detachment from the Queen Charlotte Naval Volunteer Reserve, Charlottetown, in attendance.
At the time of his death, Lowell was engaged to be married to an Island girl and had plans to return to the family farm and the life he loved.

IMPROVING AMBULANCE CARE

Ambulance Service in Prince Edward Island has made great strides over the years, following the trend throughout North America. The Guardian ran a feature story on October 23rd highlighting the largest paramedic service on the Island, Neil's Ambulance of Charlottetown. The company has been in the business for 30 years and has seen many changes during that time. Doug MacDonald, owner of the business his father started, said in those days training consisted of a 40 hour St. John Ambulance Course. The program can now take two years. Students learn about the use of electric defibrillators to fight heart attacks and the delicate art of intubation — inserting a tube down a patient’s airways in order to keep up air flow.
Dr. Gordon Beck (1.4.3B.7.3.2.) serves as medical advisor to Neil’s Ambulance and doesn’t have to be sold on the benefits of early intervention.
His job involves advising paramedics on medical procedures and reviewing case files to ensure that procedures are being delivered properly. Gordon regularly reviews 30 per cent of the emergency cases and 15 per cent of regular calls to make sure paramedics are delivering the services that are within their power but not straying into services outside their scope of practice.
“These guys are in operating rooms as part of their training. They spend time in emergency rooms to work with doctors, to watch them and to learn how to do procedures . . . They learn a lot of pharmacy in their courses,” Gordon said.
“I think that as long as there is medical supervision and proper instruction that there are many areas where there can be an advantage in having them carry things out in the field.”
Gordon added that a properly equipped ambulance service could be an effective backstop for P.E.I.’s two-tier hospital system. He said for many people the trip to one of the smaller hospitals is already just a stopping point to be stabilized and examined before heading to Summerside or Charlottetown.

PROMISING SOCCER PLAYER

Peter Beck (1.4.6.6.1.2.2.) says he loves to play soccer and it's not hard to see why. He's the star of his team and he can dribble his way down the field with the best of them. It's safe to say that his soccer career is off to a flying start, pretty amazing because he's only four years old and just learning the game. Peter is the son of Doug and Sheila Beck and the grandson of Jim and Barb Beck.
He is a native of Colorado Springs in the shadow of Pike's Peak, and is in pre-kindergarten at the main campus of Colorado Springs Christian School.
Peter plays on the T-Rexes of the YMCA League for 3 and 4 year olds. He scored 14 goals in five games this fall but missed the sixth and final game of the season due to illness.
In a double header played on Saturday, October 2nd, his team tied the first game 3-3 and won the second game 6-0. Peter had two goals in the first game and three in the second, accounting for more than half his team's scoring.
Peter's older sister, Michelle, is an avid soccer player too, but hasn't had great luck around the net. In one of her recent games she had about six shots on goal but they were all blocked. Both children are well known around eastern Prince Edward Island having made a number of trips back to the land of their Beck ancestors.

DEATHS

Nathan Glenn White (1.4.6.7,5.) of Oakwood Terrace in Dartmouth, N.S., died in hospital on November 4, 2004, at the age of 80. Born May 19, 1924, in Murray Harbour, P.E.I., he was a son of the late Peter and Minnie (Beck) White. Nathan was a veteran of the Second World War, having served overseas during the invasion of Normandy. He spent most of his life as a merchant mariner, serving on cable ships laying underwater communication lines.
Nathan is survived by his wife, Bernice (Doiron), a daughter, Cheryl (Laurie) Wheaton, Lower Sackville; sons, Lewis (Heather), Timberlea; Brian, Dartmouth; Dean, Ottawa; four grandchildren; sisters, Phyllis Herring, Murray Harbour, P.E.I.; Elva Bell, White Sands, June (Elmon) Nicolle, Murray Harbour, brothers, Lester (Doris), Montague, Fred (Cora), Dartmouth; several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother, Lloyd.
The funeral service was held at the Atlantic Funeral Home on Main Street in Dartmouth on Nov. 8th, with interment in Dartmouth Memorial Gardens.

GATHERING MORE MATERIAL ON THE ERG

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is continuing to research the sinking of the Halifax Shipyard's work boat, Erg, with the loss of 19 men in 1943. The Museum held an Erg night on Oct. 19th, and invited relatives of the victims to bring stories and artifacts to shed more light on the disaster.
There was a good turnout with 50 or more people in attendance, including a dozen or more relatives. I (Ivan Munn) attended again as a representative of the Beaton family as most of the immediate relatives live in the Boston area.
Forrest Beaton, (1.4.2.2,5,) my uncle, drowned when the work boat was run down by a Norwegian freighter in Bedford Basin on July 6th, 1943. He was one of 21 shipyard workers being ferried to freighters in the basin needing repairs. He was a pipe fitter and was expecting to finish the job he was working on that day. Nancy MacDonald and Bonnie Matthews, granddaughters of Forrest, emailed pictures, including this one, which I forwarded to the Museum. Other relatives came with pictures, old newspapers, clippings, and various keepsakes.
The program began with Dan Conlin, the marine curator, outlining the history of the Erg and explaining how the accident happened. The work boat was built at the Halifax Shipyards in 1915 and is believed to be the first steel vessel built in Halifax. It was originally named Sambro and served as a tug to help ships in and out of the drydock. It was sunk in the Halifax explosion in 1917 but was raised and refitted about 1932 and renamed, Erg.
On that day in 1943, ships were anchored all over the Basin and there was a narrow sea lane down the center for ships entering or leaving. The Erg was moving up the Basin at six knots in mist and fog, followed by a Norwegian freighter going much faster. The captain and pilot of the freighter saw the work boat but were busy watching for their anchorage site and for ships moving out of the Basin. They lost sight of the Erg and ran it down. Only five men survived. The rest were down below and couldn't get out. The Court of Inquiry found the Norwegian freighter completely at fault as ships overtaking other ships are responsible for avoiding them.
After Dan's talk, any relatives with stories or information were invited to come to the podium. One woman had written a very long poem to honour her father. Another woman told of her brother who was on the boat and how the family didn't hear about it until late that evening when some men from the shipyards came to the door. The captain's granddaughter said that many members of her family had been seamen and younger members are still interested in the sea.
I prepared a biography of Uncle Forrest to show how he made his way from Peters Road, P.E.I., to Bedford Basin by way of Massachusetts. It was based on stories told to me by Aunt Sibyl and recorded in the Beck Family Biographies.
The work boat was raised after about two weeks by a floating crane and ten of the 19 bodies were recovered including Uncle Forrest's. Then the Erg was moved up the Basin and allowed to sink again. The diver who found the boat again a couple of years ago showed film of the wreck from all angles along with a plaque that was placed on the deck explaining what it was, and urging other divers not to disturb it.

JUST ROMAN AROUND

By Peter Murdoch and Janice MacPherson Murdoch (1.6A.4,6.1,1.1)

The city of Rome was founded in 753 BC on the banks of the Tiber River. So much history and so many sights, where to start?
The Flavian Amphitheatre, better known to the world as the Coliseum, is one of the greatest wonders of the Roman civilization. Constructed between 72 and 80 A.D. the Coliseum served the same function as today’s stadiums, providing entertainment to the public. It was here that professional gladiators trained and often fought to the death before 80,000 spectators.
Vatican City, an independent state since 1929, is completely surrounded by the city of Rome. To properly see all of it would take a lot more than just the few hours that we had. St Peter’s Basilica with its dome rising above the City, the Sistine Chapel, with magnificent paintings by Botticelli, Perugino and Rosselli decorating the walls and of course the ceiling painted by Michelangelo, are awe inspiring.
At almost every turn you will come across one of Rome’s many fountains. The Piazza Navona, one of Rome’s largest squares, contains three splendid examples, the Fountain of the Four Rivers, the Fountain of the Moor and the Fountain of the Calderari. Of course no trip to Rome would be complete without a stop at the Trevi Fountain where legend has it that visitors who toss a coin into its waters ensures their return to Rome.
As the saying goes “Rome was not built in a day” and as we found out, you can’t see all of it in three days either! Our coin lying in the waters of Trevi will guarantee our return.

SPRUCING UP THE PRESERVE

Improvements are in the works for a 100 acre wildlife preserve in Abney. Shell Canada has made a $4,650 donation to the Southern Kings Wildlife Association, and the money will be used to create more ponds to attract wildlife to the property.
Garnet Buell (1.6B.6.5,2.) has donated the land to the Island Nature Trust as a wildlife preserve. The property is the original Buell homestead and has been in his family for 140 years, and four generations. Under the terms of the agreement the land remains his during his lifetime, but will be taken over by the Nature Trust when he is gone.
Garnet is working with the Trust to make the land inviting to all kinds of wildlife and maintain it for future generations. He has had a long-time interest in nature and wildlife, and “for me,” he said, “this is a dream come true.”
A stream runs through the property and there is a dam on it where Canada geese nest. In addition there are 12 spring-fed ponds on the property and several types of ducks nest there. Garnet has constructed small islands in the center of some of the ponds as safe nesting sites for the birds and has been building connecting waterways so the ducks can swim from pond to pond.
Garnet says there are problems with hunters even though there are lots of signs stating that no hunting is allowed. Snowmobiles and all terrain vehicles are prohibited on the property but people are welcome to visit on foot. All he asks is that people contact him in advance and request permission. The Nature Trust is also using the property for educational purposes. School groups and Scouts, for instance, can book time to visit the property.

FAMILY BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS

At a loss for gift ideas for one of your Beck relatives? We have some suggestions for you! A new book just published looks at what it was like growing up in rural PEI in the 1930s and '40s. Entitled, "The Way Things Were," it's written by Lloyd Beck MacLeod (1.11.8.2,2.) of Stratford, near Charlottetown, and tells of his boyhood years in the community of Grandview. It also includes an overview of early Prince Edward Island history and Lloyd's genealogy lines. The book was self-published through Kwik Kopy in Charlottetown and sells for $30 plus mailing costs. The address is:

Dr. Lloyd Beck MacLeod
10 Lapin Lane
Stratford, PEI
Canada
C1B 2NS

Copies of the latest Vere Beck Family Listings, and The Vere Beck Family Biographies, are still available too.

Your Beck relatives would appreciate one or both of these.

American orders should go to Jim Beck, and Canadian orders can be sent to me, Ivan Munn.

The price includes shipping and is $25 each with Americans paying in US funds and Canadians in Canadian funds.

A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Vere Beck Family Home Page

The Marfleet Home Page

We're always looking for news of Beck family members. If you know of any interesting events drop me a line with the information.

imunn@accesswave.ca

That's it for this edition .. please share it with relatives who aren't on line. The next edition will be out on February 1, 2005.

Copyright © 2004 The Beck Bulletin