THE BECK BULLETIN

Number 54 December 1, 2007

Plans for the Vere Beck Family Reunion, Friday August 1, 2008 at the Murray Harbour Community Centre and Saturday August 2 at the Northumberland Arena, Murray River, PE, Canada

By Jim Beck

Plans are well underway for the 2008 Vere Beck Family Reunion! The extended Vere Beck Family is invited to participate in a variety of events. Activities are planned for both the adults and children; also participation of authors, artists, singers, cooks and others is encouraged. An overview of the activities is given below.
Open House on Friday August 2, 2008 at the Murray Harbour Community Centre. 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
This time will give relatives a chance to meet and mingle with each other and greet the speaker and his wife, Clive and Joan Killick from England. (Vere’s mother was Martha Lucy Killick.) We also hope to have hockey stars, actresses, actors and others.
There will be a number of items on display. Family members are encouraged to bring old family pictures, oil lamps and other memorabilia for display.
A wide variety of items will be on sale. First, the family lists will be available. Kathie Sencabaugh (ksenca@aol.com) is compiling the list which will be primarily available on a CD. Paper copies will also be available but must be ordered ahead of time. Another CD or DVD of pictures and video segments is expected. CD’s recorded by family singers, books and cookbooks, unique souvenirs of Vere’s land and hobby items are to be available for purchase.
If you have CD’s of songs/hymns that you have recorded, books or cookbooks that you have written, hobby items that you have made, pictures that you have drawn or whatever that you can make available for selling on a consignment basis, please let us know. Other relatives would be very interested in seeing and buying them. Please contact someone in the committee list below.
Friday Evening: 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Several activities are being planned. One is an opportunity to drive with a group to get a lobster supper. A beach party with barbeque and or steamed mussels is to be held at Cape Bear.
Reservations
For several items given above, it would be advisable to make advance reservations. For example, space needed for display of memorabilia/hobbies should be secured before the Reunion. The number that can be accommodated on the Cape Bear Beach Party is about 60. We need to know an approximate number for food purchase and preparation. Paper copies of the family listings will be made for advance orders.
Saturday August 2, 2008
Saturday morning. Relatives are encouraged to take a tour of a lighthouse, see the Log Cabin Museum, go on a boat ride for seal watching and so on. Information about some of these and other activities will be available at the Open House at the Centre.
Saturday, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. At Northumberland Arena. Time to meet friends and see displays.
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm. Main program. Clive Killick from England, main speaker.
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm. Dinner at the Arena
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Closing program.
Children’s Writing, Drawing and/or Coloring Contest
A contest for children (and adults too if they wish) is going to be held in connection with the 2008 Vere Beck Family Reunion, Aug. 1 and 2, 2008. The topics are to be related to Vere Beck (1783 – 1878), his family, his neighbors and his times. The stories and pictures may be based on a true event or a fictional story about life in the early to mid 1800’s. All the contributions will be displayed at the Murray Harbour Community Centre and Northumberland Arena and grouped by ages of the authors. Prizes will be given to winners of different age levels and categories.
Committee Members to contact:
Jim Beck, beck@msu.edu
Ron Harris, Ronald.harris@pei.sympatico.ca
Bloyce Beck, cbbeck@rogers.com
John Herring, kingsway4me@gmail.com
John Brehaut, jhbrehaut@pei.sympatico.ca
Stephen Nicolle

STROKE CARE DEPENDS ON SPEEDY RECOGNITION AND TREATMENT

Prince Edward Island has just completed a month-long publicity campaign to teach people to recognize the symptoms of a stroke and get them to hospital as quickly as possible. On the Island, stroke treatment units are located at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown and at the Prince County Hospital in Summerside.
The campaign is a joint effort of the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Ray Murphy of Murphy’s Pharmacies in Charlottetown.
Dr. Gordie Beck, (1.4.3B.7.3.2.) chief of the emergency department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said he has seen some miraculous recoveries following the use of the drug, t-PA on patients. But to be effective the patient needs to get to the hospital within three hours of the first symptoms. He added that even those stroke victims for whom this drug is not appropriate will benefit from a quick trip to a properly equipped emergency room.
“Too many cases have happened where someone says I can’t move my arm or my leg because I slept on it the wrong way. That their speech is slurred because they’re tired . . . that a bad headache is due to stress,” he said.
Gordie added that many times people wait too long to get help, only to learn that it's too late to apply t-PA, the best treatment that’s available. He said the drug can only be used in 20 to 25 per cent of cases of stroke and determining if it should be used requires an assessment by a trained physician.

WINNING HORSE GOES SOUTH

Maple Leaf Noble has been sold and will be racing in the United States this winter.
Ralph Annear (1.11.6,4.1.) of Montague sold the outstanding trotter to United States interests and the horse will be racing at Plainridge Racecourse in Massachusetts.
Ralph said it was tough to see the horse leave especially since his grandson, Jack Panting, was co-owner.
In 33 starts, Maple Leaf Noble earned more than $75,000 recording 31 wins and two third place finishes.

ON THE HOCKEY FRONT

Justin Bowers (1.4.6.5,10,1,2.) is off to a strong start in his second year with the St. Thomas Tommies of Fredericton, N. B. He is tied for fourth place in the Atlantic University League with 23 points made up of 12 goals and 11 assists in 13 games. He is tied for the points leadership with Jeffrey Bateman of the Tommies who has 6 goals and 17 assists. Justin has the most goals on the team with 12.
Danny Stewart (1.4.6.5,1.2A,2.1.) of Murray Harbour is playing with the Basingstoke Bison of the Elite Ice Hockey League in Great Britain. He has 10 goals, and eight assists in his first 17 games.
Thatcher Bell (1.4.6.5,3.6,3.) of Guernsey Cove is with the Phoenix Roadrunners of Arizona. He has 5 goals and 2 assists in 15 games.

BIRTH

VanIderstine: Kirby and Simone VanIderstine (1.4.6.5,3.2,3.) announce the birth of their first child, Judah Leo VanIderstine. He was born on September 19, 2007, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown. Kirby and Simone are from Montague, but they live in Murray Harbour now. The proud grandparents are Elayne and Bill VanIderstine and Tanya and John Flinn, all of Montague.

ANNIVERSARIES

Jock and Gwen Beck (1.4.3B.7.2.2.) celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on Sunday, September 16, 2007. They held an Open House at the Pavilion, Roma at Three Rivers, Brudenell Point.
The event was organized by their four daughters, Pam, Christie, Rachel and Amy. There was a big crowd there of family and friends.
In a Thank You note in The Eastern Graphic, Jock and Gwen expressed their appreciation to all who helped them celebrate their anniversary.
“The expression of well wishes, cards, gifts and food were all greatly appreciated.” They thanked their daughters and their families for hosting the event, and said the music provided by the girls was enjoyed by everyone.

A VERY SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY

Ivan and Kaye MacDonald (1.4.3A.3.2,) of Montague celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Sunday, November 4, 2007.
They were married in 1937 and had dinner at the bride's home in Alliston before travelling to Borden that evening to catch the morning ferry to New Brunswick.
The newlyweds saw the tidal bore on the Petitcodiac River as well as a railroad underpass in downtown Moncton. They also visited the Eaton's Store and saw the place where their catalogue orders were filled. They also visited the Atlantic Winter Fair and travelled through the Wentworth Valley on their way to New Glasgow.
"We’d never seen a valley like that before," Ivan said.
The Macdonalds ran a mixed farming operation in Brudenell for 25 years, with cattle, hens, and potatoes. After they retired from farming, Kaye went back to teaching, and Ivan worked in a monument shop.
The couple, now in their mid-90s, received notes of congratulations from the Queen, the Governor General, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Cardigan MP Lawrence MacAulay.

DEATHS

EMERY: Kenneth Robert Donald Emery of Wood Islands (1.4.4,4.2,1.) died at the Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague on Saturday, November 17, 2007. He was 72.
He is survived by his wife, Saundra (Stewart) and children Jayne (Lannie) Stewart, Gail (Walter) Shaw, Neil, and Darren. He is also survived by five grandchildren: Katelyn and James Alan Shaw, Matthew and Daniel Emery, and Max MacAskill. He was predeceased by his parents, James and Alvina Emery.
The funeral service was held from Ferguson's Funeral Home Chapel in Montague on Wednesday, November 21, at 2 pm. Interment followed in the Wood Island's Cemetery.

MACDONALD

MACDONALD: Mabel Hazel (Beck) MacDonald (1.4.3A.3.5,) died at the Whisperwood Villa in Charlottetown on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 in her 87th year. She was the wife of the late James MacDonald of Roseneath, near Montague.
She is survived by children Gordon (Julie), Ontario; Audrey (Bryan) Brown, Ontario; Eileen Tanner, Charlottetown; Kathryn Anderson, Ontario; and George (Nancy), Ontario.
She is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren. Other survivors include a sister Kaye (Ivan) Macdonald and Edwin (Annie) Beck and sisters-in-law Ena Beck and Vivian Beck.
She was predeceased by her daughter, Donna, son, Roger, son-in-law, Terry Tanner, and by brothers, Vere and Ernest Beck.
The funeral service was held at the Church of Christ, Montague, with interment in the Community Park Cemetery, Montague.

STRICKLAND

STRICKLAND: Ambrose Vance Strickland (1.12,6,1.6.) of Cape Bear died in the Kings County Memorial Hospital on Monday, November 12, 2007. He was 71. He is survived by his wife, Susan Herring, (1.4.2.6,9.4,) as well as by sisters Lucy MacNeill, Beach Point; Mona Bowland, Charlottetown; and Gloria Pottie, Halifax, and by brother, Brent Strickland, Aylmer, Ontario. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Ambrose was predeceased by his parents, Victor and Hattie (Jackson) Strickland and by brothers Clarence and Floyd. The funeral service was held on Thursday, November 15, at 3 p.m. at the Murray Harbour Church of Christ, with interment in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.

CORRECTION

There was an error in the death notice for Margaret June MacLeod in our last letter. Her husband Malcolm was listed with the children. It should have read this way.
MACLEOD: Margaret June MacLeod (1.11.8.2,5,) died at the Atlantic Baptist Home in Charlottetown on August 11, 2007. She was 71 and a resident of Uigg. She is survived by her husband, Malcolm, son Barry (Kelly), and daughters Shirley (Blair), and Donna (Rob).

A HELPING HAND

There was entertainment with a dual purpose at the Murray Harbour Community Centre on October 20th. The primary purpose was the release by Len Buell and Billy McCormack of their first CD.
Titled Nothin’ Fancy, the traditional country album is a collection of original songs written by the two musicians.
The second purpose was an appreciation night for Esther Mosher, (1.4.4,1.5.1,) a dedicated community volunteer from Murray River, who is having some health problems. Proceeds from donations at the door and a 50/50 draw were given to Esther.

A NEW BOOK WITH A NEW FOCUS

David Weale (1.6A.4.6.2.1,) has just published a new book, and this one is about him rather than about the people he sees around him. Over the years he has offered glimpses into the lives of hundreds of Prince Edward Islanders, through his books and radio programs. In his latest book, Chasing the Shore: Little Stories about Spirit and Landscape, he writes about himself.
“It’s a departure from the other books that I’ve written. I’m sure that some people will be surprised,” David says.
“I think there’s a natural contemplativeness that comes with aging,” David told Sally Cole of The Guardian. “When you’re younger, you’re looking ahead with eagerness and ambition to all kinds of things that you want to do and become, but at some point you have to step back and ask some questions about what it means.”
He does that in the 42 essays in Chasing the Shore. In explaining the title, David says, “The shore is the most powerful metaphor for Islanders. It’s also the most powerful metaphor in the book. That’s why I call it Chasing the Shore. “It captures those little insights and openings you have at the shore. They don’t have to be big things, just little nuggets. Even a very small pebble can send ripples a very long way,” he says.

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 .. please share it with relatives who aren't on line. The next edition will be out on February 1, 2008.