| Number 13 | February 1, 2001 |
JORDAN FAMILY PLANS REUNION IN JULY
Many of our relatives will be gathering in southeastern Prince Edward Island this summer for the Jordan/Jorden family get together. The event takes place in the Northumberland Arena in Murray River the weekend of July 13, 14 & 15th. The Island Jordans are descended from Edward Jordan who was born in England in 1829 and came to PEI as a young man. He married Ruhamah Sencabaugh in March, 1856, and they settled at Beach Point. They had 13 children and their fourth, Martin Luther Jordan, married Ada Margaret Beck (1.4.9,) and many Jordans are now listed in the Beck family tree.
The co-ordinator of the event, Juliana Jorden, says activities are planned for young and old alike. "On Friday evening we will begin the week-end with an old fashioned family get together that will include music, entertainment, skits, stories, and refreshments. On Saturday afternoon we will be having genealogical workshops, exhibits for
different family branches, old picture displays with prints available, cooking demonstrations using Jordan recipes, plus pony rides and games from days gone by for children and teens. There will be a "best dressed" contest on the
theme of old fashioned dress. Saturday evening there will be a lobster supper with entertainment to follow. On Sunday there will be brunch followed by a memorial service."
Juliana points out that this will be an excellent opportunity to meet Jorden relations from as far away as England and the United States! "For Jorden history researchers, this will be the perfect opportunity for sharing genealogical information and getting help for those unanswered questions," she added.
More information on the reunion can be found on the Jordan family website.
For more information or for finding out how you can help with this event
you can contact:
Juliana Jorden
Murray Harbour RR#1
Prince Edward Island
C0A 1V0
email address: jmjorden@hotmail.com
GROWING CHRISTMAS TREES
Meanwhile another Jorden was in the news recently. The Eastern Graphic carried a story in December about Wallace Jorden (1.4.9,10.3.) and his Christmas Tree farm. He has a 25 acre plot at Beach Point with well-groomed trees in sizes to please every buyer. This is mostly a hobby for Wallace who is pastor of a Baptist Church in Charlottetown.
He inherited the property from his father, William, who was a businessman and shop owner. The land had grown up in alder bushes in the late 70s, and Wallace took advantage of a government program to clean up the property. He then planted evergreens for the local Christmas tree market, and offered a chance for people to come and select their own tree.
"This is really local so for the people of southern Kings, it gives them the opportunity to come in and pick them out and I think there's a certain value to that," he said.
For the Jordens, the farm is a family affair. His wife, Sandra, son Jeff, and daughters Juliana and Angela have all helped out. Angela is pursuing a law degree in Saskatchewan, but she lends a hand when she's home.
Wallace says the secret to a good tree is to start with good stock. "You have to clean them, shear them and fertilize them and hope they all come around."
CHRISTMAS IN THE BRITISH MIDLANDS
At Christmas, families love to get together to share the joys of the season. Sometimes they even pause long enough for a group photo. This past Christmas John and Marie Marfleet gathered their children and grandchildren in front of a remote-controlled camera and caught everyone smiling. (You'll remember that Vere Beck's wife was Elizabeth Sarah Marfleet.)
John and Marie and their youngest daughter, Lynsey, live in the small village of Huncote, seven miles south of Leicester, a manufacturing center in the British Midlands. Daughter Heather and her children live in Daventry, 25 miles away, and son, Paul, and his family live in Narborough, about a mile-and-a-half away.
Heather and her two children, Jack and Emma, spent a couple of days with John and Marie and on Christmas afternoon they all went to visit Paul and his family, and had their picture taken.
People who have attended recent Beck Family reunions will remember John and Marie. They have attended two reunions - the first in 1988 accompanied by Heather and Lynsey. They were also on the Island for the latest reunion in 1998. They plan to attend the next reunion in 2003 and will stay in the Beck House in Guernsey Cove now being restored by Lorin T. Brehaut. (1.4.4,7,3,2.1.) They've already made their reservations for that date. How's that for planning ahead?
DEATHS
BECK, Florence E. The death occurred at the Kings County Memorial Hospital on Saturday, December 16, 2000, of Florence Eunice Beck (nee Billard) of Murray River, aged 85 years. She was the wife of the late Hubert W. Beck. (1.4.2.3.4.) Special aunt to Ralph Billard, Bernice MacLeod, Carol White and Patsy Murray. She is also survived by a sister-in-law, Margaret Billard. The funeral service was held at the Glad Tidings Pentecostal Church, Murray River, with interment in Murray Harbour Cemetery.
MACQUARRIE, Donald Willard Jr. (1.4.3B.8.5,5) died as a result of a trucking accident in Northern Alberta, on Tuesday, December 19, 2000. The truck he was driving collided with a train that was stopped on a level crossing following another accident. According to other truckers, the accident could have been avoided if there had been reflective tape or paint on the dark rail cars. He had been driving for the company for three years. A native of Brudenell, P.E.I, he was 36 years old. He is survived by his parents, Donald and Ethel Mae (Beck) MacQuarrie and sisters, Heather, and Brenda (Milton) Clark, both of Edmonton, Alberta; and brothers, Ian (Dorothy), of Summerville; and Gordon (Anita), of Montague. The funeral service was held from Ferguson's Funeral Home Chapel in Montague with interment in the Brudenell Cemetery.
BIOGRAPHY
Leonard David Beck (1.10B.7.4.) was born in Guernsey Cove on Oct. 14, 1900. He was the fourth of eight children of Bartholomew (Bat) Beck and Jane MacKay. Leonard grew up on the original Beck farm and at a young age became interested in the railroad, quite understandable since the railline reached Murray Harbour in 1905, before he was old enough to start school. As a boy he helped around the farm before and after school, taking care of the daily chores and helping with the planting, the haying and with the harvest in the fall.
But the train whistle was calling and Leonard must have spent a lot of time hanging around the station in Murray Harbour. He learned to use a telegraph key and got his first job as a telegrapher with Canadian National Railways at Bear Pass, Ont. on Feb. 26, 1924. Steady work was scarce in those days and he spent the next few years crisscrossing the country wherever a few days or weeks of work could be found. During his career he worked at 33 CNR locations in four provinces and the state of Minnesota.
It was during a stint at Savona, in the BC interior, that he returned to PEI to marry Agnes Jane Bell (1.9.5,1) of Murray Harbour. The wedding was held in Charlottetown on Feb. 2, 1928. He took Agnes back to BC and their first home was his operator's quarters attached to the station in Savona, in the South Thompson area of the province.
They had 5 children, but 3 died in infancy. The two surviving children are Marion Elizabeth (Beck) Maxwell of Victoria, B.C., and Kenneth Wallace Beck of Chase, B.C.
It could be said of Leonard that when he died he still had the first 50 cents he'd ever earned. The story goes like this. One day when he was seven he was helping with the potato harvest. He was one of the pickers following behind the horse-drawn digger, a device much like a plow that turned over the rows and brought the potatoes to the surface. That day a schooner captain was buying potatoes in Murray Harbour in preparation for a trip to Nova Scotia. When Bat returned from selling a load, he noticed Leonard struggling at his work and tossed a 50 cent piece to him. It dropped through Leonard's hands into the loose soil and couldn't be found, even with the help of the other workers.
Since crops were rotated, it would be a few years before potatoes were planted in that field again but each time they were, Bat always told the pickers to watch for Leonard's coin.
Many years later Leonard returned home for a visit in the fall. He had been living in British Columbia for years by then and was now a father and a grandfather. His father was dead and the farm was being operated by his younger brother, Windsor. The potatoes were planted in that same field and Leonard was helping with the digging. That was the year the coin turned up, found by Leonard Brehaut, (1.4.4,2,4.) a neighbour and relative who was lending a hand. He mentioned it to Windsor, who said, "I'll bet that's Leonard's."
Later as the hungry men were eating dinner in the farm kitchen, Leonard Brehaut turned to Leonard Beck and asked, "Did you lose 50 cents?"
"Sure," he replied, thinking the others were having some fun.
The coin was displayed, and it was tarnished now from years in the soil. That led to a lively discussion and stories of that day so long ago when Leonard was a boy. A sense of wonderment and awe filled the room and somehow his father seemed much closer, and the coin remained a treasured keepsake.
During his railroad career, Leonard was known for diligence in his work and concern for his fellows. He remained with the CNR for 41 years, retiring from the position of Car Services Operator in Kamloops, B.C., in 1965.
Over the years he was an avid gardener and was keenly interested in politics and labour matters.
Agnes had suffered for years from MS, and Leonard was a devoted and tireless caregiver. In the late 1980s, they moved to Chase, B.C., to live with their son, Kenneth. Leonard passed away in his sleep on Oct. 25, 1990, having celebrated his 90th birthday two weeks earlier.
Later when Kenneth was sorting through his father's things he found the 50 cent coin tucked away with some other keepsakes. It was a Newfoundland coin dated 1874, discoloured and tarnished from its years in the Island soil. In the early years of the 20th century, it was not unusual to come across Newfoundland coins as they circulated freely in eastern Prince Edward Island. (With material from Kenneth Beck and James Maxwell)
BELL ON THE DISABLED LIST
Injuries continue to plague Thatcher Bell (1.4.6.5,3.6,3). The Rimouski Oceanic forward is on the disabled list again for the second year in a row. Last year he was out for three months with a broken collar bone and just got back in the lineup in time to help Rimouski win the Memorial Cup. He picked up 48 points - 22 goals and 26 assists - in the first 35 games of this season.
Then on Dec. 13 he was out again this time with a back injury diagnosed as two herniated discs. The injury may have been a result of the check last season which resulted in his broken collarbone. He's been taking cortisone and after that will see a specialist again. Thatcher says surgery is a possibility, but as a last resort. It causes muscle damage around the spine, and athletes have had trouble rebuilding the muscle.
The only bright spot is that the timing appears to be right. Thatcher says the most important year to sign a professional contract is usually your 19th year and for him that's next year. He was selected by the Vancouver Canucks last June in the National Hockey League entry draft and will be looking to move up to the big leagues when his Junior playing days are over.
JOCK NAMED DEPUTY MAYOR
Montague's new town council officially took office on January First. Jock Beck (1.4.3B.7.2.2.) is the new Deputy Mayor. He will be in charge of policing, legal affairs and will be a representative to the Community Consultative Group. Jock is returning to civic politics after an absence of a few years, having served as deputy mayor in 1989. He was elected as a councillor in the civic election on Nov. 6.
PLANT EXPANSION UNWELCOME
The town of Montague plans to apply for a grant to upgrade the sewer system, but some of the nearby residents are not happy. Rick Beck (1.11.8.3.4.1) said the expansion of the treatment plant will impede any development of the Montague waterfront. He told the Eastern Graphic that he would protest the expansion in its current location on Locust Street should the application be approved.
"I'm not convinced there's no health risks especially for the people living within feet of it." He added that putting a dome over it is not the answer. Rick said it remains unsightly and diminshes the value of nearby property.
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 most generations of the family. 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 family members. If you know of any significant events drop me a line with the information.