| Number 31 | February 1, 2004 |
Respected Judge and Legal Pioneer Dies
The Nova Scotia legal community has lost an outstanding member. Judge Frances Kent Potts, the second woman to be named to the provincial court, died on Christmas Day of cancer at the age of 53.
A native of New Glasgow, Judge Potts (1.4.2.4.8,2,) served 
as a Halifax Crown attorney for a time before being appointed to the bench. Colleagues remembered the veteran judge and mother of two as a hard-worker who got to the heart of the cases that were heard in her courtroom.
"She was somebody that was highly respected . . . by all the other judges and all lawyers that I ever heard say anything (about her)," Pat Curran, chief judge of the provincial court told the Halifax Chronicle Herald. "She was just a really pleasant person to know - good humoured, right through the illness, in fact," said the chief judge, who's known Judge Potts for about 25 years.
Her sister, Susan Potts, herself a Crown prosecutor, described her sister as an unpretentious woman who had a fine sense of humour, loved music and was devoted to her family.
Crown attorney Greg Lenehan said Judge Potts was a "no-nonsense" sort of person behind the bench. He said she kept all parties focussed on the task at hand. "She knew the law very well, she was fair but at the same time she was . . . very much a to-the-point type of judge," he said.
Fran graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1974 and was appointed to the bench 14 years later in 1988 at the age of 37. At the time of her appointment, she joined Sandra Oxner as the only woman on a list of 27 provincial court judges.
She had been ill for the past five years, but continued to work as long as she could. Her colleagues helped out wherever they could, including assisting with her court docket during difficult times.
Fran is survived by her husband, William Barr, children Nicolas and Ashlea, her mother, Lucie (Beck) Potts and her sister, Susan.
A memorial service was held at Grace United Church in Dartmouth on December 30, 2003.
CARING FOR MAN'S BEST FRIENDS
Ruth Courtney-Beck (1.4.3A.3.4.4.) is an animal lover. She operates Vinegar Hill Kennels in Alliston, P.E.I., and raises Miniature Schnauzers and Petit Bassett Griffon Vendeens, or PBGVs for short. She got into the business in 1996 when she opened a kennel and started boarding, grooming and training dogs.
She views that aspect of the operation as a business, but says breeding dogs, if done properly, would have to be looked on as a hobby. Right now she has a litter of nine Miniature Schnauzers that are just over three weeks old – but it’s been four years since the last litter. Ruth is also involved with animal rescue and is a member of the Maritime Animal Rescue Group.
Her first PGBV came to her from the rescue network. She quickly became attached the two-year-old dog, and decided to keep her. After some training and grooming Ruth decided to show the dog and she placed fifth in Canada. One of her male pups went on to become a Canadian champion.
Ruth is very knowledgeable about animals and animal care, and is basically self-taught. She has started writing a monthly column for The Eastern Graphic called, “From The Dog House.” The columns are full of common sense tips on how to care for dogs and train them to behave. The December column points out that it doesn’t make sense to buy a pet as a Christmas present. She stresses that choosing a pet is a very personal decision. “There are so many things to be considered in selecting a pet, that it is a job best left to the person who will be caring for the pet in years to come.”
Ruth says the busiest time for her boarding business is during vacation periods. “We stick very close to home during vacation periods, something that isn’t too popular with our children,” she said in a telephone interview.
So with all these things going on, does she have any pets of her own? More than most people. She has six dogs, and three cats, and she’s thinking about getting a goat. She had one for a while that she took in as a rescue project. It later died and she thinks that perhaps it’s time for another. So if you happen to have a goat you want to get rid of …
See Vinegar Hill Kennels on the Internet at http://www.geocities.com/vinegarhillregd/index.htm
CANARY ISLANDS: A MID-WINTER BREAK
By Peter Murdoch and Janice MacPherson Murdoch (1.6A.4,6.1,1.1)
Imagine the pleasure of walking barefoot on the beach, enjoying the warmth of the sun tempered by a gentle breeze – in the middle of January! This scenario became reality as we traveled to the Canary Islands for a week of fun in the sun. Armed with bathing suits and sunscreen, our little group of six Canadians bade farewell to the wet and windy German winter. Our destination was Gran Canaria, Spain, the third largest of the Canary Islands, which lie 115 km from the African coast. This volcanic island offers an amazing variety of landscapes. Towering rock formations, deep craters and canyons dominate the North and Central areas. The highest point of the Island is called Las Nieves, reaching a height of 1,949 metres. From this area one can view the snow-covered peak of Mount Teide (3,718 metres) on the island of Tenerife.
Traveling down from the peaks was an adventure in itself, especially in a large tour bus! While traversing the narrow, torturously winding road, we saw many varieties of cactus, aloe plants (some more than 6 feet in diameter) and hundreds of blossoming almond trees. When we finally reached the floor of the crater, the barren, desert-like landscape provided a stark contrast to the lush vegetation of the higher areas. A photographer’s dream! While the weather was not as hot as we expected, the sunshine, sparkling water and palm trees of Gran Canaria certainly provided us with an enjoyable mid-winter break!
IT’S A BIG JUMP TO UNIVERSITY HOCKEY
Thatcher Bell says he’s surprised at just how good university hockey is. After starring 
in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for five years, he’s struggling to establish himself in the university league. Thatcher spent last season with the Halifax Mooseheads and tallied 84 points, a career best for him. This year with the Saint Thomas Tommies of Fredericton, N.B., he is struggling to find the net.
After 14 games in the first half of the season, Thatcher has three goals and four assists. “Number-wise I didn’t do as well as I would have liked to,” he told the Halifax Daily News. “It’s a big adjustment. I don’t think I was expecting such an adjustment to this league ... I didn’t think the league was as good as it is.”
After playing against teenagers, he’s now up against bigger and older players. “All of a sudden, some teams have a few 27-year-olds out there. I think that was the biggest adjustment for me, because I’m a small player,” said Thatcher who is 6 feet, and 185 pounds. He said he needs to develop more confidence in his offensive abilities.
DEATHS
Herring: Clarence Goff Herring (1.4.6.7,4,) died at the Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague on Jan. 8, 2004 at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis (White), their daughter, Eileen, - Mrs. James Dauphinee of Dartmouth, N.S., a grandson, Shawn Dauphinee of Dartmouth, and great granddaughter, Chelsie.
The funeral service was held Sunday at 3 pm from the chapel of the Southern Kings and Queens Funeral Home in Murray River. Interment followed in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.
BIOGRAPHY
Evelyn Elizabeth Buell (1.4.6.7,2.) was born in Murray Harbour on May 8, 1920,
the third of four children of Lorne Buell and Watsy Hume. She grew up in Murray Harbour and married Lloyd White of Beach Point. He joined the navy in 1940 and they moved to Halifax where Lloyd worked on a harbour craft for three years. Later they were transferred to the West Coast where Lloyd served on a minesweeper until the end of the war.
After that they moved back to Murray Harbour and raised five children, three boys and two girls. Evelyn stayed home and raised the family while Lloyd worked for the Department of Transport for nine years and then for Northumberland Ferries for 23 years, retiring in 1983.
After the children were grown up, Evelyn worked for Northumberland Ferries for a short time and then got a job in Keeping & MacKay’s factory at Beach Point.
Her obituary in the Dec. 12, 2003 issue of the Eastern Graphic said she loved to attend ceilidhs put on by the Murray Harbour Drama Club. She also loved to play cards with neighbours and friends.
Evelyn died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown on Nov. 17, 2002, two months after undergoing surgery. She is buried beside her husband in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.
NEW COUNCIL TAKES OVER
The first meeting of the new Montague Town Council was held on Monday evening, January 12th. The newly elected councillors include two newcomers - Rick Beck (1.11.8.3.4.1.) and John MacFarlene.
Rick takes on the job of Chair of the police, fire and public safety committee. There was some confusion as the new Council was sorting out some responsibilities. It took some time to decide who was responsible for handling a request for getting the crosswalk repainted at the school entrance. Some thought crosswalks would fall under the streets and sidewalks committee, while other thought it would be a public safety issue, and so the responsibility of Councillor Beck. There was also some dissension over the appointment of the town solicitor and the town auditor. Rick objected to the appointments because the positions had not been put out to tender.
The new mayor, Richard Collins, made good on an election promise to open the floor to the public. Former councillor Jock Beck, (1.4.3B.7.2.2.) now a resident of Brudenell, was the first to test the new policy. He offered some advice regarding letters received by the town about the importance of early childhood nutrition and on the possible use of the Confederation Trail for skiers and snowshoers.
FAR FROM HOME
It’s been more than 40 years since the death of Oliver White (1.12,3.) and his wife, Belle. They spent most of their married life in Lyon’s Brook, Nova Scotia, just outside Pictou and did not have any children. Oliver worked in a tannery there.
Ack and Phyllis Irving (1.11.2,1.3.) felt they should do something to find their grave and see if it needed care.Belle was Phyllis’ great aunt and she is named for her – Phyllis Isabel Hooper – and Ack and Oliver were first cousins, twice removed. Phyllis said that for years she had been wondering if the Whites had a headstone and if so, where it was. So last spring as they were driving through Pictou in their camper bus they stopped to look.
They knew that the White’s had been buried in Haliburton Cemetery in Pictou, 
but Phyllis said they would never have found the grave on their own as the cemetery is huge, covering many acres. After asking directions, they located the graveyard and were fortunate to find some of the caretaker’s family at work there, mowing the grass. The family couldn’t help, but just then the caretaker, Stewart Arbuckle, arrived and he happened to have his plans of the cemetery and was able to pinpoint the location of the grave.
Ack said it needs a small amount of gravel on the left-hand corner so this year they will stop in again and see that it is fixed up properly.
NEW EFFORT AT PHOTO ID
Anne Brooks (1.4.2.3.7,2.) is trying a new approach in her effort to identify some photos found in the Brooks home in Murray Harbour. She has turned to The Eastern Graphic for assistance in solving the mystery. The weekly newspaper has published some of the pictures on three different occasions in the last few weeks. As a result she says she has heard from one person who has been very helpful. Anne says that Sandra Devlin is also going to help by running the story in her genealogy column in Maritime newspapers.
Professional photographers in Boston took many of the pictures but the subjects are not identified. Anne believes that many of the photos are of descendants of John T. Machon and Elizabeth Roberts, who married in 1859. A number of their children moved to Providence, Rhode Island, and Boston. After the death of his first wife, John Machon married Mary Ann Moore and their only daughter married into the Brooks family of Murray Harbour.
Anne appealed for your help in the last edition of the Beck Bulletin. If you’d like to try again you can see the pictures on the web site she put up at http://brooks46.funtigo.com
WE STILL HAVE SOME BOOKS
Copies of The Vere Beck Family Listings, and The Vere Beck Family Biographies, are still available. 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.
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