| Number 23 | October 1, 2002 |
PROMINENT ISLANDER DIES
Dr. Malcolm Nestor Beck (1.4.3B.7.3.) died on Wednesday, Sept. 18, in hospital in Charlottetown. He was 77. Mac was born and grew up in Montague, and went on to become a leading figure in many areas of life in PEI. After earning his medical degree from McGill University, he served as a general practitioner briefly before deciding to specialize in psychiatry. After receiving his degree, he worked for the PEI Department of Health in various capacities including director of child psychiatry, director of the Sherwood Home and director of mental health. In 1970 he left government service to open his own private practice of psychiatry.
Mac was active in many organizations, playing a leading role in many of them. He served a term as president of the PEI Medical Association and was president of the Canadian Psychiatric Association in 1973.
"Dr. Beck was helpful, insightful, and a mentor to his colleagues," Dr. David I. Stewart, president of the Medical Society, told The Guardian. "He stressed the importance of strong family values and physicians' contributions to overall health."
Mac was also a bridge-builder, helping to span the gap between religious factions in the province.
He served as co-chair of Doctors United, a body whose work led to the creation of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and as co-chair for the One University Committee, a group whose work led to the creation of the University of P.E.I. He also chaired the premier's task force on extended care and alcoholic treatment facilities in P.E.I. and was a member of the expert committee of the Canadian Commission on Emotional and Learning Disorders in Children.
Mac was a gifted athlete and was the first inductee into the UPEI Sports Hall of Fame. He was also a devoutly religious man, and was an elder at Central Christian Church in Charlottetown for 42 years.
Mac was also deeply involved with the Beck reunions over the years. He helped organize the first one in 1963 in Guernsey Cove and spent a lot of the afternoon recording on 4x8 foot sheets of bristleboard the names, ancestors, and relationships of the 600 people present.
"I transferred hundreds of names to copy-paper sheets that week," he wrote in an appendix to the Vere Beck Family Biographies. Then he turned the material over to Jim Beck of Michigan who computerized it and has continued to keep it updated. Mac and Jim have worked together on every reunion since - eight of them in all - and Mac was still involved right up until the end. He took part in planning for the next reunion at a meeting held in Murray Harbour on August 24th.
The crowds who flocked to the funeral home to express their condolences attested to the regard in which Mac was held. It's estimated that more than 2,500 people made their way through the receiving line on Thursday and Friday.
Mac is survived by his wife, Shirley (Darrach) and sons, Angus (Donna), Gordon (Jane), Callum (Lorraine), Rory (Gaylene) Norman (Sharon) and special daughters, Nonie Fraser (Ivan) and Susan Cosh Jordan (John). He is also survived by sisters Vera, Peggy, Betty Ann, and Barb, as well as 16 grandchildren and one great grandchild. He was predeceased by a brother, Ralph.
The funeral service was held from Central Christian Church in Charlottetown where his son, Callum, gave the eulogy. Interment followed in Cross Roads Christian Church Cemetery.
BUSY THREE DAYS FOR THE REUNION
Preparations are going smoothly for the Beck Family Reunion in Murray River, P.E.I. next July. The planning committee, headed by Eileen Tanner, met in late August in Murray Harbour to review the program. The Northumberland Arena has been booked for the weekend of July 11,12, and 13th with many events to meet every taste.
Activities get underway Friday morning with the sharing of genealogy records at the Community Centre in Murray Harbour, and will shift to the Northumberland Arena for a Ceilidh on Friday evening. Various activities will be available on Saturday morning ranging from boat rides to cemetery tours. In the afternoon the emphasis will be on genealogy as the Becks gather in the arena.
Alan Beck of Virginia will be the main speaker. He will relate his adventures of 1998 as he discovered his family roots and traveled to the last reunion. There will be lots of time for people to mingle and greet old friends and meet new relatives for the first time. Various genealogy books will be available for sale to anyone interested.
A lobster supper will be served in the arena Saturday evening for people who book in advance and there will be another evening of entertainment with the emphasis on storytelling. A church service will be held on Sunday to conclude the reunion.
The hardest working person at the event will be Jim Beck of Michigan, our chief genealogist, as he tracks down information on new family members and shares the vast array of material he has already collected. It's his intention to be at the Community Centre in Murray Harbour throughout the day on Friday to greet everyone interested in Beck family material. Several others, all equipped with the latest up-to-date computer records, will assist him. They will be available to personalize family trees for those who want them, and will update their files on the spot with any additions, corrections or changes brought in. People are also encouraged to bring family pictures which will be scanned and immediately returned to their owners. The same service will be available all Saturday afternoon at the arena in Murray River.
BECK HOUSE PROGRESS
The pace of renovations on the former Vere Beck home is speeding up.As you recall, Lorin Brehaut Junior ((1.4.4,7,3,2.1.) and his wife, Sandra Strain, (1.4.6.5,1.2B,5,) bought the house and moved it up the road in 1998 to the former Henry Brehaut property in Guernsey Cove. The two sections have been joined and will be used as rental units when the work is completed.
Work had been proceeding at a measured pace, on a pay as you go schedule, with Lorin Senior doing most of the work. The exterior work is pretty well finished and the interior roughed in and insulated, but Sandra says they have to move faster now as the house is rented for the Beck reunion next summer. So they are turning to sub-contractors to finish the work before the first guests arrive. In late August they were waiting for the plasterers to finish the interior walls.
TEAM HOPES RIDING ON BELL
As the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League begin their season the health of Thatcher Bell (1.4.6.5,3.6,3) is one of the main concerns of team officials and fans alike. The speedy centre from Guernsey Cove was acquired by Halifax from Rimouski in a trade during the offseason raising hopes that he would lead them to a championship. Thatcher spent the last three years with Rimouski but missed a lot of games due to injuries and back problems. He had been drafted by the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL but was left unsigned this year because of questions about his physical condition.
National League teams are still interested in him though as he was invited to attend the Detroit Red Wings Training Camp in September. Thatcher spent more than two weeks skating with the Stanley Cup Champions before returning to Halifax on Sept. 20th.
Halifax sportswriters welcomed him back with headlines such as "Bell's Return Adds Scoring Punch."
They repeated the belief that if he remains healthy the Mooseheads have a good chance of winning the League championship. The fans appear to agree. In a poll on a Mooseheads Web Page, 44% of them said the most important factor in the team's prospects was Thatcher's health. Good goaltending came a distant second at 24%.
So far he is living up to his billing. Thatcher missed the first 3 games of the Mooseheads schedule, but in the four games since he got back he's taken over the team's scoring leadership with three goals and five assists for eight points.
As he said when the trade went through, "I still have that dream to make the NHL," and he appears to be working hard to make it come true.
THE CANADA TREE RETURNS FOR A VISIT
Move over Anne of Green Gables and make room for the Canada Tree. The rugged piece of art was on display at the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown during the last two weeks of August. Created by the late Tyler Aspin (1.6A.4,6.2.2A.2) the tree stands 34 feet high and weighs six tons. It is built from 2,000 wood artifacts collected from individuals across Canada and fitted together in the form of a tree. Each has a story connected to it.
The Canada Tree has been viewed by more than 1,500,000 people in the past 4 years. It was launched at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec, on June 29, 1998 and from there it has traveled - and continues to travel - across Canada.
Tyler died in an accident at his cottage in Quebec in August, 2001. He was 31.
In an editorial marking the visit of the Tree, The Guardian made a case for declaring Charlottetown the home base for the Canada Tree.
VITAL STATISTICS
FIFTIETH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
Marion (Beck) (1.10B.7.4.2,) and James S. Maxwell celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Sept. 27, 2002. Because most of the immediate family were not able to make it to Victoria, B.C., for the actual anniversary, the milestone was observed in late July when they were all able to get together. James decorated the house with 50th Anniversary ribbons on the 27th, and he and Marion were preparing to spend the day quietly but were pleasantly surprised when James' two sisters arrived from the mainland to spend a week with them. Marion and James posed in their living room for this picture They had this message: "It is with much appreciation and endless humility that we give thanks for all the help and support from family and friends accorded us over these last fifty years. We feel truly blessed in that we have been able to arrive safely at this occasion in our lives."
DEATHS
BEATON: Sibyl Elizabeth Beaton (1.4.2.2,5,) died in hospital at Montague, P.E.I., on August 24, 2002, at the age of 96. A native of Murray River, she was the last surviving child of John A. and Catherine (Beck) Munn. She is survived by a son, Roy, and his wife, Eileen, of Waltham, Massachusetts, five grandchildren and several great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, Forrest Beaton, a daughter, Jean, and one grandchild. Sibyl went to Boston as a young woman and married Forrest, a fellow Islander, while there. They moved back to PEI in the 1930s and then went to Halifax when the Second World War broke out. Forrest worked for the Halifax Shipyards and was drowned when the workboat he was on was sunk in a collision in 1943. Sibyl moved into the Shady Rest Home in Montague in 1984 and spent the last 18 years of her life there. Her mind was good right up until the end and she contributed much to the history of the Becks by answering the endless questions of her nephew, Ivan Munn. The funeral was held on Aug. 27th, and she is buried in the Peters Road Cemetery.
DAVEY: Elizabeth "Betty" Davey (1.4.2.1,6A,2,) died at the Brampton, Ont. Memorial Hospital on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2002, at the age of 74. She was the daughter of David Murdoch and Sarah Bell of Prince Edward Island. She was predeceased by her husband, Roy Davey, and by her daughter, Jennifer. She is survived by her son, John, his wife, Shirley, and two grandchildren, Amanda and Adam. A committal service was held on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 11 a.m. at the Murray Harbour Cemetery.
MACLEOD: Louis (Boyde) MacLeod (1.12,6,2A,4,1.) of Murray River died in hospital in Montague, PEI, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2002, at the age of 56. He is survived by his wife, Marlene Hayter, and three sons: Kenneth (Sharon) of Hopefield; Chris (Sara) of Hopefield; and Devin (Paige) of Murray Harbour. He is also survived by five granddaughters, and a brother, David (Sheila) of Murray River. He was predeceased by his parents, Basil and Myna MacLeod. The funeral was held from the chapel of Ferguson's Montague Funeral Home with interment in the Murray River cemetery.
BIOGRAPHY
(This is an expanded version of Will Beck's biography with much new information from Clara Beck Jordan.)
William Samuel Beck (1.4.7) was born Dec. 9, 1859, the seventh child of John and Elizabeth (Sencabaugh) Beck. He grew up on the family farm in White Sands where he learned farming and fishing. He was interested in stone carving and as a young man worked for a few years with his older brother, Vere, while he learned the trade. In 1896 he married Lucy Lumsden and they settled at Cape Bear where Will fished, did a bit of farming and carved headstones in his spare time. They didn't have any children of their own, but in 1905 they adopted Wallace Hume, a relative of Lucy's, who was four at the time. In 1924 they adopted another relative of Lucy's, 10-year-old Clara Chapman who changed her name to Beck. To Clara,(1.4.7.1,) moving into the Beck household was one of the highlights of her life and she has nothing but praise for Will and Lucy.
Will was a religious man and an early supporter of the Church of Christ at Murray Harbour. He was listed as part of the building committee when the church was being erected in 1899. The building was completed in August of that year and at a meeting on Aug. 13, Will was named a junior deacon. In 1932 he was listed as one of the elders of the Church.
William Milton Beck remembered fishing lobsters with Will as a young man. He received $20 a month plus room and board. He said that his Uncle Will was a very strong man. He would carry a 180 pound bag of salt on his back and then stand and talk with a friend for half an hour without putting it down. Hubert Sydney Munn (1.4.2.2,2.) also told stories of Will's remarkable strength. While unloading salt at the Cape, Will would take a 180 pound bag under each arm and have the others place a third bag across his shoulders and then, leaning forward, carry them up the path from the beach. He is reported to have said, "I could have taken another if they could have put it on me."
Clara said there was no doubt that Will was an exceptionally strong man. But like many strong men, she said she believes he overdid it. "I don't believe the heart was ever intended to lift so much, and he suffered from heart trouble in his old age."
Will fished lobsters for the factory that today is part of the Polar Foods Group. When Wallace Hume was old enough to start work he went with him in the boat. Clara said they would go out and pull their traps and take the catch to the factory and then work around the factory and have their supper there.
When they came home, Will would rest for a short time and then go out to his shed and work on the headstone he'd have there. He wore an apron while he worked and had a homemade mask that he pulled over his nose and mouth to cut down on the stone dust he was inhaling. She said he was a very good carver and it was just a pleasure to watch him work. "He could cut the most marvellous flowers and scrolls and do a wonderful job."
Clara said he worked very fast and the chisel would just be flying. "What if you make a mistake," she asked him once. "Hang it all," he replied, "we don't make mistakes."
"And he didn't," Clara said. "He was very good at what he did."
Clara said the marble was imported from New Hampshire. When his brother Vere placed his order, Will would add to it what he wanted and the stone would come in by rail.
Will had managed to save some money over the years and about 1928 he invested it in foxes as fox fur was very valuable at that time. Clara said he did very well for the first couple of years, but then the market collapsed and he lost most of his investment.
Will Robin who lived at Guernsey Cove and later Murray Harbour often mentioned Will Beck in his diaries. He visited the Becks regularly and he speaks of walking to Murray River with Will who was on his way to Murray Harbour North to work on a headstone in the cemetery there. Will mentioned the foxes in his diary and said the Becks had a tame one, a most unusual thing as foxes were difficult to tame.
Clara said the tame fox was named Honey. He had the run of the place and ate food prepared in the kitchen. However, he became too fond of chicken and got into the habit of raiding the chicken coop, and they had to do away with him. It was a real tragedy for Clara's son, Beck Jordan, who was very attached to the fox.
Clara married Ray Jordan and they lived with Will and Lucy and looked after them in their old age. Because of age and heart problems Will was no longer able to do much work, but Clara said while she worked outside he looked after her children and was very good with them. Will was not taking anything for his heart problems and wouldn't go the doctor. Clara said, "We coaxed him to go to the doctor, but he wouldn't go, and of course there wasn't much the doctors could do for heart problems at that time anyway." Despite his condition, Will continued to putter away in his shop doing some stone carving. He made a marble mantel for Wallace and a marble table for Clara. He died in 1943 and is buried in the Beach Point Cemetery.
PAROLE APPLICATION DENIED
Roger Charles Bell (1.4.1,10,5.2.) will be spending another 9 months in jail. The former Charlottetown chemistry teacher was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1997 after planting four pipe bombs in public places over a period of several years. Roger went before the parole board at the Springhill, N.S., Institution in late August to ask for his freedom.
After he was captured he admitted to being the elusive Loki 7 bomber but he never said why he did what he did. His writings suggested he held a serious grudge against society, especially politicians, judges and big business. He talked about his motives for the first time at the parole hearing. He blamed a bitter divorce, and his decision to leave his job after being told that he could no longer teach chemistry.
"I think my mission was simply revenge at society," said Roger. "I was mad at the leaders of society, not the general public."
Reading from a prepared statement, he said, ". . . I'm not the same person I was five years ago. I've had time to reflect. With the aid of psychological counselling, I better understand what I did and I regret the harm I've caused to others . . ."
His life started to fall apart in the early 1980s, and he gradually withdrew from all social contact.
He didn't have a telephone, and he didn't answer his doorbell. He said he couldn't explain his actions. All he remembers is that he was mad at everybody because of his situation.
In 1988, Roger planted a bomb in a flower bed in front of the provincial courthouse in Charlottetown.
In 1994, he planted a bomb at Point Pleasant Park in Halifax. In 1995 he bombed the legislature in Charlottetown, and in 1996, he set off a bomb at the Speedy Propane bulk plant in Charlottetown.
The bombing at the legislature resulted in injury to one man who's ankle was broken by flying debris.
Roger said that made him feel sick to his stomach and he added that he was ashamed of his actions.
He now suffers from a heart condition and spends about ninety per cent of his time lying down. He said he's had enough violence and his past is behind him.
The board was not convinced and the two members hearing the case expressed concern that he had made little progress while in custody. They denied parole. However, he is due to be released in late June next year whether the board agrees or not as he will have completed two thirds of his sentence and by law must be set free.
A HELPFUL HAIR CUT
Five-year-old Brittany Beck of Montague got her hair cut recently and donated the locks to a good cause. She wanted to help other kids who have lost their hair because of chemotheraphy treatments for cancer. So she went to a hair stylist and had about nine inches of her hair lopped off. It was sent to the Canadian Cancer Society in Ontario to be turned over to a company that manufactures wigs for young cancer patients. Brittany is the daughter of Rick (1.11.8.3.4.1.) and Marcy Beck. The Eastern Graphic published a picture of Brittany having her hair cut.
FIRST HOLE IN ONE AT THE NEW GOLF CLUB
Eleven-year-old Ryan Chapman (1.4.6.5,1.2B,4,1) of Gladstone, PEI, made history in August when he scored the first hole in one ever at the new Eagles View Golf Course in Murray River. He aced the 80 yard seventh hole, using an eight iron. The nine hole course, built on the banks of McClure's Pond, opened for play this spring. Ryan is the son of Lori and Stephen Chapman. He received an Eagles View golf club cover, a golf club hat, and got his picture on the front page of The Eastern Graphic.
STEPHANIE MUNN ACES THE TRIATHLON
The Orenda Paddling Club in Lake Echo, N.S., holds a triathlon each year for its membership, with participants divided into age groups.
Ten-year-old Stephanie Munn (1.4.2.2,2.2.1.1) easily won the competiton in the 6 to 10 year old group, defeating nine other competitors. The event starts with the children paddling two kilometers, running 1.7 kilometers, and then swimming 300 meters. Stephanie completed the course in 35 minutes, finishing well ahead of the competition. Stephanie said the running was the easiest and "the swim was the hardest because we had to wear a lifejacket and it was the last event so I was really tired." She is a veteran swimmer, but they don't wear life jackets in the pool.
Stephanie won $10 cash, as well as two tickets to the Lake Loon Miniature Golf Course, 
a day pass to the Cole Harbour Gymnasium, and two tickets for bowling.
Her younger sister, eight-year-old Patricia, (1.4.2.2,2.2.1.2) also took part in the event and placed sixth out of ten. She enjoyed the race and said, "I had fun."
The participants raise money for the Club by seeking sponsors on a family, rather than an individual basis. Patricia pointed out that she and Stephanie came first there too, raising $110 for the Club.
STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART
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Like countless other Prince Edward Islanders, Ron Harris (1.4.6.5,11.) left home as a young man to earn a living on the mainland. But he never forgot his roots and maintained his ties with frequent visits home. After 45 years away, he recently returned fulfilling, "a deep desire to come back home." During those years, Ron developed an interest in poetry and has written a book of poems, mostly of a religious nature but including lighter material to mark anniversaries, weddings and births. So it was only natural that at some point he would combine his love of the Island with his talent for poetry. The following poem was published in part in the September 4th edition of The Eastern Graphic. It's published in full here. |
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SEASONS ON 'THE' ISLAND
By Ronald D. Harris (1.4.6.5,11.)
This is indeed a special Isle
A dot of land which feels God's smile-
Of rolling hills-varied green that reaches
Jagged coastline sandy beaches.
Spring with its new and vital greens
Emerges through the dark red soil and brings
The buds of varied crops which give
Eventually foods on which we live.
First the sun with warmth to shine
Not too hot nor all the time.
Rain gently falls on its red soil
To reward with fertile growth the toil.
Breezes off its waters sweep
Blow and boast but vigil keep.
Few disasters are at play
Temporary set backs do not stay
Spring is followed by Summer's breeze
The fragrance of its warmth to please.
The azure sky is arched above
The sun is peaked assuring love.
The mystic enchanted time of year
That lifts the heart dispelling fear.
We inhale the air that summer brings.
Join in the songs which nature sings.
Flowers and foliage blossoms make
As bees and ants no work break take.
The beaches glisten in the sun
As waters warm add to our fun.
The nights of summer cool to sleep
The moon and stars their watch to keep.
Darkness sometimes wraps enshroud-
Other nights without a cloud.
Sun hardens earth and turns to dust
The cool rain falls-control it must.
"Please warmth of summer with us stay."
Yet later August seems to say
Prepare for Autumn's cool caress
When fruit of soil is on her breast
And to greens add the brush of gold
Earth's ripened treasures all unfold."
Some warm days come still to embrace
Yet only lightly kiss the face.
Soon leaves are painted with nature's brush
Breathtaking colours with shades of blush
Nature's beauty lavishly dressed
The landscape all by autumn blest.
The winds blow louder exhibit strength
Light hours steadily shorten length.
Rain falls down with sheet and shower
Reminding us of the season's hour;
Preparing to strip and wash with care
When sleep descends most everywhere.
The cooler day and the frosty night
As leaves must die and take their flight.
How drab and gray the sky has come
As Autumn's breath its work has done!
Roar Winter winds with ghostly sound.
We look for beauty-not much is found
Until the ground receives the snow
And Winter's sun reflects the glow.
An Island wonderland bursts forth
In spite of temperatures from the North.
Fair beauty reigns a little while
Until the weather smirks a smile
And sends the ice and sleet and hail
As Winter listens to our wail.
Earth will renew its life and show
That buds will blossom, grass will grow.
Spring will return-fragrance dispel
Re-clothe again. All will be well.
Awake from dormant sleep and rise
To bring to life from that which dies.
Carpet the rolling dales and hills
With grass of green and daffodils.
Brooks release-let rivers flow
Pulsing with life renewal know.
The birds are flitting everywhere
Yet sing and chirp without a care.
The buds appear the frogs they sing
Ah! Spring is Summer's entering!
We embrace you land of choice or birth
With grateful hearts for all your worth.
This is indeed a special Isle.
A dot of land which feels God's smile.,
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