Maurice Fitzgerald, road builder

     I read this excert on page 32 in the book, "Goin' to the Corner: a history of Elmsdale" Vol.1.
     "In 1923 there were highway improvements made (( to the Western Road )) between Bloomfiel and Elmsdale.  The tender for the project were awarded to Maurice Fitzgerald of Laretta."

Holy Trinity Anglican Church at Christmas

     This photo was taken the Christmas following a summer when many repairs and improvements were carried-out to the church, churchyard and cemetery.  
     In recent years at Christmas a wreath is hung on the door even though the church is only used seasonally in summer.

Dr. D.A. Dunbar

     I came across the following information about Dr. David A. Dunbar of Alma.  He was the son of Wm. Archibald Dunbar and Sara Rix (of North Bedeque, b. 1842) of Centerline Road, Alma.  Dr. Dunbar studied medicine at McGill University in Montreal - he later lived and practiced in Vancouver, B.C. where he died in 1954.   
     Dr. D.A. Dunbar was a brother of James *Jimmy* Dunbar who lived across the road from Spurgeon Jeffery.  Dr. Dunbar's ashes were sent back to Alma for burial - Wilbert Jeffery recalls visiting Jimmy and Hattie that day in 1954 - Hattie said to Wilbert, "Jimmy's not feeling so well today - his brothers ashes arrived in the mail this day".

**************************

     The following information comes from the City of Vancouver Archives http://vancouver.ca/your-government/city-of-vancouver-archives.aspx

Reference Code: AM54-S4-2-:CVA 371-1578.  Date: Dec. 11, 1952.  Part of the Major James Skitt Matthews collection.  

**************************

Students Attending McGill, 1909

From the Daily Examiner, Jan, 22, 1909.

List of Prince Edward Island students at McGill – Medicine.

First year:

     Wm. E Williams, Mount Pleasant.
Second year:

     Lester G. Houle, Charlottetown; Fred H. McKay, Mt. Stewart; James S. McLeod, Charlottetown; Louis W. McNutt, Charlottetown; Alex. V. Webster, Marie.
Third year:

     R.S.P. Carruthers, North Bedeque; B. H. Champion, Summerside; D. A. Dunbar, Alma; Arthur W. Furness, Vernon; S. E. Gillis, Indian River; Percy L. Lavers, Georgetown; John A McPhee, Charlottetown.
Fourth year:

     F.M. Auld, Covehead; John R. Cameron, Charlottetown; James W. Dorsey, Charlottetown; John J. Gillis, Miscouche; George C. Lawson, Charlottetown; Walter P McBride, Central Bedeque.

Submitted by Christine Gorman / © Dave Hunter and The Island Register:

http://www.islandregister.com/1909mcgill.html

Last Updated: 10/2/2004 9:13:24 AM

**************************

     Below: a Dunbar tombstone in the Alma Baptist Cemetery noting the following deaths. William A. Dunbar 1840-1908 / His daughter Elizabeth A. Keith 1864-1940 / His daughter Annie M. 1880-1886. /// on the side Dr. D.A. Dunbar 1883-1954. 

     Dr. D.A. Dunbar had the following siblings as listed in the 1891 PEI Census: Hugh B. (21); Emma (21); Joseph A. (19); Emma A. (16); Sarah H. (13); James W. (4); infant girl (4 mos).

     See 1891 Census -

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/census-1891/001081-119.02-e.php?person_id_nbr=3160403&page_sequence_nbr=1&interval=&PHPSESSID=oudpa6rgqrh7up7k8d765ord27

===========================

Above: back reads - Dr. Archie Dunbar

Photo courtesy of Donna (Barbour) MacPhee Collection

The Will of William Murphy (-1918, Alma)

     I came across this on the Island Register website -http://www.islandregister.com/wills/1918williammurphy.html

The Last Will and Testament of William Murphy (-1918, Alma)

Public Archives of Prince Edward Island index to Probate Court register of Wills item No. 1807-1920 Index # 2 MURPHY, William Alma Lot 2 LIB 20 No.of Accounts 702 Filed and reg’d Nov 11, 1918
The late Will and Testament of me William Murphy, Alma, Lot 2, P.E. Island
This will annuls all previous wills made by me. To my son Liford Calvin Murphy I leave one good horse and one good cow. To my son William Albert Murphy I bequeath Five Dollars ($5.00) To my daughter Caroline Elizabeth (Mrs. Robt Stewart) I bequeath Five Dollars ($5.00) To my daughter Mysie Jane (Mrs. John Leard ) I bequeath Five Dollars ( $5.00) and one map of the world, now in my possession. To my daughter Jessie Ada (Mrs. David Vincent) I bequeath Five Dollars ($5.00) To Irene Maud (Mrs. Malcolm Gregory) I bequeath Five Dollars ($5.00) To my wife Caroline Elizabeth Murphy I devise and bequeath all the land and real estate in my possession- the land being that parcel of land, in Alma Lot 2, and lying directly south of and adjoining land owned by Hammond Crockett, and bounded on the south by land owned by my son Bennett Ervin Murphy, and running west from the "Western Road" and containing eighty acres more or less. To my wife Caroline Eliz. I also bequeath all the stock, farming implements, and household furniture in my possession at the time of my death, except as above mentioned,. My wife Caroline Eliz. Murphy shall own and control the land and property above mentioned, during her natural life or while she remains single. At her death or marriage all the above property real and personal then in her possession passes from her to my son Bennett Ervin if he is still alive. Should my son Bennett die before his mother then at her death or marriage all said property in her possession shall fall to my son Liford Calvin Murphy.
My wife Caroline shall be responsible for all my debts and obligations. I appoint as executor of this my last will David Barbour, Alma, and Allan Clark, Alma .
Signed by me this twenty-seventh day of August, one thousand nine hundred and Seventeen at Alma -P.E.I Signed William Murphy (His X mark)

Witnesses Signed John Clark E. Lockhart

This will was proved on 22nd day of August A.D.
1918 on the oath of Emanuel Lockhart one of the
subscribing witnesses thereto and was filed and
registered on the Eleventh Day of November A.D. 1918
As certified by (illeg.) Macdonald Judge of (illeg.)

Homesteads of Lauretta - 1928

     Below is a plan I drew of the homesteads of Lauretta using the Cummins 1928 Atlas of Prince Edward Island.  
     The Atlas also lists the property owner's name, address, wife and children's names.  It's a wonderful resource.

Below: an older version of the Cummins 1928 Atlas.

 http://www.islandimagined.ca/fedora/repository/imagined:collection/-/Island%20Imagined/3

Above: a more recent, reprint copy of the Cummins 1928 Atlas.

Myrtle B. (Burke) Foley Obituary 1912-2008

     The death occurred recently in California of Myrtle B. Foley, 96. Born in Alma, P.E.I., she was the daughter of Peter A. and Gertrude (Aylward) Burke. 

     Survived by sons, Leonard B. (Carol) of California, and L. Edward (Marie) of Rhode Island. Also survived by four grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews; her sisters, Sr. Florence Burke, CSM of Mount St. Mary's in Charlottetown, and Bernice (Lal) Davis (Donald S. RCMP, retired) of Bedford, N.S. Predeceased by her parents, her husband, Lloyd E. Foley; her sister, Irene (late John E.) Cameron; and her brother, Fl/Sgf. Leonard J. Burke. 
     Burial took place in Leominster, Mass.

     cf.  Published Thursday, April 17, 2008 in the Journal-Pioneer Newspaper.

     PS.  Stanford McNeill bought the Burke property on the big turn, on the Centerline Road in Alma, around the end of WWII - and raised their family there.  

Mildred ( Dunbar ) Barbour Obituary

1914-1985

      The death occurred suddenly today, at Community Hospital, O'Leary, of Mrs. Mildred Sarah Barbour of Alma at the age 71 years.

      She was the daughter of the late Joseph and Mary (Harris) Dunbar of Alma.  She leaves to mourn, besides her husband Archie Barbour, one son and two daughters: Robert of Brantford, Ont., Carol, Mrs. Dennis Ranka of Victoria, B.C., and Helen Barbour of Toronto, as well as six grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.

     She is also survived by one brother, Keir of Vancouver, B.C.

     She was predeceased by two brothers and three sisters: Isaac, William, Celesta, Eliza and Ellie, and a grandson, Ricky.

     Remains are resting at Ferguson Funeral Home, O'Leary.  Funeral notice will be later.  Visiting hours Thursday are 2-4 and 7-9.  Memorials to the Alma-Alberton United Baptist Church or the Canadian Heart Foundation would be appreciated.

     Post-script.  The notice of Mildred's funeral was in the Journal-Pioneer Newspaper on Saturday, December 14, 1985.

Duggan Homestead destroyed by fire

     On Sunday evening, October 14th, 2012 the Ralph and Doris (Adams) Duggan homestead was destroyed by a control-burn by the Alberton Fire Department. 

     Doris died in August 2000 and following Ralph"s death 2-1/2 years later the house was rented on and off and had recently been vacant requiring too many repairs to salvage.
     This place held many fond memories for the Duggan family and all you called them friend.

     The house was located at the corner of the Western Road and the Cheese Factory Road in Alma.

     This house was built around 1950 by local carpenter Dave Gordon for Hutt Duggan of the Centerline Road in Lauretta.  Hutt ran a sawmill from here for a few years until he retired in the late 1950's and moved to Malagash, Nova Scotia to live with his sister.  At that time Ralph and Doris bought the house from his Uncle Hutt and lived here till their passing.  
     Ralph was the son of Margaret "Sybil" (Duggan) Dayette.

Above: Doris & Ralph Duggan

     The Duggans in Lauretta/Alma came to be when Mysie Simmons Duggan married John Smith of Centerline Road in Lauretta.  Mysie had six children when she married John - they were: Hutt, Roy, Sybil, Ada (m. Pat MacIntyre), daughter-1 (lived with Hutt), daughter-2 (lived in Malagash).   

     Mysie use to light the fire at Lauretta School.  Wilbert Jeffery recalls as children they would go across the road to John and Mysie Smith's to get water for the school.  

     The following information comes from a Cemetery Tour given by Carter Jeffery of the Holy Trinity Alma Cemetery during the 150th anniversary of the Alberton-O'Leary Anglican Parish in August 2009.

Hugh “John/Jack” Smith  Birth and death dates unknown.  He raised foxes and farmed.  John has three wives buried here beside him – to his left his first wife Jannie McMeeken 1870-1899. To his right, his second wife Holly H. Vincent and to the far right, his third and last wife Mysie Simmons Duggan 1877-1945.  John lived on the Centerline Road in Lauretta across the road just before Lauretta School - later owned by Lawrence Arsenault.  John use to take-up the collection at the church.  
Excerpt from Eva & Mary Jeffery’s Journal –

Feb. 24, 1930: Rain forenoon.  Father to church and Jack Smith fixing roof.

June 17, 1930:  Warm day. Jack Smith here for ladder for to put up staging in church.

July 4, 1930:  John Smith here got money to pay Bowness for painting church.

Heritage Prayer

We were at Cumberland Historic Village this week near Ottawa - in this Knox United Church (formerly located in Vars, Ontario) we saw this prayer in the vestibule - it was adapted from a prayer in the old Covenanters' Church - 1804, Grand Pre, Nova Scotia.

"Heritage Prayer"

Father God;

We keep forgetting all of those who lived before us.
We keep forgetting those who lived and worked in our communities.
We keep forgetting those who prayed and sang hymns in our churches before we were born.
We keep forgetting what our fathers have done for us.
We commit the sin, Lord, of assuming that everything begins with us.

We drink from wells we did not find.
We eat food from farmland we did not develop.
We enjoy freedoms which we have not earned.
We worship in churches which we did not build.
We live in communities we did not establish.
This day, make us grateful for our heritage.

Amen

Helen Dunbar, Alma passed Junior Exams 1895

The following cf. http://www.islandregister.com/1895teachersmatric.html

From the Daily Examiner, July 17, 1895
Prince of Wales College and Normal School, July, 1895.


The following candidates passed the Junior.

Sidney C. Hayden, Vernon River, 311	Elsie LePage, Charlottetown, 294
Regina M. Flood, Maplewood, 287	George Hyndman, Charlottetown, 266
Mary LePage, Charlottetown, 262	Helen Dunbar, Alma, Lot 3, 261.

Dorothy (Gordon) Rayner Obituary 1907-2010

Dorothy (Gordon) Rayner
1908-2010

     The death occurred peacefully at the Wedgewood Manor, Summerside on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010 of Dorothy (nee Gordon) Rayner in her 103rd year. 
     Dorothy was born on Jan. 6, 1908 in Alma , P.E.I. to her late parents , John and Grace (nee Riley) Gordon. Beloved wife of the late Marshall Rayner and loving mother of Jean (Eldon) MacArthur of Tyne Valley, Jessie Rayner of Summerside, Grace (Thomas) Palmer of Oshawa, Ont., Joyce Baglole and Elizabeth Rayner of Summerside, Eva (Harold) MacDonald of Font Hill, Ont., John (Barbara) of Alma, and daughter-in-law Faye Rayner of Summerside.   
     Also lovingly remembered by her 19 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, 16 great-great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Besides her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her son Eldon, son-in-law Desmond Baglole, grandson Donald Palmer and a great-grandson in infancy. 
     As Dorothy was the last surviving member of her and her husband's immediate families, she was also predeceased by the following sisters: Mary (William) Horne, Lilla (Wilfred) Matthews, Hazel (Bertram) Ramsay, Jean (Harrison) Thompson and Ethel; brothers David (Minerva) , John (Elizabeth) and James (Empress); and brothers and sisters-in-law: Amanda (William) Getson, Ruth (Wilmot) Read, Jennie (Benjamin) Thomas , Wallace (Linnie) , Russell (Vera) , Edith (Austin) MacDonald, Helen (Wallace) Graham , Eva and Irene. 
     Resting at the East Prince Funeral Home, 245 Pope Rd., Summerside until Friday, Aug. 20, for funeral service in the funeral home chapel at 11 a.m. Interment to take place in Greenmount Church of Christ Cemetery, P.E.I. Visiting hours on Friday morning only, 9:30 a.m. until time of funeral service. Memorial donations in Dorothy's memory to the Greenmount Church of Christ Cemetery, Wedgewood Manor Equipment Fund or a charity of your choice would be greatly appreciated. 
     Online condolences can be sent to epfuneral@eastlink.ca. Arrangements entrusted to the East Prince Funeral Home, Summerside, P.E.I.
www.prifuneralcoops.com

     Dorothy was a school teacher and fondly recalled her days of teaching and had a great memory to recall her students.

1888 Alma Train (Flag) Station

     On April 24, 2001 my father, Wilbert and brother, Kerras and I went to measure and photograph the old Alma Flag Station located at H.I. Construction on the Western Road in Alma.  The purpose of our visit was to see the old station as it was to be torn down as a result of damage to one corner of the building following a major fire at the construction site on March 6, 2001.  Kerras was able to salvage some boards and a few things which he used to make a few benches for souvenirs.  The station was demolished on May 1, 2001.

     Below are drawings I prepared from our visit - Dad helped us to identify the two areas and what was found in them.

     Alma Station, was originally called Montrose Station which was built around 1875.  In 1884 the schedule notes the departures time to be 7:42am.  The original building would have been very small, more like a shed building.  The Train "Flag" Station was probably built in 1888 when 51 new stations were built on Prince Edward Island to better serve the public.

     Summerside Journal 27-Dec-1877.  Mr. George Hardy, driver of the No. 1 train was much scalded at Montrose in his engine by the displacement of a plug allowing the steam to escape.  His fireman Thomas Trainor was also badly scalded.  Both are at Alberton in good hands though suffering much".  quote from the Patriot.

      Below are three photos I took that day.  The first photo shows the two original doors.

 Below:  the north side of the station.

      Below:  Inside, note the sliding door on the back wall, this was the in the freight shed facing west.

     The old station was used by the railroad up till the mid 1960's.  Dad often took the train to O'Leary to visit his in-laws in Knutsford, mostly in winter, as late as the winter of 1963-64.  The station was sold to Archie Dunbar who then sold it to Hayes Paying where it was used for a storage building until it was partially burned on March 6th, 2001 - see 

http://almalauretta.blogspot.ca/2012/03/hi-construction-in-alma-leveled-in.html

     For more information regarding this station and the A Photo History of Prince Edward Island Railway by Allan Graham.

Justin Smith, champion powerlifter ties to Lauretta

     There’s a connection to Lauretta in this story about Justin Smith – Justin’s grandfather was Weldon Smith of Lauretta.  Weldon was the son of Birt & Violet Smith – they lived across the road from Lauretta School on the Centerline Road.
     This story appeared in this weeks West Prince Graphic - http://peicanada.com/west_prince_graphic/publication/mount_pleasant_powerlifter_captures_three_medals_poland

Mount Pleasant powerlifter captures three medals in Poland

Wed, 09/05/2012 - 05:15 /By Cindy Chant / cindy@peicanada.com

             At just 18-year-old, Justin Smith has some more medals to put under his weight lifting belt after his recent trip to Szczyrk, Poland. The Mount Pleasant powerlifter not only won a gold, silver and bronze medals at the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Powerlifting Championships, he set a new world record for his deadlift.

            “When I won the medals it was a moment of awe, and felt that my past three years in the sport finally paid off,” said Mr Smith. He explained, “After I pulled my first deadlift (which was already good for a gold medal) I felt awesome because I knew that it was going to be good for either gold or silver since it was so far ahead of the second place starter.”

            For the competition Mr Smith was in the men’s subjunior 59 kilogram weight class, down from the 66 kilogram class he is used to competing against in the deadlift of 235.5 kilograms.

            “After I pulled the world record rather easily on my second I felt like I was on top of the world,” said Mr Smith.

            Powerlifting involves three components - the squat, the bench press and the dead lifts. The weight successfully hoisted in all three events is then combined for the competitor’s total score. That’s based on total weight lifted, divided by body weight. Evangeline Recreation Centre in Abrams Village has been called home for Mr Smith in preparation to the upcoming event.

            According to Mr Smith the silver overall medal felt more like a gold given the circumstances of how close the competition was.

            “It really came down to the last lift which unfortunately slipped from my grip,” he said.

            “I checked the final results/statistics and I actually have the best deadlift in the world, not only for my specific division, but for the entire sub-junior age division.”

            The grounded teen encourages anyone who is interested in getting into the competitive sport to take a few words of advice.

            “Firstly that they will not get big and bulky like the professional bodybuilders we constantly see on the cover of the magazines, regardless of gender. Expect to get in the shape of your life and gain a lot of strength and energy doing so. Also when starting out, what you lift is not important at that time. Proper form and technique to do the exercises is the most important thing,” said Mr Smith. He went on to say, “Lastly, if they take the time and dedicate themselves to the sport, they will get somewhere.”

            The three medals will hang over Mr Smiths’ team Canada T-shirt, which has yet to arrive after ordering it before leaving Poland. He will be keeping with tradition as all Mr Smith’s medals hang over his competition shirts.

            The world championships wrapped up Sept 2.

Alma Baptist Church - Our Family

     I came across this booklet of the Baptist Region: O'Leary-Springfield-Alma.  The booklet has a brief history then pages of family and member portraits for each church.  It was published in 1985.
     Here's the page, Our Church Family: Alma

Abigail Jeffery

     Abigail Jeffery was born on August 6, 1898, baptized on September 11, 1898.  She died on October 3, 1911 probably of pneumonia or meningitis - she was buried the following day at Holy Trinity Alma cemetery.
     Abilgail was the daughter of Spurgeon Jeffery and Dorcas Collicutt.  There is little known about Abigail, other than she was a child living with her parents, a brother and two sisters - they lived at the corner of Centerline Road and Klondike Road (today known as MacLellan Road) in Lauretta.  Amoung the papers found in her family's home, following the death of her sister Eva in 1982, was the hand-written short story below, likely a class assignment at Lauretta School.  The story was possibly told to her about her grandfather Stephen E. Jeffery who was a blacksmith down the Centerline Road less than a mile away in Alma - Stephen died two months after Abigail.  Abigail's uncle Albert was a blacksmith at Alma Corner and her uncle Robert was blacksmith in Elmsdale.

     Abigail was likely named after her grand aunt Abigail (Jeffery) Burns, sister of her grandfather Stephen E. Jeffery of Alma.  Aunt Abigail (1826-1913) lived in Sherbrooke, PEI.

     Spurgeon and Dorcas lost three children at a young age – Elizabeth died at 7 days old on June 9 1887 (first to be buried at Holy Trinity Alma Cemetery); and a daughter Hannah died at the age of 7 years old on May 1898.

The Kinch and Dunn Family

     Thanks to Stephen Dunn for sending me along more photos from their family collection!  These are amazing and value photos!

     Above: Honora, John Kinch and second wife Elizabeth on their 60th Wedding Anniversary taken on April 6, 1935 in either Saskatchewan or Alberta. (photo originally came from the Willie Dunbar Collection). The others in the photo are not known.

     The following information about John and Elizabeth comes from the PEI Register (http://www.islandregister.com/kinch.html) and posted by Lawrence Kinch, Tom O'Connor and Leonard Praught.

     JOHN³ KINCH  was born August 27, 1853 in Cascumpec, Lot #5, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and died March 07, 1943 in Coderre, Saskatchewan, Canada. He married (1) CATHERINE AHEARN Bef. 1875 in Alberton, Prince Edward Island, Canada, daughter of PETER AHEARN and SARAH MCINTYRE. She was born August 13, 1851 in Tignish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and died Aft. July 29, 1875 in Tignish, Prince Edward Island, Canada. He married (2) ELIZABETH O'BRIEN April 06, 1875 in St Simon & St Jude Church Tignish, Prince Edward Island, Canada. She was born Abt. 1853 in Tignish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and died June 20, 1942 in Coderre, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Child of JOHN KINCH and CATHERINE AHEARN is:

i.MARTIN⁴ KINCH, b. July 27, 1875, Tignish, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Children of JOHN KINCH and ELIZABETH O'BRIEN are:

ii. MARTIN⁴ KINCH, b. July 24, 1876, Alma Lot #3, Prince Edward Island, Canada; d. September 21, 1931; m. (2) THERESA WALSH, 1915; d. 1947.

iii. MARY ANN KINCH, b. December 04, 1876, Kildare, Lot #3, Prince Edward Island, Canada; d. June 02, 1880, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

iv. LAWRENCE KINCH, b. February 23, 1879, Alma Lot #3, Prince Edward Island, Canada; d. June 09, 1880, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

v. MARY ANN KINCH, b. February 14, 1881, Kildare, Prince Edward Island, Canada; d. January 1958, Alberton, Prince Edward Island, Canada; m. AMBROSE M. CORCORAN, November 27, 1900, Sacred Heart Church, Alberton, Prince Edward Island, Canada; b. February 21, 1876, Portland, Maine, U.S.A.; d. December 26, 1951, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

vi. GEORGE KINCH, b. March 03, 1883, Alma Lot #3, Prince Edward Island, Canada; d. January 23, 1958, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada; m. UNKNOWN DURHAM; d. Abt. 1954, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada.

vii. JOHN HERMAN KINCH, b. June 26, 1885, Alma Lot #3, Prince Edward Island, Canada; d. April 10, 1972, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; m. EULALIA B. CORCORAN, June 21, 1910, Bloomfield, Prince Edward Island, Canada; b. July 12, 1892, Prince Edward Island, Canada; d. March 09, 1914, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

viii. WILLIAM BENNETT KINCH, b. August 23, 1887, Alma Lot #3, Prince Edward Island, Canada; d. July 02, 1971, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada; m. JOSEPHINE M. SCULLY, January 14, 1913, Prince Edward Island; b. 1888; d. 1949, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada.

ix. JAMES LEO KINCH, b. October 12, 1889, Alma Lot #3, Prince Edward Island, Canada; d. November 28, 1973, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.; m. JENNIFER CLARK; b. May 20, 1893, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada.

x. MARY HANORA KINCH, b. August 23, 1892, Alma Lot #3, Prince Edward Island, Canada; d. September 14, 1982, St Joseph's Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; m. (1) HERBERT WILLIAM WALTER, January 14, 1913, Alberton, Prince Edward Island., Canada; b. May 14, 1889, Walter Falls, Ontario, Canada; d. June 13, 1952, At Home, Sundre, Alberta, Canada; m. (2) WALTER MELVIN SMALLEY, December 1974.

Above: Wilfred Dunn and Edna Kinch on their wedding day October 28th,1942.

Above: Edna ( Kinch ) Dunn.

Above: In the backyard of the Kinch-Dunn Farmstead in Alma.  Edna with her children Cecil and Velda.

Above: Stephen Kinch in WWII in Germany in 1944 or 1945.

Above: Stephen Kinch.

     Wilbert Jeffery tells the story of when they use to walk out to Alma Corner, from Lauretta, they would cut back across the fields by Frank Kinchs and come out by Wilfred and Edna's place.  They'd often go in to visit.  He recalls two large oval photographs in the house - he said Edna's mother, Tessy (wife of Martin), would always tell them, "that is brother Amos and that is brother Camilas".

Mrs. James (Hattie Ellis) Dunbar

     I recently read this book, Highlights of our Baptist Work: in Springfield West, O'Leary, Alma Churches 1852-1977.  Therein was the mention of only one person from Alma - that of Mrs. James *Jim* Dunbar of the Centerline Road where today Kent and Lloydia Smallman live in a new house.
     Below is the cover of the book.

 Below: inside the front cover - the churches of the congregations.

 Below:  The history of Hattie (Ellis) Dunbar.

     Below: the Jim and Hattie Dunbar homestead not long before it was demolished for the new, present home on the property.  It was located on the north side of the Centerline Road across the road from Spurgeon Jeffery's homestead.

cf. Ellis Smallman Collection

Rennie's Store, Alma Corner

     Alma Corner was always a busy place for the goings on of the community.  At the corner there were once stores, blacksmith shops, the post office, the school, a cooper, etc. - today there's nothing there at all except for homes.
     The location of Rennie's Store, on the southeast corner, was originally the home of Albert Jeffery (1857-1905) of the Centerline Road, son of blacksmith Stephen E. Jeffery.  Albert married Roannah Riley (1862-1929) - they had one adopted daughter, Pearl.

Below:  Blanche (Rennie) Crockett home, former Albert Jeffery home.

Below:  Blanche (Rennie) Crockett.  Photo taken in the summer of 2002.

 Below: The 2nd Rennie's Store, southeast view.

 Below: Rennie's Store, northeast corner.  Demolished in the summer of 2007.

     Below: the northeast corner at Alma Corner - the Mountain homestead where Alvie Mountain operated a blacksmith shop.

      Below: an old barn that the Mountains traded land for with Ellis Smallman - this old barn came out from the Centerline Rd. in Lauretta.  It was demolished in the summer of 2007.

      Below:  the Mountain Homestead - the home of Alvie and Millie Mountain.  Alvie was a blacksmith.   Their three children: Leslie, Margaret and Frank always lived here - they never married.  The house had been abandoned and was demolished in the summer of 2007 when Route 2 highway and the intersection was rebuilt.

      Below:  a page from the book, Alberton & Area: A Pictorial Experience Through Time showing the first Rennie's Store which burned in 1921.

Below:  cf. page 104 of the Alberton & Area book showing Fred Rennie's Egg Waggon.

     The new books about the History of Elmsdale tells much about the history of the Rennie's and the origins of the family with their forefather Luigi Riani (anglicised to Louis Rennie) coming from Tuscany, Italy with his a friend Mr. Platts around the turn of the nineteenth century.  Louis' son Fred built and operated stores at Elmsdale and Alma corners.

Alma Churches used by Montrose United following fire

     On Sunday past Donald Hardy told me that in 1944 when the Montrose United Church burned the Alma Baptist Church and Holy Trinity Alma Anglican Church offered their churches to the Montrose congregation until they were able to rebuild.  The churches were used alternately.   Donald said he had fond memories of coming to Alma and the generosity of the congregations of both these churches.

Below:  Montrose United Church. cf. the Millennium book,

Alberton and Area: A Pictorial Experience Through Time

Below:  Holy Trinity Alma Anglican Church. Photo Oct. 2007

 Below: Alma Baptist Church.  Photo c. 1950s

Mrs. Graham, died at 111-years-old c. 1885

"A Mrs. Graham, who died in Alma, Prince Edward Island about the year 1885, reported just prior to her death at one hundred and eleven years of age, that when she was a small girl living with her parents in a log cabin some little distance outside of Charlottetown, she saw this tall, good-looking, blond blue-eyed man and his beautiful young wife as they travelled from the boat landing past her mother’s cabin. With their dog-team they headed through the portage in the general direction of New London Bay. (A portage on P.E.I. is a narrow road or path through a thick wood and was used by the Indians to portage their canoe from one body of water to another. The portage here referred to may have been only an Indian trail.) At any rate Mrs. Graham said she knew the family in after years, and that his name was Simpson, his first name she could not be sure of and that his wife’s name was Helen Winchester.

cf.  Chapter 5, THE FOUNDING OF CAVENDISH, 1790

http://www.electricscotland.com/history/articles/cavendish.htm

This account is taken from the book "Cavendish - Its History, Its People, Its Founding Families - Simpsons McNeills Clarks and their Kin" by Harold H. Simpson. I have taken the liberty of taking Chapters 5 and 6 from this book to enable me to show something of settlement life on Prince Edward Island. We have now added the complete book in pdf format to the foot of this page.

A Cabin in the Woods on the Centerline Road

     I came across the following note that Eva Jeffery had written-out to a cousin on July 12,
1977 to tell her family's history about coming to Alma.
     "My grandfather's name was Stephen Jeffery - his family came from England many years ago.  He set out from Bedeque for the western part of the Island, so i am told, and landed in Alma (1860) and built a little log cabin in the wilderness.  It was nothing but a forest at that time.  They must have endured great hardship to make a living for himself and his family in the wilderness with no cleared land.  I would liked to have written a History of the Jeffery family but did not think of it when my father and mother were alive as they had alot about the family - they are both dead now..."

Image cf. http://tonguekissesandtyranny.blogspot.ca/2010/09/little-about-me.html

     Settlement in the Alma area began early in the mid 1800's with settlers along the Western Road where they had easy access to the road - there was little settlement in the backwoods.  Older residents of the Centerline Road recall their forefathers saying that the Stephen Jeffery home was the oldest on the road.  

      Above: Stephen Emmanuel Jeffery (1830-1911) and his third wife Jane Collicutt (1842-1814) - they were married in 1868.  Stephen had 5 children by his first marriage to Maria Fields; no children from his second wife Mary Ann Lewis and 8 children with his third wife Jane Collicutt.  In total there were 12 children raised in this home - 10 sons: William, Albert, Spurgeon, George, Abram, Richard, Stephen, David, Joseph, Robert and 2 daughters: Elizabeth, Jane and Rebeccah who died at birth.

     Above: sketch by Carter Jeffery depicting the Jeffery homestead around 1890.  The house was built in the late 1860's.  See it today in image below - Jeffery homestead.