Blanche Mildred Rennie - Obituary

1921-2016

     Peacefully at the Prince County Hospital, Summerside, with her family by her side, on Sunday, January 10, 2016, of Blanche Mildred Rennie, of Dock Road, Alberton, age 94 years. Beloved wife of the late Ralph Hampton Rennie. Born at Elmsdale on October 26, 1921, she was the daughter of the late Basil and Jemima (nee Gibbs) MacNeill.
     Loving mother to: Marilyn (Charles) Ashley, of Alberton; Blois (Nola), of Dock Road, Gary (deceased) (Connie), of Dock Road; Ellen (Doug) MacLeod of the Brae; and Troy (Maxine), of Union. She is survived by 18 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by sisters: Pauline (Bill) Hutchings, of Mississauga, Ont., and Carole Cole of Toronto, Ont. Also survived by a sister-in-law, Olive MacNeill, of Toronto.
     She was predeceased by siblings, Claude, Leigh, Thane, Betty, Olive, Ruth, Hazel and Ethel.
     Resting at the Rooney Funeral Home, Alberton. Visiting hours Thursday, 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral Friday afternoon from the Elmsdale Church of the Nazarene, for funeral service at 2 p.m. Interment in the Church cemetery.
     As an expression of sympathy, memorials to the Western Hospital Equipment Fund or to the Prince County Hospital, Summerside, would be gratefully appreciated.

Alden Ervin Rennie - Obituary

1940-2016

 

    At the Dartmouth General Hospital on Sunday, November 6, 2016, with his loving family by his side, of Alden Ervin Rennie, of Dartmouth, age 76 years, beloved husband of Dianne (nee Campbell) Rennie. Born at Alma, PEI, on January 12, 1940, he was the son of the late Arthur Allison and Lulu Belle (nee Williams) Rennie.
     Loving father of Janet (Jason) Shortt of Surrey, BC, and Jason (Penny) Rennie of Oakfield, NS. Cherished grandfather to Alex Lassaline, Ella Shortt, Kieran Rennie and Kacee Rennie. Dear brother to Arlene Rennie of Alma, PEI, Sherrill (Fred)Horne of Bloomfield Dale (Annette) Rennie of Alma, PEI, Ronnie (Joan) Rennie of Alma, PEI,  and Karen (Leonard) McNeill of Elmsdale, PEI. He is also survived by brothers and sisters-in-law, David (Edith) Campbell of Alberton, PEI, Elizabeth (Hector) MacLeod of Alberton, Elda (Robert) Culbert of Alberton, Gwen (Rick) Hardy of Cascumpec, PEI, Rob (Debbie) Campbell of Stratford, Margaret (Gary) Gallant of Summerside, PEI, Nina (late Donald) Campbell of Charlottetown, PEI, and Douglas Rooney of Markham, Ont. He will be sadly missed by his many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Arthur and Lulu, his mother and father-in-law Robert and Georgie (Lewis) Campbell, a sister Joanne Rooney and a brother-in-law Donald Campbell.
     Alden was employed for 19 years with the Bank of Nova Scotia, 22 years with the Province of Nova Scotia in the Department of Justice and served 22 years as Registrar of the SEDMHA Tournaments.
     Resting at the Rooney Funeral Home, Alberton, PEI. No visiting hours by personal request. Funeral Saturday afternoon, November 12th, from the E. Gerald Rooney Memorial Chapel, for funeral service at 3:30 p.m. Interment in the Elmsdale United Church Cemetery.
If so desired, memorials to the Heart and Stroke Association would be gratefully appreciated.

Alma students graduate from Alberton High School 1960

     Two Alma students were amoung the 1960 graduates of Alberton High School - Jean Barbour (front left) and Arlene Rennie (front right).  
     Thanks Donna (Barbour) MacPhee for this photo.

Ralph H. Rennie Obituary - 1984

     Thanks to Donna (Barbour) MacPhee for this clipping from her 1984 Scrapbook.

Vera (Rennie) MacNeill Obituary 1921-2015

     The death occurred at the Western Hospital, Alberton, on Wednesday, January 14, 2015, of Vera MacNeill, of Phillip Residence and formerly of Elmsdale aged 94 years.  

     Vera was born at Alma Corner to Fred H. and Sarah Jane (Horne) Rennie.  Wife of the late Leigh MacNeill. Dear mother of Clare MacNeill, Elmsdale; Banda (Norman) Matthews, Elmsdale; and Beryl (Marvin) Hustler, Rosebank.  She had a long career as a school teacher.

     Loving grandmother to Tracy Donald, Dennis, Jamie Hustler, Janet Hart and great-grandmother to Taylor Donald, Mercedes and Ashley Hustler, Riley and Sarah Hart. 

     By family request, there will be no visiting hours or funeral service at this time.        

     Arrangements entrusted to the West Prince Funeral Home.

Alma Children at Alma School - Summer 1965

     Here's a few great photos taken by Donna (Barbour) MacPhee on the Alma School grounds in the summer of 1965 - they're amazing!!  We're fortunate she had the foresight to document everyday goings-on in our little community!

Above: Alma Children

Back: Judy & Verna Smallman, Mary McNeill, Debbie Bowness and Gwenda Barbour.

Front: Kevin Kelly, ? McAssey, Carter Jeffery, Gordon & Margaret McAssey, ? Shields.

In the background you can see Alvie Mountain's Homestead at Alma Corner.

Above:  ? Girl with Ralphie Clark peaking around from behind.

Note the buildings in the background -

Will & Sadie Mountains house on the far left; and rear view of Rennie's Store & sheds.

Above: Anne Marie Murphy, daughter of Wilbert & Geraldine (Gavin) Murphy.
Behind Anne the boys are playing with Blanche Crocket's dog, Laddie (far left).
In the background on the left is 'Con' Cornelius & Jennie O'Brien Homestead
at the corner of the Western and Centerline Roads.  On the right is Art Rennie's house.

Alma Farmers take Course - 1979

     Here's another clipping from Donna (Barbour) MacPhee's scrapbooks.

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.