James Albert Gordon Obituary 1987

     Family and friends were saddened to learn of the passing of James Albert Gordon at his late residence on Saturday, January 17, 1987.

     Born at Huntley, PEI as son of the late John Owen and Grace (Riley) Gordon, James lived on the old homestead in Alma where he farmed for a number of years.

     He was a veteran of World War II.  In 1956, he and his wife moved to Summerside where he worked as a carpenter until his retirement.  After the death of his wife he resided with his daughter, Lois.
     He was respected and loved by old and young alike, mild-mannered and kind, a wonderful father and grand-father who will be greatly missed by all.
     Left to cherish his memory are his daughters, June (Mrs. Hanson Oliver), St. Eleanors; Lois (Mrs. Merle Skerry), Summerside; Ruby (Mrs. Albert Smith), Northeast Harbour, NS.; Mrs. Shirley Sanders, Willowdale, Ontario; 16 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren; also four sisters, Hazel, (Mrs. Breton Ramsay), Huntley; Jean (Mrs. Harrison Thompson), Moncton, NB; Lilla, (Mrs. Wilfred Matthews), Moncton, NB; Dorothy (Mrs. Marshall Rayner), Summerside and a number of nieces and nephews. 
     The largely attended funeral was held from Moase Funeral Home where service was conducted by Rev. Hubert Bartlett and Rev. Roy Austin.  The organist was Mrs. Areta Burke.  Members of the Royal Canadian Legion attended in a body and formed an Honor Guard.  Pallbearers were Ronald Thompson, Mike Perry, Ray MacKinnon, Kenneth Gordon, Jack Clark and Norman Warren.  Flowerbearers were Kenny Gordon, Dean Smith, Blaine Skerry, Fenton Yeo, Barry Yeo and Ralph Yeo.

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.