Montrose United Church

     Montrose United Church sits, facing east, in a grove of mostly maple trees at the far east end of the Centerline Road.  It served both Montrose and Alma communities as a regular place of worship until 1969 when amalgamating with Alberton Pastoral Charge, thus becoming known as the Alberton-Elmsdale Pastoral Charge.

     The church was erected in 1945 after fire destroyed the original church on May 21, 1944 – seventy (70) years ago.  The new church opened one and a half years later on November 11, 1945.

     The planning, faith, cooperation and hard work put into rebuilding was well worth the effort.  There was once again a place to give thanks and worship in Montrose.  Fellowship meetings for both the youth and adults (Sunday School, Young Peoples Society, Bible Study, etc.) resumed in the church.

     It must have been a glorious day as people congregated for that first service in 1945, in their new Montrose United Church.

     A couple of photos shows a few people of the congregation gathered at the church entrance following Sunday Worship.

     In this summer 1959 photo...

Muriel (Baker) Barbour – (wife of Roy Barbour); Marion Barbour – (later wife of Jack Donald); Ann Barbour – (later wife of Barry Sandercock); Shirley Barbour – (later wife of Leslie Hardy); Jean Barbour – (later wife of Billy Oliver); between Marion and Shirley, in the door, is “Artie” Arthur Pridham of Montrose – a faithful man to his church.

     The Rev. Robert A. Crooks served as Minister at the Montrose Pastoral Charge for the years 1959-61.

           

     Standing outside the church in this 1963 photo...

Lynda Bowness – ((later wife of Allan Leard); Donna Barbour  - (later wife of Ronnie MacPhee); Revada (Rayner) Barbour – (wife of George Bowness); Kay (Lockerby) Barbour – (wife of Jack Barbour); Daisy (Rix) Barbour – (wife of Waldron Barbour)

      Mr. Brown M. Jardine served as minister at the Montrose Pastoral Charge for the years 1962-65.

** The write-up,  pictures and 1950’s postcard of the Montrose United Church courtesy of Donna (Barbour) MacPhee.

Hattie ( Mountain ) Johnston Obituary

1918-2014

      The death occurred at Andrew’s of Summerside, on Thursday, August 7, 2014, of Hattie Johnston, of Summerside, aged 96 years. 

     Born in Alma, she was the daughter of the late John “Jack” and Janetta (Horne) Mountain. Survived by her children Valerie Greenlaw, Comox, BC; Olga (John) Sandilands, Aurora, ON; Gwendolyn (Ron) MacNeill, Fort McMurray, AB; James Jr. (Mary), Summerside; 11 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and by sisters Beth Neill, Charlottetown; and Blanche Bowness, Alberton. Predeceased by her husband James D. Johnston; grandson Robert Greenlaw; sisters Lila Squarebriggs and Muriel Nisbet; and by a son-in-law Hubert Marinus.          

     Resting at the Moase Funeral Home, Summerside, where funeral service will be held on Sunday at 3 p.m. Interment in Peoples Cemetery, Summerside. Visiting hours Sunday from 1 p.m. until the time of the service. Flowers gratefully declined. Memorial donations to Trinity United Church or the Prince County Hospital Foundation would be appreciated. 

Edith (Holloway) Vincent Obituary

1920-2014

             Peacefully at Western Hospital, on Monday, May 19, 2014, of Edith Vincent (nee Holloway) of Kildare, in her 94th year. Born on June 21, 1920, in Springhill, Nova Scotia, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Cyrena (nee Mont) Holloway.

            Dear mother of Jean and Roy Cahill with whom she resided. Loving grandmother to Cathy (Chris) Cahill, Irvine, California; Pauline (Calvin) Cahill, Shelby, North Carolina; Paula (Erick) Gaudet, Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia; Donna LeClair, Kildare; Nancy (Dean) Getson, Montrose; and Joanne (Mark) McNeil, Falmouth, Nova Scotia. Cherished great-grandmother to Danny, Cyrena, Matthew, Hunter, Callie, Sam, Ben, Ryan, and River. Also survived by sister-in-law Mary Holloway, Alder Point, Cape Breton, and brother-in-law Leonard Wood, Springhill, NS. Predeceased by her husband Ralph Vincent, her parents Joseph and Cyrena, sisters and brothers: Lucy, Jenny (Jim) Livingstone, Kay Wood, Joe (Loretta) Holloway, Herb (Edith) Holloway and William Holloway.

            Resting at the Rooney Funeral Home, Alberton, P.E.I. Visiting hours Tuesday 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Funeral on Wednesday morning from St. Peters Anglican Church, Alberton, at 10:30 a.m., Rev. Ned Henthorn officiating. Interment in Holy Trinity Anglican Cemetery, Alma. Memorials to the Western Hospital Foundation are gratefully accepted.  www.rooneyfh.ca

Henry C. Vincent Obituary

1921-2014

     The death occurred at the Western Hospital, Alberton, on Wednesday, August 6, 2014, of Henry Vincent, of Maplewood Manor, Alberton, and formerly of Glen Valley, aged 93.
     Henry was born in Alma.  He was a simple man who spent his working life in the central Queens area where he worked as a truck driver and farm labourer.  He is survived by his sister, Edna Trainor of Alberton.  Henry was predeceased by his parents Pte. Alfred Trainor (step-father) and Ida Vincent and one sister Eleanor.
     By personal request there will be no visitation or funeral service. A private interment will take place in the Holy Trinity Anglican Cemetery, Alma.
     Online condolences may be sent at www.peifuneralcoops.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Central Queen's Funeral Home, New Glasgow, P.E.I.

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.

Joseph Cyril Kinch Obituary

1934-2014

     At his home in Alberton on Saturday, June 21, 2014, of Joseph Cyril Kinch, formerly of Brockton, aged 79 years. 

     He was born in Alma on March 25, 1934, the son of the late Benedict and Gertrude (nee McNeill) Kinch.

     Dear brother of Jennie O'Halloran, Bloomfield, and Elizabeth McNeill, Summerside. He will be sadly missed by his many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by sisters-in-law Ruthie Kinch, Esther MacEachern, Marie Kinch and Anne Kinch. He was predeceased by siblings Laurence, Etta, George, Ben, Irving, Dave, Lucy, Everett and Wilbert.

     Resting at the West Prince Funeral Home, 522 Thompson Road, Palmer Road, for visiting hours Tuesday from 6-9 p.m. Funeral will be held Wednesday, June 25, at St Mark's Church, Burton, where funeral mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m.

     Interment in the church cemetery. Memorial donations to St. Mark’s Cemetery Fund would be greatly appreciated.

     Post-script.  The family of Benedict and Gertrude Kinch lived on the Centerline Road in Lauretta where Ricky MacLeod and his family live today.  The old house was set back on the lot, sideways across from Louis Jefferys.

The Old Alma Schoolhouse

Poem written by Donna ( Barbour ) MacPhee

In the year 2006.

The old Alma Schoolhouse

sitting alone in the yard

with smashed panes in its windows

and a broken heart

Oh, what has happened

to the peace I was

I saw so many children

if only because

It was for their education

to set them free

to grow to be men and women

and independent be

My life of love was filled

with times both good and bad

but it was a learning place

that everyone had

An opportunity to become someone

to learn to read and write

oh, it wasn’t easy

it was quite a fight

I thought I’d always be

the place where the community met

but times were quickly changing

it wasn’t over yet

Every day I saw things happen

some I knew not why

there were those students

who didn’t come back

to say a simple good bye

They had moved on

they had to live

they wanted to be someone

I wept as life became harder

for the people who lived here

it was a struggle to pay

                  their taxes and bills

things were becoming dear

My walls and roof

a shelter so kind

for all who trod within

to develop their minds

I wondered why I was getting weak

my walls were bulging

my roof was sagging

                and beginning to leak

The pot bellied stove

that kept me warm

on the cold winter’s day

now had no reason for alarm

for it stood alone

in the middle of the floor

no heat in its innards

who opened the door?

It made no difference

if it was ice cold

There was no scuttle

so they’d be no coal

I wondered again

how this could be

I was only the old

               Alma Schoolhouse

and it was just me

The old pump outside

with its handle up high

would need to be primed

oh, but it was dry

The peeling paint

the shingles so rough

made me look like

I was ever so rough

I wasn’t tough

I was sad

If only I had people

It made me mad

to think that I

of all that was

of great importance

was simply alone and lost

The latch on the door

now idly hung

it didn’t need the key

the caretaker always brung

I was opened to the world

with privacy no more

if only I could...

close that door

Maybe I could

once again take control

and then the teacher’d

call the roll

The students within

my domain

would say ‘here’ or ‘present’

when hearing their name

But, I am only

old Alma School

to think I was important

would make me a fool

I am no fool

the fools are they

who thought they knew more

and needed a say

In better things

they strived to be

but left me lame

for the world to see

My only wish

is that I could be

once again who I was

not a prisoner, but free

To leave me alone

with no hope at all

made me weak and tired

would I fall?

I had no choice

but to let go

because there was no one

it was a bad show

I would have to bend

with the weight of the world

I would sag and buckle

as the destruction of

                     time unfurled

For I was lonely

as I could be

the people drove by

I could surely see

I was not blind

they thought I was

I was lonely and dejected

that I was

Would I see another year

I really didn’t care

Oh, there’s someone coming

Maybe they’ll be fair

What are they doing

I wondered to myself

as they took out their cameras

from the cases, themselves

I would be remembered

I knew how, too

I would be on paper

Oh, it was too good to be true

If I fell down

it mattered not

I was recorded in a photo

I would be – forgotten not

People would look at it

and they would say

Do you remember

the other day?

It was the other day

the one long lost

Rough times I had known

the price a high cost

If you see me on paper

you’ll never guess

that I won the battle

now I must rest

for I am

        The Old Alma Schoolhouse

* I wrote this story in 2006, knowing that the demise was near for Alma Corner.  The school would be surely gone.  The very same school – Alma School No. 43 – served the community well in many ways.  It was a place of education, community functions, school picnics and the interaction of the people on both the Western Road and the Centerline Road.  I was alway remember the old Alma Schoolhouse.
**Photos taken of Alma School in 1994 by Donna.