Do you know the answer?

Bill and Lina Ludlow celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends in the church hall in 1998.

UPDATE: Who is our oldest living member? It’s still open to any challengers that want to come forward, but my nomination is Bill Ludlow. A member since 1950 (!) Bill celebrated his 99th birthday in September. According to his daughter Liz, who supplied the video clip below, he is in “remarkable shape for his age” and “still singing Scottish songs!”

I will leave the second question, about people from our congregation called to ministry over the years, for another day.

A Joint Pastoral Relations Committee, with members from both VUC and CPU, with Rev. Nerny in 1980. Bill Ludlow is in the second row, second from the right.

ORIGINAL POST:

I have two skill-testing questions for you today. It’s really more information-gathering than a quiz, since I am not sure I have the right answers myself!First: who is SouthWest’s oldest living member? I know some people don’t like to admit their age so that makes it challenging. But send me your guesses/ nominees!

Second: who are the members of our congregation over the years who have gone on to enter ministry?

See Amy at church this Sunday, or call the office weekday mornings: 514-768-6231, or e-mail southwestunited@gmail.com.

The Sunday School Picnics of Bygone Years

FURTHER UPDATE: Pastor Beryl informs me that she is in the background in this photo! She is the little girl almost smack in the middle with the very blond hair. A smaller dark-haired child is right in front of her, and they’re next to the man holding his hand up to his face. Talk about living history!

UPDATE: After sharing this blog post to the Facebook group called Crawford Park Kids, we have a lot more information about the photo. It turns out that Liz Storey, who is a member of the group, is one of the children pictured, and her father Len Storey, was the photographer!

According to Liz, the girls in the foreground that she can recognize are: Left to right front - Joanne Barr -?- Liz Storey; Left to right back - Joyce Barr - Pam Adams -?-.

She thinks the picture was taken around 1954 in Queen Elizabeth Park*. Thank you to Liz Storey, as well as Liz Ludlow Collymore who manages that group, and all the “Kids”.

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Original Post:
I love this photo. It obviously depicts a church picnic, but there is no date or other information given. Based on the women’s hairstyles and clothing, it appears to date from the late 1940s or early 50s. I don’t know for sure that this was a Crawford Park United picnic, but somehow it seems right to set it beside this reminiscence from the late Dru MacMillan which appeared in the memorial booklet: Crawford Park United Church 1947-1997: 50 Years of memories.

The Annual Sunday School Picnic is a happy memory of my childhood days at CPUC. In those days there were a large number of children at Sunday School and a good number of busses were needed to transport the children and adults to St. Helen’s Island for the picnic. My greatest wish at that time was to be on the same bus as Mr. Jim Crawford. he was such a jolly man and so well liked. He always kept us happy and singing to and from the Island. He made the picnic a joyous one.

*others think this was taken at St. Helen’s Island.

Making a Joyful Noise, for 120 Years

From the earliest days, music has been an important part of our worship. Meeting in homes and schoolrooms, the earliest congregants of our founding churches would sing hymns together. With luck, there’d be a piano present, and someone who could bang out the tunes! Children sang in Sunday School and if we can believe the evidence of this historical photo, young people formed bands featuring woodwinds and strings.

1. Youth orchestra apparently from the early 1900s, possibly taken in front of the home of John N. Way, the location of the earliest services of Verdun Methodist Church,which would become Verdun United. The word “Methodist” can be deciphered on the bass drum.

2. Detail of the wooden pipe organ, hand-crafted by Wolf Kater, at SouthWest United Church.
Photo: M. Lipscombe

As soon as our predecessors were able to plan proper church buildings, they gave thought to the musical portion of their services. Verdun United installed a 3-manual pipe organ manufactured by Franklin Legge Organ Co. of Toronto. Crawford Park started out with a Minschall organ in 1952, which was replaced in 1977. In 2010, the amalgamated congregation, now called SouthWest United , replaced it with the hand-crafted wooden organ you see in the sanctuary today.

With these organs came professional organists and choir directors. And oh yes, there have been choirs! Junior and senior choirs; children’s choirs; men’s and women’s choirs; choirs big and small, dressed in robes or street clothes, all making a joyful noise unto the Lord!

3. This photo is labelled Men’s Club Choir, 1954. It appears to have been taken in the basement of our current church, back when the stage jutted out into the hall. Renovations in 1967 left the front of the stage flush with the wall as it remains today. That’s a young Rev. A.E. Jones at the extreme left. He would be called as Minister to Crawford Park from 1955-1957, and then on to Verdun United from 1957-1975.

4. A Choir Party in the Crawford Park hall in 1985. Pictured, left to right: Jean Abbott, Mary McDowall, Hazel Long, Jean Gillebrand, Marg Bowker, Louise Smith, Cliff Gillebrand and Bill Bowker at the piano. Note that the stage, currently in use as our office, was set up as a sort of lounge, with photos of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on the walls.

Ed Chaffey, camping it up in the 1957 Y.A.G. Revue.

United Church people being a fun-loving bunch, some of the music made over the years has not been strictly church music. Part of the joy of having a building is having a hall to be used for dinners, dances and shows.

in the 1950s, Verdun United had a very active Young Adult group, the members of which put a great deal of energy into the annual Y.A.G. Revue. Thanks to the late Ed Chaffey, who was an enthusiastic participant, we have many photos from these shows that featured skits, songs from popular Broadway shows like Oklahoma and South Pacific, and quite a bit of cross-dressing. They were performed on the stage of the VUC hall.

That stage was also the site of an early performance by Gerry Mercer, a Verdun boy who would go on to join the successful Canadian rock band April Wine in the 1970s.

These pictures and many others will be on display in the church as of November 16th as part of the exhibit: 120 Years of the United Church in Verdun.

The caption says Gerry Mercer’s Band. We presume that’s Gerry on drums. This was taken in April 1960, the month Gerry turned 21.

History Project 2

Have you seen these photos before? They belong to a series taken in November 1947 at the laying of the cornerstone of Crawford Park United.  This was at the completion of the lower story of the building. The “superstructure” including the current sanctuary, was completed in 1952.
There was a Salvation Army band present for the ceremony and in one of these pictures, the assembled ministers and dignitaries are clearly singing - a hymn, we presume! Somewhere in the records, it probably says what they sang, but I haven’t found it out yet. Apart from the musicians who are not identified, we know that the gentlemen pictured are (left to right)

Rev. J. I MacKay, United Church Superintendent for Eastern Canada.
Rev. J.C. Downing, who had been appointed Minister of Crawford Park Church the previous summer, and had just moved in to the newly-built manse next door.
Rev. J.K Brown, who had been a Supply Minister for the congregation over the previous four years as they worshipped in the schoolhouse.
Edward Wilson, Mayor of Verdun from 1939-1960, wearing his trademark bowtie.
Rev. R. Purvis-Smith, another of the supply ministers from the schoolhouse years
Mr. G. Tetreault, who is mostly hidden here, is a bit of a mystery. At first I thought he was the bricklayer who appears in the other picture. And there is a masonry company in Verdun today with the name Léo Tetreault. However, there was also an alderman (sort of the equivalent of today’s borough councillors) in the 40s named Gérard Tetreault, so it could be him.
Rev. Morrison, Past Chairman of Montreal-Quebec Presbytery.
Rev. Dewitt Scott, Presbytery Secretary.

The cornerstone can still be seen to the right of the front door of the church. It reads “1947”.

The History Project 1

UPDATE: Thanks to Sandra Allen and others, we think we have all the names! This was a UCW luncheon for senior members given by “junior” members, in December 1995.

Front row: Louise Smith, Myrtle Buchanan, Bunny Craig, Gladys Bush, Mary McDowall(?), Phyllis Dearn (?), Marg Bowker

Back row: Vera Leszkowicz, Agnes Ackerman, Jean Gillebrand, Hazel Long, Jean Gallup, June Pettes, Pauline Anderson, Doris Purcell, Lina Ludlow, Iris Allen.

Here at SouthWest, we have a lot of history! We can trace it all the way back to 1899 with the founding of Verdun Methodist Church. A lot of paperwork was recently sent to the National Archives, but we still have heaps of photos lying around that are not labelled. The image above just says “1995” on the back, but none of the ladies are identified. It was taken in our church hall (Crawford Park United at the time) and the matching corsages suggest the ladies were being honoured for something. With your help, I’m hoping to put names to as many faces as possible. Call or e-mail the office if you can help! 514-768-6231. southwestunited@gmail.com

Also, a few weeks back, along with an interview, I ran a wedding picture of Dorothy and Dennis Brown, with Rev. Jones at Verdun United. It seems that wedding couples were often posed in a similar way as they signed the register. The picture below recently came to light. Can anyone identify the couple? Do you have your own wedding photo to add to the collection? I’d love to hear from you.

Amy

Everything old is new again

Lying somewhat forlornly on a shelf in the church kitchen is this dog-eared, food-splattered volume. Centennial Cooking Specialties was put out by the “Adult Club” of Crawford Park United in 1967. There are recipes in it from men and women for everything from appetizers, to main courses, to desserts to jams and pickles. There are names I recognize among the cooks, like Bennett and O’Reilly, and many others I don’t, Johnny-come-lately that I am.

With my sweet tooth, I turned immediately to the desserts section. As I’ve recently been diagnosed with Celiac disease, I was curious if there would be anything gluten free in there. Was “gluten-free” even a thing in the 60s? Probably not in so many words. Yet lo and behold, the very first dessert in the section, attributed to an “L. Smith” (Louise?) is a sort of custard called Kiss Pudding and guess what, ma? No flour, no gluten! I’m going to try it out this weekend. - Amy

Kiss Pudding

2 c. scalded milk
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
yolks of 3 eggs
3 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 to 1 tsp. vanilla

Scald milk over hot water. Add sugar and cornstarch mixed with a little of the cold milk. Continue cooking over hot water, stir until thickened and cook for 5 minutes more. Then add yolks gradually, cook for about 2 more minutes. Add vanilla. pour into serving dishes.

Topping

Beat whites of 2 eggs til stiff. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar. fold in 1/2 to 1 square of melted chocolate. Spoon onto top of custard. Chill till serving time. Yield: 5 servings.

The Rev. J.G. Joyce: Renaissance Man

Rev. J.G. Joyce in Verdun United Church.

Some in the community may remember the name of Rev. J. G. Joyce - maybe it appears on your marriage or baptismal certificate - but how many know that the minister who led worship at Verdun United in the 30s 40s and early 50s was an accomplished craftsman and a pioneer in radio broadcasting?

Born in Carbonear, Newfoundland in 1889, Joseph Gilbert Joyce attended Mount Allison University in New Brunswick and was ordained by the Methodist Conference at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland in 1917. He went on to Boston University, graduating in 1920 with a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Sacred Theology. Rev. Joyce accepted the position of Minister of Wesley Methodist Church, St. John’s Newfoundland in 1922 where he stayed until 1930. During that time, according to his obituary, he built “the first radio station in St. John’s Nfld.”

Rev. Joyce’s motives were in line with his religious calling. He wanted people living in isolated communities along the Newfoundland coast, as well as some of his own parishioners who were too ill to attend services, to nevertheless be able to hear the message every Sunday. He personally enlisted local tradesmen to put up poles and wires behind the church building and by 1924, radio station 8WMC (later VOWR or Voice of Wesley Radio) went on the air. When Rev. Joyce found that many in his flock were too poor to afford radios, he personally made them crystal radio sets so they could follow the services.

Rev. Joyce was the second minister at Verdun United Church on Woodland. The building was inaugurated by Rev. Isaac Norman in 1931 but in 1933 the congregation called Rev. Joyce who would lead worship there for the next 24 years. Over that period, Verdun was growing by leaps and bounds and so were the churches. Despite the lean years of the Depression and the deprivations of wartime, in 1947 the congregation was justifiably proud to be able to acquit its mortgage. A special service was held to celebrate the occasion, during which Rev. Joyce actually set fire to the mortgage deed! Several representatives of the congregation joined him at the podium, including 10-year-old Marjorie Cooper, representing the Sunday School. Marge Cooper-White is still a member of our congregation, attending outreach services at the Floralies Residence.

Rev. Joyce sets fire to the mortgage deed, surrounded by (L to R): Marjorie Cooper, representing the Sunday School; Mr. Harris Way, Clerk of Session; Mrs. Clement King, oldest living original member (the King family had been there at the founding of the church in 1899); and James Goodwin, representing Church Youth. 1947

A talented craftsman, Rev. Joyce’s lasting bequest to the Verdun community is a stained glass window which he created after retiring from the ministry. Again according to his obit, Dr. Joyce (he gained that title in 1931 after graduating from United Theological College in Montreal) sought out several Italian craftsmen in order to learn about stained glass making. He ordered glass from Europe and seems to have acquired all the skills - cutting, painting, leading, firing - to complete the piece himself. (Some say his wife was more than a little involved in the project as well.) It was presented to the Verdun United congregation which proudly displayed it until the building was sold in 2007. At that point it was moved to SouthWest United where it can still be admired in our entranceway. The original dedication read, “For Pleasant Memories, presented by J.G. Joyce, D Th, Minister 1933-1957.”

Rev. Joyce died in 1959 and is buried with his wife Susan in her home town of Souris, PEI.

Another Blog post having to do with Rev. Joyce can be found here: A Voice From the Second World War

SouthWest Stories: Dennis and Dorothy Brown

“We were introduced by his old girlfriend.”

Dorothy Brown is recalling how she met her husband Dennis, over sixty years ago. They were just kids: fifteen years old. Nevertheless, they have been together ever since.

Both grew up in Verdun, and attended Verdun High (which is currently the Champlain Adult Education Centre). Dorothy attended Verdun United Church as a teen, when her family lived around the corner on Egan. Dennis lived on Claude street until the age of ten, when the family moved to Moffat.

“I thought everybody had rats until I moved to Moffat,” he says. In his early home, “you could hear them running up and down the halls all the time.”

The happy couple, 1962.

Dennis and Dorothy – interestingly, her maiden name is also Brown - were married by Rev. Jones at VUC in 1962.

“I remember the day very well,” Dennis says. “We listened to the Alouettes game in the vestry while we waited for you.”

Dorothy admits to arriving half an hour late for her own wedding despite the short distance she had to walk. “All the neighbours were out in the street,” she says. She had to stop and talk to each one as they admired her dress and wished her well. She was 20 years old; Dennis had turned 21.

Dennis started working at Trans Canada Airlines as a mail boy, but before long had moved into purchasing. He stayed with the company as it became Air Canada, and retired as a Manager after 34 years.

Although Dennis had to travel a lot for his job, he says he rarely got a chance to visit the cities he flew into. “I saw the Eiffel tower out the window of my hotel room.” After he retired, they drove across Canada and visited “cities where I’d only ever been in airports,” Dennis says.

Having worked for an airline, Dennis still gets passes for travel. That helped them afford a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Australia about three years ago. They flew to Sydney, then took a Pacific Ocean cruise with stops in New Zealand, Tahiti and Bora Bora, and ending in Vancouver. A highlight, according to Dennis, was swimming with sharks and stingrays off Mo’orea, an island near Tahiti.

The couple has two daughters, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. The daughters, Carolyn and Lisa, were baptized at VUC, and Dorothy attended with them for a time, but then the family moved to Lasalle and life got busy.

Dorothy worked at the Montreal Star as a clerk for five years when they were first married, then left to become a full-time mom and homemaker. She volunteered at her children’s school in the library and the lunch program, and got involved with the Girl Guides of Canada. She continued volunteering when she became a grandmother, becoming known as the “pizza lady” at their primary school.

Dorothy says it’s when she lost her mother in 1996 that she felt a strong need for a church community again. They decided to give Crawford Park United a try. At the time, Rev. Nerny was leading both the Crawford and Verdun United congregations. Within a few years he would retire and Rev. David (Lefneski) would take over both churches.

By 2005, both churches were in severe financial difficulty. Dennis by this time had taken on the responsibilities of Clerk of Session and was on the Official Board. He recalls two years of meetings, meetings, meetings before the decision was reached to merge the congregations and sell the VUC building, the larger of the two. The stained glass windows now found in the back and sides of the SouthWest sanctuary came from Verdun United. The distinctive wooden pipe organ was built specially using some of the proceeds from the sale. The choice of the name SouthWest signaled a new beginning. Dennis has continued as Clerk of Session and is still on the board – now called Church Council.

Dorothy was never an “official” member of the UCW at Crawford or SouthWest, but over the years, she always seemed to be helping out with church events, whether cooking, setting up or serving. These days, Dorothy is in charge of the church kitchen. She is hoping to bring back a once-a-month meal at the church, and maybe a Holly Tea during the Christmas season. She coordinates the Bingo that is on a break for the summer, but will be back in the fall on the first Saturday of each month.

Dorothy is not shy to say more help is needed. The congregation is getting smaller and people have less energy. She also recognizes that some may not have been made to feel welcome in the past when they tried to volunteer. Today she says, “If someone wants to help, I say, ‘pick up a cloth’! I’m never going to say no,” adding, “I also think saying thank you is important.”

Pieces of history

This pamphlet was discovered among some old Verdun United files. Featuring songs from O Canada to Oh! Susannah, it’s barely bigger than a cheque book. Sponsored by Tooke Brothers manufacturing, which used to be on de Courcelle Street, it also features ads for some of their products. Whenever it was published (1950s?) you could get a dress shirt or a pair of tailored pyjamas for $4.95! Anybody remember using this for singalongs? Contact the office if you have memories to share.

Living history: stained glass windows

In the story of crossing the Jordan river into the promised land, each tribe was to bring a stone out of the riverbed and place it on the opposite bank.  These stones would stand as a reminder to future generations of how God had brought the people from slavery into a new homeland. Joshua said to the leaders of the twelve tribes, When your children ask what these stones mean tell them the story. (Joshua 4:1-7).
A few weeks ago Jim and Jane visited SouthWest during worship. Jim shared a few words about the importance of certain stained glass windows in the sanctuary and their dedication to his grandmother. These are words he sent as a witness to their importance.

In this very place on July 6th, 1963, my mother, Donna Hill, and her husband, Jim Hughes were married. Watching from the first pew were my mother's parents, Donald and Ruby Hill, who were part of the Crawford Park United community for decades. My grandmother passed away in 1966. In her honour and to her memory, Donald commissioned the design and manufacture  of the three stained glass windows that have lived in the church ever since. My wife, Jane, and I are so pleased to be part of today's service and thank you for your kind and generous welcome to Southwest!

Jim Hughes Junior