Thursday, July 2, 2015

3 Owners in 150 Years at the Homestead

     Since 1860 there have been only been three owners of the Jeffery Homestead on the Centerline Road, Alma, PEI.
     First was the man who established the homestead, Stephen Emmanuel Jeffery (1830-1911), pictured below with his third wife, Jane Collicutt (1842-1914) of Lot 7, PEI.  They were married in July 1868 and raised ten sons (four from first marriage) and two daughters at this homestead.   
     Stephen's first wife, Maria Fields died in childbirth with their daughter in 1865 or 1866.  Also, Stephen's second wife Mary Ann Lewis is thought to have died in childbirth in 1867.
     Stephen was a blacksmith and farmer and a great church man - being the first warden of Holy Trinity Anglican church in Alma.
     The second owners were David Jeffery ( 1881-1963), son of Stephen & Jane and his wife Bessie Nichols (1884-1972) of Berwick, NS.  The photo below was taken on their Wedding day January 1, 1919.  David farmed and Bessie taught music lessons.  They had no children.  Bessie played the organ at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Alma.   In the early 1920's David and Bessie had a major renovation done to the farmhouse which included building a kitchen wing and large verandah - the local carpenter was Bruno Peters.
     The third owners are Wilbert Jeffery (1930- ) and his wife Verna McDowell (1940- ) of Knutsford, PEI.  Wilbert and Verna raised five sons and two daughters here.  Wilbert is the grandson of David's brother Abram.  In the 1950's when David was getting older, Wilbert would help him with some of his farming.  Following David's death on January 28, 1963 Wilbert and Verna bought the farm from Bessie.  
     In 1972 Wilbert and Verna had a major renovation, including a bathroom, done to the homestead to accommodate their seven children.  Wilbert and Verna's farming operation consisted of dairy and beef cattle and potato and grain crops.  
     In 1993 they retired from dairy and potatoes and spent the next twenty years on the farm until they moved in 2013 to an apartment in Alberton.  They continue to have a large vegetable garden at the homestead.


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