St. George woman persevered
Published Monday March 1st, 2010
Derwin Gowan
Telegraph-Journal
LETANG - Beatrice McVicar's youngest daughter needed her, Jackie
McVicar-Ferguson said at her mother's funeral mass Friday.
Cindy McVicar was just 20 when died in a house fire in 1987, Cindy's sister
Jackie explained in an interview.
"Her other nine children have been blessed and honoured to have her with them
since then, and always, but Cindy has been missing her for so long," she said in
the eulogy at St. George Roman Catholic Church.
"And now she can finally join her in Heaven in a good old game of backgammon or
maybe a hand of crazy eights."
Beatrice Lillian (MacVicar) McVicar, who died at home Feb. 23 at 84, relied on a
deep religious faith to survive difficult times in a full life, McVicar-Ferguson
said.
She was born July 26, 1925 a daughter of the late O. Leroy and Ethel (Simpson)
MacVicar of L'Etete. Before she started Grade 10 the family moved to St. George
while her father served in the war.
She completed high school in St. George, then went to teacher's college in
Fredericton. She taught school at Taylor Lake, Bains Corner and South Musquash
where at 20 she met and fell in love with Arthur H. McVicar.
They married on May 10, 1947, two months before her 22nd birthday. They settled
in Letang, where they raised 10 children.
She grew up in a Presbyterian family which, in that day, caused trouble when she
married a Roman Catholic. "It was hard back then, you know, because her Dad
wouldn't go to the wedding," her daughter Jackie said in the interview.
Beatrice's parents learned to accept their son-in-law, McVicar-Ferguson said.
The marriage lasted.
"Every day she cooked. My dad worked in the woods and stuff," she said. Besides
cutting wood Arthur McVicar tended a herring weir which he owned, worked for the
Town of St. George and did other tasks while his wife took care of the home.
"We've been through a lot in our family, and my mom especially," McVicar-Ferguson
said. Besides her husband and daughter, Beatrice McVicar lost a brother, four
grandchildren and a son-in-law.
She might have returned to teaching once her children grew up but did not want
to go to university to upgrade her certification, her daughter said. However, at
50 she studied dressmaking at the New Brunswick Community College in St.
Andrews.
"Bea was known as a lifelong teacher, not only to her students but also to her
children and grandchildren," the formal death notice states.
"She was Mom, or Ma or Grammie to at least 20 other kids and she adopted them
all," McVicar-Ferguson said.
She cared for Arthur 11 years after a stroke on his right side. He died in 1991.
"Then she started to live her life," McVicar-Ferguson said. "She loved Cape Cod.
She visited the witch museum in Salem, Mass., and has been to New Hampshire to
visit not only a granddaughter, but also the White Mountains several times.
"And she was a world class baker, with her apple crisp and pie crust being known
around the whole area," McVicar-Ferguson said.
She remembers the board on which her mother made pie crusts, developing ruts
from the rolling pin going back and forth year after year.
For the last five years of her life she lived with her daughter Mary at Letang.
She developed Alzheimer's disease but never completely lost her memory. She
still liked to help cook.
"As long as we pointed her in the right direction," McVicar-Ferguson said. "A
lot of times she would just sit and watch." Or, ask to help. Someone would hand
her the spoon to stir.
The grandchildren will tell stories of this woman for years, her daughter said
in the eulogy. "As the kids would say, 'Grammie's Awesome!' and we all agree."