Sarah Nona "Nonie" Beck

1883 - 1963  (79 years)

• Name	Sarah Nona "Nonie" Beck
  Born	29 Jun 1883	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 2]
  Gender	Female
  Name	Sarah Nona "Nonie" Pryce
  Residence	1891	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Lutheran
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-374077
  Died	1963	Blair (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Buried	Blair Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Person ID	I374077	Generations
  Last Modified	28 Jan 2025

  
  

  Father	Charles Frederick Beck,   b. 15 Feb 1850, Doon (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 29 Dec 1943, Blair (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 93 years)
  Mother	Sarah Ellen Barber,   b. Feb 1855, , Wales, United Kingdom ,   d. 29 Dec 1921  (Age ~ 66 years)
  Married	1 Nov 1876	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Family ID	F13631	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Samuel Herbert March Pryce,   b. 7 Nov 1873, Corwen, , Merioneth, Wales ,   d. 25 Aug 1954, Blair (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 80 years)
  Last Modified	29 Jan 2025
  Family ID	F58824	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  BLAIR SUPPLIED PRESTON WITH HYDRO, ELECTRIC POWER BY Nonie Beck Pryce James Fenwick owned and operated the first electric light plant in Preston in 1891. Records in the Town Treasurer's office show that the first account in Preston's books was registered in 1891 when they paid $407,00 for street lighting. There were power shortages and the burden fell on the shoulders of the owner. Mr. Fenwick first operated his steam plant and dynamo in Harry Hamacher's Carriage Shop on King Street. The street lights were turned off at twelve o 'clock. I believe that on moonlight nights they did not come on. A steam plant was expensive and waterpower was much cheaper so the plant was moved to Blair on the property of Charles Beck. There was a big stone building on this property which had first been a tannery, run by Bechtels, then a distillery owned by Thomas Reed. Even in those days there were dry speels, and the water power had to be supplemented with steam generated power. In winter storms raged bringing down poles and wires. A Privately owned plant had lots of trouble. Collections were made from customers every Monday morning. While in Blair an opposition plant was started by John Shearer, chiefly supplying light for homes. After a number of years Mr. Fenwick moved back to Preston, renting a room and steam power from Clare Bros. In 1910 Preston built a municipal plant and agreed to take 600 horsepower from Hydro, Community" dances were blacked out at midnight unless arrangements were made to have the power left on, then a fee of a dollar an hour was charged. Grand River Womens' Institute

  
  

• Sources

  [S2560] aaaWaterloo Township South 1891, Sect. 1 Page 13. [S34] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Blair CC#4501 Internet Link. Pryce/ in loving memory of/ S. Herbert/ born in Wales/ 1873 / died in Blair/ 1954/ / his wife/ N.S. Beck/ died in Blair/ 1963 [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 9 Nov 1876. 01 Nov 1876 By Pastor Wurster in Preston, Charles F. Beck of Doon was married to Sarah E. Barber of Puslinch.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 29 Jun 1883 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Lutheran - 1891 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 1963 - Blair (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Blair Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth