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"Lighthouse Willie", as he was affectionately known as, would have been proud to see so many MacDonalds at one celebration.
The celebration was, in fact, a reunion of descendents of first lighthouse keeper of the West Point Lighthouse on Canada's Prince Edward Island. His real name was William Anderson MacDonald and he along with his wife, Mariah Dyment, were the first couple to live at the historic old beacon built in 1875.
The reunion drew 94 descendents of the early light keepers, from as far away as Illinois and British Columbia. They ranged in age from four weeks to 94 years.
"I'd love to live here" said Joanne, daughter of Kent and Muriel MacLean. "It's so relaxing, I love the red sand." And she planned on taking some home with her.
The reunion was planned by Carol Livingstone, who is also the driving force behind the West Point Lighthouse, which is now a beautiful inn, open to the public.
Carol said a large number of the descendents had Mariah Dyment's red hair, while others had a strong resemblance to "Lighthouse Willie," who was described as a 'stalwart Scot.'
This story appeared in the October 1997 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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