Lycan Family Graveyard Found!

I have been taking time here and there to research further into the most interesting burial ground that I am aware of in the region, the Lycan graves on their family homestead. I first became aware of these graves back in 2008 when I began my cemetery research and found them noted on the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society Cemetery Index. Further investigation in a community history book, Our History of Memories, revealed a short biography of the family¹ that offered up more tantalising clues.

• John filed on his homestead NE 32-50-2-W3 on 16 October 1906; on the farm for a short time before dying of cancer.
• John's son Winn, daughter-in-law Florence and baby granddaughter Gertrude all died of tuberculosis and are all buried on the homestead.

Later perusal of the history book's Sturgeon Valley's Pictures section really got me excited with the discovery of a photograph of the shared tombstone of Florence and Gertrude with the caption "One of the five Lycan graves located on their homestead (N.E. 32-50-2-W3)".² The photo was not clear enough to read the marker with great confidence but I could make guesses. Another scan through at another time of the pictorial section and I realized there was a copy of a court document regarding John's wife Flora taking control of John's estate and that it stated his death date.³ Each clue further contributed to the whole picture.

• John F. Lycan died of cancer, 25 June 1907
• Florence M. (--?--) Lycan died of tuberculosis, 19? May 1908
• Gertrude Lycan died of tuberculosis, 24? April 1910
• Winn Lycan died of tuberculosis

I also viewed and located some of the late John Lycan's family in the 1916 Census of the Prairie Provinces⁴, a special census for the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Widow Flora was living with her eldest son, Frank, Florance's widower, who had remarried. At the time of the 1916 census Frank and his new wife had one son and according to the history book, they would have three sons before separating.

I had starred the homestead location on the R.M. map in the beginning of my research but did not think much of it until this afternoon when I re-confirmed the location and viewed it via Google Maps satellite view. Locating the closest landmark I counted quarter sections until locating the presumable homestead quarter section.


Google Maps satellite view of the area in question, 9 December Dec 2011.⁵

The satellite view was not very promising, mostly cultivated field with a forested drainage gully and no evidence of old roads or homestead. I worried that if it was the correct location, the homestead had been in close proximity or within the now forested areas and it would take time to search a quarter section and I would be very fortunate to locate the graves considering I had no idea where exactly they were. But I was happy to solidify in my mind the area where I suspected the homestead to be.

But driving home this afternoon after work, due to a drizzle of rain in the town of Shellbrook over the snow we got in early November I elected to drive home via Foxdale route which has more gravel than the predominant pavement route of Holbein. On route home I came to an area where the road curved north and I figured, that as it is impossible to get lost on grid roads, I would take a road I never had and instead of curving north would continue straight east. Eventually I came to the area where I suspected the Lycan homestead to be and thought "Wait a minute, there is a very odd copse in that field."

Odd copse in NE 32-50-2-W3, 9 December 2011.⁶

Farmers do not leave wooded copse in their fields without really good reasons so I stopped the car, hopped out, and tromped across the snowy stubble to the bluff. The closer I got the more excited I became, hoping, hoping here were the Lycan's. As I got closer I even thought at one moment—ah! that might be one—took a few more steps and went—pah! discarded farm machinery—a few more steps and—eek! it is a tombstone!

Southeast view of Lycan graves, 9 December 2011.⁶

Northeast view of Lycan graves, 9 December 2011.⁶

Happy jiggle inside! I had found the Lycans! John, Winn, Florance, and Gertrude where all there with lovely, sturdy stones in the dying light of the afternoon sun. I half circled the buff, took pictures of the two similar tombstones, Florance with Gertrude and John with Winn and bounced back to the car with plans to return in the spring and summer for more pictures, look for carver mark, etc. and to do some tidying work.

Inscription detail of Florence and Gertrude tombstone, 9 December 2011.⁶

Inscription detail of John and Winn tombstone, 9 December 2011.⁶

I was so excited that when I got home I just had to share my discovery with someone and as no one of my family was home, I bounced over to the neighbours to share it with them! After a two hour visit I returned home and got to work on this post and as I worked on it realized that the history book caption says "five Lycan graves"! What, five Lycans? Who am I missing? Did I miss a tombstone in the grass and dead-fall during my visit?

I guess I shall have to go back very soon to find out!

Sources:
[1] Coles, Cathy, ed. "Lycan Family, John." Our Harvest of Memories: Foxdale, Sturgeon Valley, Silver Cliff, Three Creeks, Rayside, Rich Valley. Shellbrook: Shell River North Book Committee, 1983. p. 55. Print.
[2] Coles, Cathy, ed. "Sturgeon Valley: Pictures." [Lycan tombstone picture.] Our Harvest of Memories: Foxdale, Sturgeon Valley, Silver Cliff, Three Creeks, Rayside, Rich Valley. Shellbrook: Shell River North Book Committee, 1983. p. 608. Print.
[3] Coles, Cathy, ed. "Sturgeon Valley: Pictures." [Lycan court document.] Our Harvest of Memories: Foxdale, Sturgeon Valley, Silver Cliff, Three Creeks, Rayside, Rich Valley. Shellbrook: Shell River North Book Committee, 1983. p. 613. Print.
[4] Library and Archives Canada. Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1916. Digital image online.. (http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/census-1916/index-e.html : accessed November 2011.)
[5]"Screen capture." Google Maps, Europs Technologies. (http://maps.google.com/ : 9 December 2011.)
[6] Lycan Family Graveyard (Lycan Family Graveyard, R.M. of Shellbrook no. 493, Saskatchewan, Canada; in NE Section 32, Township 50, Range 3, West of the 3rd Meridian), Lycan family graveyard and grave markers, photographed by Alanna Carswell, December 2011.