It is Saturday, 7 July 2012, a balmy 26°C (78.8°F) day without a cloud in the blue, blue sky and I am going cemetery hunting. First, second layer of sunscreen (following the first layer for gardening) and finish packing the cemetery kit: camera, gloves, water, rural municipality map, pencils, erasers, clipboard with graph paper, loose-leaf paper, and transcription forms. Second, load myself and dog into car and away we go!
Up north to the Mayview district, our first search is for Holbein's wayward cemetery at SE 16-53-2-3, up near the provincial park and R.M. border.
Strike one!
I did not engage in a serious search and the dog and I only walked the south edge and saw mostly trees and canola. The south west corner of the quarter section had an interesting spot of concrete rubble slabs and such but I am thinking there was a building there that has since been pushed down.
Onto the second cemetery still in the Mayview, Mayview Cemetery at NE 33-52-2-3.
Success!
The cemetery of the Roman Catholic Mission of Sacred Heart is a lovely little graveyard that took me only the morning to sketch out a map and photograph. It was last catalogued by the Prince Albert branch of the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society in 2009, so the information I gathered to add to to the database was minor, increasing the record of burials from sixty-two to sixty-six residents.
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| Mayview Cemetery 7 July 2012 |
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| Sketched map of Mayview Cemetery, top is north, right is east, bottom is south, left is west. |
This is a very social cemetery, with everyone looking at everyone else as the graves face inward: thus the graves on the east face west, the south face north, and the west face east. First time I've come across such a layout in a country cemetery. That also presented a bit of a challenge with photographing because of the sunlight as it moved across the sky. I did get some of the shadows I cast in later shots, but no toes (I think) and no dog although she certainly tried to be included on occasion.
Third cemetery down south-west from Maview in the Cookson district, St. Nicholas Anglican at SW 1-53-3-W.
Strike two!
Prince Albert branch of the SGS does not have that one catalogued but I did get to see the old heart of Cookson and am becoming more familiar with the R.M.
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| A Tribute to the Pioneers of the Cookson District - 7 July 2012 |
Moving onto the fourth cemetery in the Sturgeon River district, south of Cookson, the community Sturgeon River Cemetery at SE16-52-3-W3.
Strike four!
For this cemetery I was absolutely certain that I was on the wrong road—twice on that road!—but I just could not for the life of me get onto the right one. I did find the old Sugar Hills school though and upon my return home, and conferring with Dad leaning the fair weather roads of the area better, that Sugar Hills was west on the same road as the cemetery so next time I shall find it. I shall!
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| Sugar Hills School No. 4251 - 7 July 2012 (and the dog did get in the pic) |
| Cemetery name | Owner/ Operator | Location | First Burial | Last Burial | Total Burials | Recorded |
| Holbein | Religious Org | SE16-53-2-W3 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Holbein - Mayview | Religious Org | NE33-52-2-W3 | 1939 | 2008 | 62 | 2009 |
| Shellbrook - St. Nicholas | Unknown | SW1-53-3-W3 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Shellbrook - Sturgeon River | Community | SE16-52-3-W3 | 1933 | 2007 | 105 | 2009 |
and thus I am wondering about those two cemeteries.
So for now, I still have recording to finish up, three cemeteries to investigate, some districts to learn more of, and more hot days of fun ahead!
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