The Yorkton branch of the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society will be holding their next meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the Yorkton Public Library. Anyone interested in the subject of genealogy is welcome to attend, no matter what stage you are at in your research. Everyone is welcome!
As you drive anywhere in Saskatchewan, you often see small country cemeteries. Sadly, some have fallen into neglect, and are quietly going back to the rustling prairie grass and the whisper of poplar trees among the markers. But many are beautifully kept, and are well worth stopping to see, whether you know anyone in the area or not. They are a testament to the determination of the people who went before and faced so many hardships and tribulations. Some stones have a story in just a few words, telling of a young man who died leaving behind a young family, or a young woman dying in childbirth, or, most heartbreaking of all, of little children who died far too soon from influenza or scarlet fever. Seeing their stones makes them suddenly seem like real people who once worked and loved and laughed and wept and were a vital part of Saskatchewan’s history.
These little country cemeteries often still hold praznyks, a celebration of the feast day of the patron saint of the parish, and grave blessing, remembering and offering prayers for the loved ones buried there. In preparation for the praznyk, the churches are cleaned and made ready, and the cemeteries are weeded and mowed. Often, the groups of wonderful people who do all this work get smaller as the years go by, and they should be commended for their hard work and respectful care of these final resting places of so many pioneers.
Those who currently care for these little cemeteries, and those who will be caring for them in the future, may be interested in guides available through the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society. Log on to www.saskgenealogy.com and click on the “cemetery” tab. Here is what the site says about these guides: “The Saskatchewan Genealogical Society along with the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority as pleased to present two cemetery care and maintenance guides: the Saskatchewan Historic Cemetery Preservation Guide and the Operating Your Small Cemetery, A Primer for Saskatchewan Cemeterians. These guides provide information and guidance for the establishment, maintenance, care and repair of headstones, cemetery grounds, as well as the management of cemeteries.”
The site also has the Burial Index, which now has 117,000 names and 320 new cemeteries added. This may give more information to your genealogy research.
With Remembrance Day just a few weeks away, you might be interested in attending “A Twist in Time, a look back on history” with Leo Saccary on October 27, 2015 at the SGS office in Regina. “In 2014, Leo Saccary’s high school and community leadership made him the first ever Saskatchewan recipient of the Vimy Foundation Pilgrimage award… The Vimy Foundation created the award to honor exceptional Canadian youth who have served their peers, schools, communities, province or country.” This event is at the Regina branch of the SGS, 1514 - 11th Avenue at S. John Street, three blocks east of Broad.
Every family has a story: discover yours with the Yorkton branch of the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society!
