As you would know if you read my previous posting, my grandma's family settled in Battleford (seeing as great-grandpa and great-grandma were both at Fort Battleford together).
Very brief version of family history: my 10th great grandfather, Jean le Prince came to Canada in 1660 (from France, in case you couldn't tell). The English kicked the Acadian French off their lands because the English were jerks (shakes fist in general direction of England), but our direct ancestors were slippery folk who did not return to France, but instead resettled elsewhere in Canada, eventually migrating towards the Red River settlements in Manitoba, and from there to Battleford, Saskatchewan.
Great-grandpa and great-grandma met in Battleford, and that is where my grandmother and her family grew up. So, not surprisingly, great-grandpa and great-grandma and a good chunk of the extended family are also buried in Battleford Cemetery.
As we were about to leave town, one of us (not sure who) suggested that we should go visit the cemetery, since we were already here in Battleford. Great idea! I tried to enter the location into my GPS, which declined to help out. But, as I had visited the cemetery before, I knew that it was on the way to Lloydminster, and so I headed that way. Fortunately, I had been there before, because the signage was sadly lacking. However, I spied some gravestones on a hill when driving, and found the unmarked gravel road that leads to the cemetery. Nevertheless, signs would be nice!
Okay, we're here; now the tricky part is finding the grave. It has been 15 or 20 years since I was last here. I drive along the gravel roads, but the surrounding area doesn't feel right. Mom says that she thought the family plot was overlooking the riverbank, and I agree. (Great-grandpa and great-grandma got here early and staked out the good spots.)
I drive back to the entrance, and there's a faint tire track trail leading through the grasses on the inner perimeter of the cemetery. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to drive on it or not, but it's really hot out (pushing 30C), and I don't feel like walking, so I drive on down the grassy lane. I stop near the riverbank, looking north - great view! - and yes, this is familiar. Except none of the headstones look right. I remember that it was a big plot, with a large black and gray marble stone - not a little stone on the ground, but a big upright slab. I am visually scanning the big tall headstones, but none of them are right.
Monica and I get out to look around, and start scouting out graves. Mom and Joe wait in the car (don't worry, all the windows are rolled all the way down - I don't want to kill anyone, even if a cemetery is a particularly convenient spot for that).
We wander hither, and we wander yon. I return to yonder car, while Monica sojourns further, and I drive a little further along the hillside. Get out and look around, hop back in the car, drive a little further - get out and look around, hop back in car - repeat.
I eventually run out of cemetery. I have now driven all the way around the northern edge of the cemetery along the riverbank. And I would have sworn that their graves should be located in this area, and yet we can't find them. How peculiar.
Monica has traversed the entire graveyard on foot, and is waving at me. So I jog the half-mile to join here, and voila! Here are the Princes, and all the families of St. Vital's Parish. The big black marble headstone is located on an exterior stretch, with the highway in the background, not the river. How could I have been so confused? I don't even know. Nevertheless, I jog the half-mile back to my car, drive all the way back around (because I can't get through any other way), then follow the gravel roadway to their grave, and all of us wander over to view the graves. Mom is as puzzled as I am at our obviously faulty memories.
A groundskeeper who has been mowing the grass walks over - maybe he's been watching us running back and forth through the whole damn cemetery. He wants to know if we've found who we're looking for? Turns out that the graves were relocated from the north end of the cemetery when the riverbank began to slump about five years ago. Apparently the ground dropped about 2 ft, so it was all going to go. They moved the RCMP officers first, then the rest of the families, who are now located on the east and west ends of the cemetery.
The moment has come. The moment I have been waiting all my life for (although I never knew it until now). It's time to say it. It NEEDS to be said. "You moved the cemetery, but you left the bodies, didn't you?! You left the bodies and you only moved the headstones! YOU ONLY MOVED THE HEADSTONES! WHY?! WHY?!"
Okay, so I didn't scream that at the friendly groundskeeper. I thought it in my head, and then I went over to Monica, and I quoted the lines under my breath. Not quite as dramatic, but still - I got to say it in real life.
🙂
Anyway, the mystery is solved, our relatives are found, and as far as we can tell, everyone is still resting in peace. The backdrop isn't quite as nice, but I guess it beats having your bones spill out all over the riverbank.
We all agreed that the cemetery was definitely a worthwhile stop. 🙂
Thank you, Battleford - it's been an interesting day!
Very brief version of family history: my 10th great grandfather, Jean le Prince came to Canada in 1660 (from France, in case you couldn't tell). The English kicked the Acadian French off their lands because the English were jerks (shakes fist in general direction of England), but our direct ancestors were slippery folk who did not return to France, but instead resettled elsewhere in Canada, eventually migrating towards the Red River settlements in Manitoba, and from there to Battleford, Saskatchewan.
Great-grandpa and great-grandma met in Battleford, and that is where my grandmother and her family grew up. So, not surprisingly, great-grandpa and great-grandma and a good chunk of the extended family are also buried in Battleford Cemetery.
As we were about to leave town, one of us (not sure who) suggested that we should go visit the cemetery, since we were already here in Battleford. Great idea! I tried to enter the location into my GPS, which declined to help out. But, as I had visited the cemetery before, I knew that it was on the way to Lloydminster, and so I headed that way. Fortunately, I had been there before, because the signage was sadly lacking. However, I spied some gravestones on a hill when driving, and found the unmarked gravel road that leads to the cemetery. Nevertheless, signs would be nice!
Okay, we're here; now the tricky part is finding the grave. It has been 15 or 20 years since I was last here. I drive along the gravel roads, but the surrounding area doesn't feel right. Mom says that she thought the family plot was overlooking the riverbank, and I agree. (Great-grandpa and great-grandma got here early and staked out the good spots.)
I drive back to the entrance, and there's a faint tire track trail leading through the grasses on the inner perimeter of the cemetery. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to drive on it or not, but it's really hot out (pushing 30C), and I don't feel like walking, so I drive on down the grassy lane. I stop near the riverbank, looking north - great view! - and yes, this is familiar. Except none of the headstones look right. I remember that it was a big plot, with a large black and gray marble stone - not a little stone on the ground, but a big upright slab. I am visually scanning the big tall headstones, but none of them are right.
Monica and I get out to look around, and start scouting out graves. Mom and Joe wait in the car (don't worry, all the windows are rolled all the way down - I don't want to kill anyone, even if a cemetery is a particularly convenient spot for that).
We wander hither, and we wander yon. I return to yonder car, while Monica sojourns further, and I drive a little further along the hillside. Get out and look around, hop back in the car, drive a little further - get out and look around, hop back in car - repeat.
I eventually run out of cemetery. I have now driven all the way around the northern edge of the cemetery along the riverbank. And I would have sworn that their graves should be located in this area, and yet we can't find them. How peculiar.
Monica has traversed the entire graveyard on foot, and is waving at me. So I jog the half-mile to join here, and voila! Here are the Princes, and all the families of St. Vital's Parish. The big black marble headstone is located on an exterior stretch, with the highway in the background, not the river. How could I have been so confused? I don't even know. Nevertheless, I jog the half-mile back to my car, drive all the way back around (because I can't get through any other way), then follow the gravel roadway to their grave, and all of us wander over to view the graves. Mom is as puzzled as I am at our obviously faulty memories.
A groundskeeper who has been mowing the grass walks over - maybe he's been watching us running back and forth through the whole damn cemetery. He wants to know if we've found who we're looking for? Turns out that the graves were relocated from the north end of the cemetery when the riverbank began to slump about five years ago. Apparently the ground dropped about 2 ft, so it was all going to go. They moved the RCMP officers first, then the rest of the families, who are now located on the east and west ends of the cemetery.
The moment has come. The moment I have been waiting all my life for (although I never knew it until now). It's time to say it. It NEEDS to be said. "You moved the cemetery, but you left the bodies, didn't you?! You left the bodies and you only moved the headstones! YOU ONLY MOVED THE HEADSTONES! WHY?! WHY?!"
Okay, so I didn't scream that at the friendly groundskeeper. I thought it in my head, and then I went over to Monica, and I quoted the lines under my breath. Not quite as dramatic, but still - I got to say it in real life.
🙂
Anyway, the mystery is solved, our relatives are found, and as far as we can tell, everyone is still resting in peace. The backdrop isn't quite as nice, but I guess it beats having your bones spill out all over the riverbank.
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Thank you, Battleford - it's been an interesting day!
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