Committee seeks relatives of deceased

The Cemetery Improvement Committee is trying to track down relatives of those buried in the Maple Creek Cemetery whose graves are requiring attention.

The volunteers have worked their way through the cemetery section-by-section and compiled a list of headstones and grave covers that are in need of repairs. They are now seeking out relatives of the deceased.

“We’ve had some success from contacting folks… but we’re still trying to locate the families of some of the older ones,” explained Barry Elderkin, who is on the Cemetery Improvement Committee. “So we decided to go public, because there are a few people in town that have connections.”

The committee is seeking the relatives of Sophia Roth, Margaret and John Edwards, John Esslinger, David Hoffman, Edward and Jessie Waller, Edward Atkinson, Anna Evers, Robert Johnstone, Wayne Schulze, Nick Zacaruk, John Ferguson, John, Frances and Edna Howe, Max, Charles and Jessie Henderson, Edmond and Lelia Lapointe, George and Fanny Colville.

In some cases, the Heritage Advisory Committee has become involved where graves are of historical significance.

Broken pieces from headstones, railings and other items that have been found are catalogued and stored until family members can be located and notified.

“It isn’t really the town’s responsibility to repair it, but at least if we have it catalogued and know where it came from, in the future if somebody decides there’s cash to fix this sort of thing, then we have the pieces and we know where they came from,” Elderkin said.

Communities in Bloom is also involved in some of the work being done at the cemetery.      Continued on  page 2

Continued from  page 1

While cemetery clean up days have been organized in the past, very few people have come out to assist. Instead, the cemetery caretaker was hired to start work earlier this year.

“He left it in good condition last year… but if people want they can still go and do their relatives’ site and clean it up,” Elderkin said.

Other cemetery projects completed in the last year include the addition of a new maintenance building and a new water line.

This year, the committee continues to work on expanding the cemetery grounds.

“We do have quite an inventory there still, but we’re trying to be proactive,” Elderkin said.

The cemetery owns the land stretching south of it, and it is being sprayed to kill the invasive baby’s breath and weeds. Once cleared, the land will be surveyed. It is expected to be ready to use within the next five years.

Anyone who is related to any of the deceased whose graves are requiring attention, or anyone who knows how to get in contact with a relative of one of the deceased is asked to contact the town office at 306-662-2244.

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