The Concordia Cemeteries are associated with the Concordia Lutheran Church near Ordale, Saskatchewan. This is the first of two cemeteries and is known as Concordia (North) Cemetery and is the original site of the church.
Many of the graves here still have concrete grave covers.
Similar but not the same...
...two marble headstones from 1913.
The dark areas in this photo are a low-growing juniper that turn blue-green in the summer. Junipers also smell heady and fresh. If you've ever smelled gin, you've smelled juniper.
South Concordia Cemetery is the second cemetery of the church. The north and east sides are heavily treed.
Even though this is the "new" cemetery there are several "old" headstones.
A yellow stubble field seen just outside the fence.
A child's headstone in rare dark-coloured marble from 1957.
The eastern-most part of the cemetery where the trees and shrubs are at the foot of some graves.
The church mentioned above was eventually moved from its original location to a spot nearly midway between the two cemeteries. You can see the church here: Concordia Lutheran Church
Photographed near on October 25, 2019.
My cousins and I photographed and documented the south cemetery. My grandmother Adelaide Olson is buried there. We have been searching for my great grandparents graves in the area with no luck. There are about 22 cemeteries in the Canwood municipality.
ReplyDeleteThere are "so" many country cemeteries in the prairies. Best of luck finding your great grandparents. My maternal great grandparents would be buried somewhere in Ukraine and paternal in Sweden.
DeleteMy brother just informed me that my paternal great grandparents are buried in Minnesota. I'd love to see their resting places so maybe when international travel is once again encouraged I can make a long road trip there.
DeleteConcrete grave covers are pretty common in Sask. Some of them have been removed for ease of grounds maintenance which was done in Laird, Sask for instance.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Midale, Saskatchewan where grave covers were very popular at the Westphalia Cemetery just north of town. They have all since been removed because many of them started to crack and fall into the graves below.
DeleteConcrete grave covers - that's a new one, at least to me anyway. I've never seen one here,but that's not to say they don't exist.
ReplyDeleteConcrete grave covers were quite popular in the prairies at one time but, as far as I know, are no longer used. I have seen a number of newer grave covers that are solid granite slabs though.
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