Sometimes I feel like Andrew and I have already visited all the public cemeteries in our area. Wait. No. Actually only Andrew feels like that. I contest this.
Although it has caused me to look a little further, outside the boundaries of the East Reserve/Hanover. And in this endeavour, the Historical Atlas of the East Reserve doesn’t let me down.
At the back of the book is a section entitled “Settlement Beyond ER Boundaries”. It is here that I found the location of a humble little cemetery simply referred to as “Kehler, Peters”. I directed Andrew to this location, and here is what we found. Just two stones.
According to the Atlas, this area was maybe kind of referred to as Hoffnungsfeld or Reinland/Whitla. This spot was kind of between these areas. Also of note is its nearness to the Oak Island Settlement, which I’m very curious about and know nothing about… but I’m pretty sure it was a Metis settlement. Not sure why I’m so sure of this, it’s just what I think.
Hhere at the Kehler/Peters cemetery, the badgers have been hard at work:
I feel like whomever lived here had probably attended the Hoffnungsfeld School, because according to the map on page 238, it was closer than the Reinland School. Apparently the Hoffnungsfeld School was established in 1912, but I don’t know much about it beyond that.
I don’t know anything about this Kehler and Peters, but I appreciate that the site is being maintained and respected.
Another post about Mennonites settling just outside the East Reserve boundaries: