The Kelwood cemetery is a beautiful place with lovely shade trees and masses of blooms all summer long. It is indeed a great credit to those early pioneers who did the planning.

The first meeting was called to form a committee on Sept 28, 1897, to select a burial ground. Until then all were buried at Arden or Neepawa, the nearest cemeteries. Mr. Albert Mabley, Mr. Hearn Sr. and Mr. M. P. Peterson called this meeting. Lots were purchased on what vas then the Gus Woods homestead and thus the Kelwood Cemetery began.

A great deal of work had to be done to make it the beauty spot it is today. This was solid oak trees which had to be cut and the stumps taken out by hand. The women would bring the lunch and work along with the men all day. Some of the early pioneers who helped were the Cawstons, Mableys, Smiths, McNarlands, Gus Woods, and O. D. Pooles.

There wasn't any caretaker for many years and a great deal of credit is due the late Mr. J. Neill and "Uncle Sam" Adamson (as he was fondly known) who for many years cut the grass with a scythe.

In 1936, a cemetery committee was formed with 5 members from the Churches and the lodges. In 1939, several bees were organized to haul gravel and sod for the paths. Thirty-nine loads were hauled and forty-nine men worked spreading the gravel and all work was done free.

There was no paid caretaker for many years and bees were formed to cut the grass and deep it tidy. The first paid caretaker was the late Reg Worsey. Other caretakers since have been Mr. Gower, Jim Brodie, Mr. E. Roy Smith and at present AI Woods.

In 1942, a committee of three, Cliff Ennis, Lyle Wilson, and Menzie Whitelockformed a cemetery committee and since then every year a canvass is made in the district for funds. If there is any deficit, the village committee pays the difference.

The first person buried was Albert Mabley.

Our cemetery stands as beautiful memorial to those who blazed the trail.

(Source: Kelwood Bridges the Years 1890-1967, pp 20f [1967; Adapted])

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Established in 1897.

(Source: Manitoba Genealogical Society)

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Dominion Land Survey coordinates: LSD04-14-19-15-W1

In the Rural Municipality of Rosedale

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As noted above, a part of the community's story, and those of its inhabitants, from the early days of European settlement through roughly 2003 is told in the volume "Kelwood Bridges the Years 1890-1967", especially on the cited pages, along with a related follow-on volume entitled "Kelwood Bridges the Years 1968-2003". 

Free digital versions of these and many other Manitoba local history books can be found online in the University of Manitoba Digital Collections. There is also a list of such books organized by district and town name on the Manitoba Historical Society's website on their page entitled "Finding Aid: Manitoba Local History Books".

A list of burials in this cemetery is available from the Manitoba Genealogical Society (reference #0339), transcribed by a member or members in 1988. Also available to MGS members is a searchable online database named the "MGS Manitoba Name Index" (or MANI). Some additional information is contained in the 1996 MGS publication "Carved in Stone: Manitoba Cemeteries and Burial Sites" (revised edition, Special Projects Publication, 106 pages).