The history of the Sunny Slope and Silverwood districts begins about the turn of the [twentieth] century, or, at any rate, to the time of the arrival of the Canadian Northern Railway in 1903, which name was later changed to Canadian National Railway. The progress achieved has come not easily, but gradually nonetheless, and is often referred to as a period of 'sweat and tears', failure, success, tragedy and happiness. To look eighty years ahead, many have said, "It seems like a long time," but the few who do remain with us and are looking back say, "How quickly the time has gone!" To the early pioneers and those who have gone before us, we owe a tremendous debt for the comforts and pleasures of the life which we presently enjoy.

These two districts of Sunny Slope and Silverwood were in many ways very closely interknit, one with the other. Going back to the time before the railway arrived in 1903, most of these first early pioneers trekked in by any means of transportation available to them at the time. Most of them arrived at Russell, Manitoba by train from either other settlements in Manitoba, or from Ontario, bringing with them whatever few belongings they could manage to arrive here with. They stepped off the train only to continue on to their newly acquired homesteads. Some had a few cattle, oxen or even an odd horse or two, but many continued on their journey on foot.

One family in particular (the Comries) lived in a tent until such time as a two-roomed log shack could be erected. This was home for many years.

Some of the earlies families to settle in the Sunny Slope area were: Webb, McCorquodale, Bailey, Golden, Rolson, McBride, Rodgers, Charbonneau, Dunlop, White, Keay, Thompson, Allen, Cowan, Rule, Addis, Sutherland, Sherson and Black. Donald and Mac Stewart must also be added. These people performed a great service in laying the foundations of the district. In later years the names of Elder, Donaldson, Laliberte, Ferguson, Traub, Doering, Beliski; they also provided any service they could to a fast growing rural community.

The names of Lade, Armstead, Pearson, Nelson, McLean, Heard, Bell, Luxton, Law, Embleton, Rosavere, Kennedy, King, Rae, McCush, Garret, Burgis, Lewis, Byce, Wilkinson, Jesse Thompson, Smith, Irvine, Burnett, Williams, Gerega, Pillen, Redman, Jose, Kirkpatrick, Sangster (two families), Weary, and Maguire.

(Source: Shell River Municipality Century One - 1884-1984, pp 189ff, [1984; Adapted])

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Dominion Land Survey coordinates: LSD13-13-28-29-W1

In the Municipality of Roblin

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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 2000 is told in the volume "Shell River Municipality Century One - 1884-1984", especially on the cited pages, and in the later related work entitled "Roblin and Rural Districts Family Histories - Volumes I, II, and III".

Free digital versions of the former, Volume III of the latter, 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 #nnnn), transcribed by a member or members in NNNN and updated in NNNN. 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).