This cemetery is maintained by volunteer members of the Jehovah's Witness community in Winnipeg and congregations from other areas in the general vicinity, but most specifically by the one in Anola, MB

"THE LITTLE CHURCH AT THE EAST PARK GATE"

A small group of German-speaking immigrants from Central Europe settled on the sandy soil of Pine Ridge in the 1890's and early 1900's. They came with their entire families because of oppression. However, they had been permitted to sell their land so had the means to make a modest start in the new land. They bought abandoned wood lots from the Council and established homes there.

The people, being devout Lutherans decided to build a church and about 1895-1899 a small group of families built their own little church opposite what is now the east gate of Birds Hill Park. The church was used as a mission from a church in Winnipeg and was served by a minister from it.

The little church closed its doors in 1920. A small cemetery, the resting place of some of the pioneers, marks the site where the little church once stood.

(Source: Springfield - First Rural Municipality in Manitoba, 1873 - 1973, pp 319f [1973; Adapted])

Dominion Land Survey coordinates: LSD05-15-12-05-E1

In the Rural Municipality of Springfield

As noted above, part of the story of some of the original settlers in the area is told in the volume "Springfield - First Rural Municipality in Manitoba, 1873 - 1973", especially starting on page 319.

Another part of the story of the area pertaining to the Jehovah's Witness congregation and its members from its inception in 1954 to about 1991 is told in the volume "Heritage II - A History of East St Paul", especially starting on page 117.

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 #0367), transcribed by a member or members in 1989 and updated in 1996. 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).