To the pioneers of this district who had been holding regular church services in Tarbolton School under the guidance of Rev. James Patterson, it soon became imminent that a place of worship must be erected. Accordingly, on June 18th, 1888 a meeting was held to consider the necessity of building a church. A committee, composed of Mr. John Harper, Mr. William Rutherford and Mr. James Sibbald, was appointed to look for a suitable site. On July 2nd, 1888 at a special meeting it was unanimously decided to erect the building on the site graciously donated, by Mr. James Sibbald, and the present location of the church, the northwest corner of 21-11-22(-W1). August 22, 1888 saw a committee appointed "with authority to proceed to the best of their judgment to erect Tarbolton Presbyterian Church". A very generous gift from Mr. J. Wedderburn and some of his friends in Scotland was a big factor in helping to build this church.

The first service was held in the fall of 1888, although the interior was not completely finished for some considerable time.

After the union of Presbyterian and Methodist churches, Harding, Bradwardine and Tarbolton became one field, Shiloh and Kenton another.

The location of the church and cemetery has brought forth many congratulatory remarks from new and guest ministers and visitors alike. The church is surrounded on all sides by stately evergreens, interspersed with elm and maple trees. The building faces south and on a clear day one has a wonderful view of the surrounding country. The cemetery slopes gently to the east and is faithfully attended by the members and adherents, and is a tribute to the district. Very early in the year 1958 Mr. William Rutherford, one of the pioneers of the district who helped build the church, was laid to rest in this cemetery. He had celebrated his 101st birthday in November 1957.

(Source: Bradwardine and District - A Century and More, pp 84ff [2003 Adapted])

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Established in 1888.

The cemetery is beautifully kept. It is situated on a hill, with a 3-rail white fence on the west, featuring an iron gate with arch. Maples, elms and spruce are spaced around the edge. Some of the stones are quite old and broken, but all well attended.

(Source: Manitoba Genealogical Society [1980; Adapted])

The cemetery was known in the early days as Roden. An honour roll inside the church lists parishioners who served in the First World War.

(Source: Manitoba Historical Society [Adapted])

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Dominion Land Survey coordinates: LSD13-21-11-22-W1

In the Municipality of Riverdale

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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 "Bradwardine and District - A Century and More", especially on the cited pages. A free digital version of this 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 #0141), transcribed by a member or members in 1979-80. 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).

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Additionally, many records for defunct United congregations in Manitoba, and those of the sects that merged to form it, are now kept in their Archives and Records Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.