The title only really works if you know that “Kihn” is pronounced KEEN.
I learned of this cemetery’s existence thanks to the Historical Atlas of the East Reserve. Near the back of the book, there are other cemeteries marked which are just on the outside of Hanover. Even though this cemetery is a Lutheran one and not a Mennonite one, I was still eager to visit it.
The Kihn family cemetery is located south of Friedensfeld.
I love Lutheran country cemeteries for their very long driveways into fields. This one is extra interesting to me because we visited when the fields around the cemetery had been plowed but were not growing anything… and the trail leading into the field was verdant and slightly raised above the surrounding soil. I would’ve loved to have walked it, but Andrew insisted it was perfectly normal to drive a little Jetta out onto the field, and I guess it turns out he was right.
We arrived and I launched myself out of the car and began exploring.
The first thing we noticed, was something that was NOT there: a cairn-esque rock at the front of this cemetery is missing its plaque. You can see it at the back of this pic:
(Or rather, you can’t see it… because it’s gone, leaving just a blank square behind to indicate what once had been.)
Being a Kihn family cemetery, there are many Kihns buried here.
When I googled this place, I learned that this had been the homestead of Johann Kihn, who appears to have a special burial place among the lilacs, which I think is lovely.
I don’t know anything else about this place. But it’s lovely, on a sort of a hill.
I tried to take some pictures to indicate the hill that the cemetery is on…
Not sure if I was successful, though.
The cemetery is ringed by many trees, which seem to be inhabited by prairie chickens.
The prairie chickens are very shy and I could not even get a picture of them.
We walked the ring around the cemetery trying to sneak up on the prairie chickens, we heard them clucking under the evergreens. But they eluded us.
We visited the cemetery a week ago, and since then the lilac have bloomed! So, we must return.
