Okay, here’s something I know absolutely nothing about. Back in August, Andrew and I were heading home from Altona, driving north along Highway 30, when Andrew slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road. I’d been looking down, staring at the map, so I had no idea why the sudden stop. I was hoping it wasn’t anything to do with car trouble. So you can imagine my enthusiasm when I realized he’d stopped for this row of headstones!
I can only imagine that probably the real cemetery lies in the cultivated field you see behind the stones. I wonder what the backstory is. Were these stones from Schoenthal? I see that name on the Harms-Rempel historical atlas, just north of Altona… but I have to be honest with you: I find that atlas incredibly difficult to use for navigation purposes. Also, at the back of the atlas I’ve found an entry for the Highway 30 Cemetery, separate from what I gather to be three other separate entries for various Schoenthal cemeteries. (Which intrigue me!)
So, I haven’t been able to figure this out. Here are the stones:
I was so excited, I leapt from the car, ran through the ditch, and took pictures of each one.
I find them quite difficult to read.
Okay, actually, kind of impossible to read.
If you’re good at reading tombstones like this, please share your tips, tricks, and advice!
