LITTLE WOODY MUNICIPAL CEMETERY

(R.M. of Willow Bunch #42) – (1907 to 2021)

The first application for a homestead on the section upon which this cemetery is situated was by John Orr, on November 7, 1906. He later cancelled his application, but no reason is given as to why! On October 15, 1907 Angus McCallum homestead the southeast quarter of the section and received his patent November 29, 1911; he also applied for a pre-emption on the northeast quarter and received his patent June 22, 1920.

Still, it appears the R.M. of Willow Bunch #42 had retained a portion of the former quarter for a cemetery prior to any homesteading. That said, if one looks up the story of John L. Anderson in the Rockglen History Book “The Rolling Hills of Home,” inside column on page 98, one reads that the land for the cemetery was donated by a certain Mr. Ferguson, a Mystery!

The cemetery is situated — from Willow Bunch — seven miles south on Highway #36, six miles west on the grid-road, then one and a quarter miles north on the side-road.

LAND LOCATION: the SE 1/4 of Sec. 24, Tp. 4, Rg. 29, W2nd, in the R.M. of Willow Bunch #42.

Records indicate the first interment, that of Karin (____________) Fyr, took place in 1907 and the most recent burial is likewise listed in the Master File.

The cemetery is surrounded by trees inside a fence, and the main entrance is adorned with a metal gate encircled with latticework. A sign over the gate reads “Little Woody Cemetery.”

The books for this cemetery are kept by Mrs. Ralph Heagy in Rockglen, Sk. Phone #476-2743. They’re also accessible in albums at the Willow Bunch Museum and on the Internet at www.willowbunch.ca .

Those people listed in the Master File with “Yes” by the notation “Site Marker:”, have a headstone/marker and their burial spot was located. All other people have no known headstone/marker and their burial spot was not found.

All headstones in the cemetery were checked in person on December 26, 1997, by Gilles A. Bonneau. Afterward, Mr. Bonneau and his brother, Janvier C. Bonneau, painstakingly typed in all the particulars for each entry, with Gilles doing the final editing.

All names have been further checked against the Cemetery Lot-Map, by Gilles A. Bonneau, for accuracy and to include those people without a headstone.