ST VICTOR CATHOLIC CEMETERY
(R.M. of Willow Bunch #42) – (1914 to 2021)
This burial site was given to the Roman Catholic Parish of St. Victor by Angus Alexandre “Catchoo” McGillis in 1914. The first burial in this cemetery was that of Louis Fontaine who died September 23, 1914, and the most recent burial is likewise listed in the Master File.
The cemetery is — from Willow Bunch — one mile north, then 11 miles west on the bottom grid-road; it is situated directly north of the Catholic Church in the village of St. Victor.
LAND LOCATION: SE 1/4 of Sec. 5, Tp. 6, Rg. 29, W2nd, in the R.M. of Willow Bunch #42.
The cemetery is adorned with an attractive front entrance, in the form of a simulated arch supported on two wooden beams wrapped in white vinyl, and a centrally latched two piece gate with two side panels, all of white vinyl. Upon the overhead arch, in large black painted iron letters, is clearly inscribed the name “ST. VICTOR CEMETERY”. The whole affair, designed and fabricated by Paul Lalonde, was installed in July of 2005, by Marcel Laberge, Paul Lalonde and Denis Ducharme. The cost of the iron lettering and the two gates ($800.00) was paid for by donations from parishioners, while Paul and Juliette (Laberge) Lalonde gracefully donated all other materials, at a cost of $3,300.00. As for the remainder of the cemetery, it is surrounded by a common wire fence which is kept in good repair. A formidable white wooden cross in the center of the cemetery continually stands as sentinel, and despite the ravages of time (it appears to have been erected in 1924), since it is well kept it should stand for many more years. The grounds also are always well maintained.
The books for this cemetery are kept by the Parish of St. Georges in Assiniboia, Sk. (Phone # 642-4439), and the Cemetery “Plot-map” is kept in St. Victor. For plots, see Dennis or Louise Ducharme – phone #642 3215. The records are 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.
Every headstone was checked in person by Gilles A. Bonneau on December 24, 1997. All names were further checked against the church cemetery register, by Gabrielle Granger and Gilles A. Bonneau, for accuracy and to include those people without a headstone. The W.B. R.M. #42 records were also checked for possible missed entries, as well as Ross Funeral Home records and any old newspaper clippings which certain individuals had gathered through the years.
All material was compiled and edited by Gilles A. Bonneau, and Janvier C. Bonneau assisted in making the name entries.
