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St, Mark’s Angican Church & Cemetary,Galena
East Kootenay, British Columbia, Canada
SAINT MARK’S CEMETERY, GALENA
The little log church at Galena was built about the time that Grandpa Watkins and Granny Watkins were married and began living in Brisco. There is a framed letter addressed to my Grandmother, Lavinia Watkins inviting her to the opening of the church.
The churchyard at St. Mark’s is filled with many gravestones. Inscribed upon these stones are the names of the pioneers who homesteaded in this region of the Columbia Valley. There are the names of the Atchison’s, Wolfenden’s, Berry’s and of course the Watkins. Among the names of the Watkins family is my grandparents, Edward and Lavinia, my uncles, Charlie, Lloyd and his wife, Beth.
Everything about this church is simple. The logs were from trees that were carefully chosen for their size and straightness. These were carefully cut to length and debarked. The ends of the logs were notched, flattened on 2 sides and meticulously fitted together. The lumber was all and cut but not planed, except for the door frames and window frames. These were skillfully planed and shaped with a plane using several different specialized blades. The glass and the hardware for the doors would have been bought and carried back from Golden, 43 miles away. Since all supplies from Golden had to be transported either on horseback or by pack horse there were few luxuries. This included paint. As a result the church was never painted and still isn’t even today. The only things that were painted were the Windows and window frames, the doors and the wooden cross above the front door.
This picturesque little church is nestled in amongst a lovely stand of poplar and white birch trees. St. Mark’s Church stands alone and there is still no one living with him a mile of it. This remoteness, it’s the rustic appearance and its wonderful churchyard all add to its charm and mystic aura.
St. Mark‟s Church was built in 1896. It was built by volunteer labour on land donated by
T.F. Pirie, an early settler. In 1903 the land was sold to John Fraser, a nephew of Rev. James Fraser, Presbyterian. In 1919 it was sold again to Fred Thatcher, son of an Anglican clergyman who conducted Anglican services occasionally until his death in 1934. Fred Thatcher sold the farm in 1945 and at the time deeded the church to the Anglican Church, Invermere. The hilly location of the churchyard makes this small cemetery unique. The first grave marker is dated 1892. Winston Wolfenden has jurisdiction over the cemetery.
Submitted by the Golden Museum, Mar 25, 2009
This cemetery is located approximately 70 kms south of Golden on Hwy 95 south. You pass through the hamlet of Spillimacheen which is approx 62 kms south of Golden and continue on the highway. It is hard to locate the Church as it is in a bushy area on the left hand side of the road. The driveway is hard to see but if you go up a big hill you’ve gone to far it right at the bottom of the hill. Another landmark that may help you find the cemetery is the Regional Dump. The dump is located approximtely 1 km before the cemetery on the left side of the road.
This cemetery was established by Saint Mark Anglican Church. The church is no longer doing services but the cemetery is still open for burials.
This cemetery was transcribed by Louise Rande, from headstone inscriptions in 2009. This includes all existing and legible burials. This work donated by Louise Rande, who has given the rights for the transcription to the Golden Museum. We also have a photo archive of individual gravestones.
– Golden Museum
??, ??, no dates, Wooden Cross
Alcock, William, b. 1851, d. 1939, Wooden Cross
Atchison, Angus, b. 1899, d. 1970, Wooden Cross
Atchison, Ethel, b. 1860, d. 1936, Mother ? In ?
Atchison, Harry Pat, b. 1907, d. 1989
Atchison, Miles D., b. 1902, d. 1961, Rest In Peace
Atchison, Stephen E., b. 1896, d. 1971, PTE B.C.R. Lest We Forget
Atchison, Steven, b. 1896, d. 1971, Wooden Cross
Barrault, Russell M., b. 1944, d. 2000, Columbarium
Beddie, Donald , b. 1923, d. Not here yet, Married Sep 30 1950 Generous of Spirit. Friends To Many, Shares a stone with Molly
Beddie, Molly, b. 1924, d. 1997, Married Sep 30 1950 Generous of Spirit. Friends To Many, Shares a stone with Donald
Bernard, Olive G., b. 1895, d. 1988, In Loving Memory Mother
Berrey, Edna Mary, b. 1873, d. 1906
Berrey, Frances Annie, b. 1896, d. 1983, Share a plot with Percival William
Berrey, Percival William, b. 1880, d. 1960, Share a plot with Frances Annie
Briscoe, Edna May, b. 1914, d. 1992, Columbarium
Briscoe, Leslie Alfred, b. 1911, d. 1979, Columbarium
Brown, Sharon Anne , b. Mar 27 1952, d. Nov 27 1993, In Loving Memory of A Best Friend And Mother
Bryant, John, d. 1904, Wooden Cross
Bryant, Kenneth R., b. 1928, d. 1956, In Loving Memory
Bryant, Vernon L., b. 1925, d. 2001, Forever In Our Hearts. Father and Grandfather
Burke, Patrick, d. 1910, Wooden Cross
Callen, Laura Winnifred, b. 1903, d. 1965
Callen, Percy W., b. 1880, d. 1959
Cameron, Malcolm, b. 1863, d. 1946, Wooden Cross
Cameron, Rosella, b. 1933, d. 1933, Wooden Cross
Clark, Vicky L., b. Apr 4 1948, d. Mar 21 1999, Families Are Forever
Cobb, Josepjine Pearl, b. 1913, d. 2006, Columbarium
Cobb, Leonard Ernest, b. 1909, d. 1983, Columbarium
Faber, Peter, b. 1899, d. 1935, Wooden Cross
Galbraith, Catherine, d. 1930, Richard, Catherine, Edward, Nil, Francis and Jessie Galbraith are all buried in one plot
Galbraith, Edward Davidson, b. 1918, d. 1988, Richard, Catherine, Edward, Nil, Francis and Jessie Galbraith are all buried in one plot
Galbraith, Francis Edward, b. Sep 26 1891, d. Sep 13 1979, Richard, Catherine, Edward, Nil, Francis and Jessie Galbraith are all buried in one plot
Galbraith, Jessie McRae, b. Feb 19 1898, d. Nov 26 1996, Richard, Catherine, Edward, Nil, Francis and Jessie Galbraith are all buried in one plot
Galbraith, Nil Moore, b. 1918, d. 1960, Richard, Catherine, Edward, Nil, Francis and Jessie Galbraith are all buried in one plot
Galbraith, Richard Ian (Dick), b. 1934, d. 1999, Richard, Catherine, Edward, Nil, Francis and Jessie Galbraith are all buried in one plot
Gillis, Richard F. “Dick”, b. 1916, d. 1998, Life’s Work Well Done
Glover, Fred, b. 1880, d. 1966, Wooden Cross
Glover, Mary Gwen, b. Nov 8 1879, d. Aug 20 1949, In Loving Memory of Rest In Peace
Hynes, Betsy, b. 1883, d. 1970, In Loving Memory Of
Hynes, Christopher, b. 1879, d. 1969, In Loving Memory Of
Hynes, David G, b. 1905, d. 1941, In Loving Memory
Hynes, Lawrence, b. 1921, d. 1973
Hynes, Orin C., b. 1908, d. 1983, In Loving Memory
Kraig, Christian Frederick, b. 1906, d. 1974, Dad
Kraig, John Adolph, b. 1902, d. 1973, Uncle
Lloyd, William Henry, d. Oct 22 1958, age: 57y, In Loving Memory
Logan, Anthony W., b. 1865, d. 1935, At Rest
MacPherson, Hugh, b. 1905, d. 1987, Columbarium
McMillan, George, d. 1912, Wooden Cross
McRae, Ingrid, b. ca.1870, d. 1935, Wooden Cross
Milt, John Adolph, b. 1896, d. 1960
Mitchell, Annie May, b. 1913, d. 2006, Columbarium
Mitchell, George, b. 1874, d. 1953, In Loving Memory
Mitchell, Sidney M., b. 1884, d. 1959, In Loving Memory
Morgan, Dorothy G.(Schuck), b. 1925, d. 1991, To Know Them Was To Love Them, Shares a stone with Fred
Morgan, Fred J, b. 1924, d. 1994, To Know Them Was To Love Them, Shares a stone with Dorothy
Nielsen, Birl, b. 1923, d. 1961, In Loving Memory Of. Rest In Peace
Nielsen, Hedvig, b. 1890, d. 1981, Wooden Cross
Nielsen, Rasmus, b. 1891, d. 1942, In Loving Memory Of. Rest In Peace
Pirie, Agnes, b. 1864, d. 1903
Polier, Jacob (CUB), b. May 11 1934, d. Sep 151991, In Memory of . Rest In Peace, A picture on a marker
Polier, L. Grant, b. Dec 18 1953, d. July 23 1978 , In Memory of . Rest In Peace, A picture on a marker
Rush, John E., b. Sep 4 1879, d. June 20 1902, Farewell Kind Heart Till We Meet In Heaven
Schuck, Baby, b. 1947, d. 1947, Wooden Cross
Sinclair, Ian William, b. 1959, d. 1969
Smallman, Wendy Diane, b. 1941, d. 2000, Death Is A Blending Back Into Light A Gentle Voice Whispers-No More Night
Snider, Garnet H., b. 1892, d. 1960, In Loving Memory, Shares a stone with Ida
Snider, Ida L., b. 1899, d. 1985, In Loving Memory, Shares a stone with Garnet
Snider, Jack I., b. Mar 19 1919, d. Dec 24 1984, Capt. R.C.A. Gone But Not Forgotten
Steiner, Hedwig Maria, b. 1910, d. 1997, Otto and Hedwig Steiner also Robert Willox buried in one plot
Steiner, Otto James, b. 1907, d. 1986, Otto and Hedwig Steiner also Robert Willox buried in one plot
Stevenson, Kyle Gordon, b. Dec 11 1979, d. Apr 30 2001, Too Well Loved To Ever Be Forgotten, Has his picture on the stone
Stevenson, William Kenneth, b. 1922, d. 1993, Columbarium
Stewart, Baby, b. 1954, d. 1954, Wooden Cross
Stewart, Charles William, b. Apr 8 1888, d. Nov 15 1976, Loving Husband & Father
Stewart, David W., b. 1928, d. 1994, Thy Trials Ended Thy Rest Is Won, Mason symbol
Stewart, Gladys, b. 1895, d. 1961, In Loving Memory
Stone, James E., b. 1914, d. 1999, Columbarium
Stone, Olga May, b. Aug 30 1919, d. Jan 14 1967, In Loving Memory Of. At Rest
Stone, William Daniel Smith, b. 1906, d. 1979, Columbarium
Sykes, Harry, b. 1884, d. 1972, In Loving Memory
Sykes, Helen, b. 1901, d. 1966
Tegart, Rrginald Montgomery, b. 1923, d. 1995, Loved And Not Forgotten
Thatcher, Elizabeth, b. 1863, d. 1958, In Loving Memory
Thatcher, Ernest G, b. Sep 10 1851, d. Sep 12 1934, In Loving Memory
Trescher, Anna, b. 1907, d. 1968
Trescher, Wilhelm, b. 1905, d. 1983
Watkins, Charles Leonard, b. Apr 5 1899, d. Feb 29 1964, At Rest, Mason symbol
Watkins, Edward, b. 1862, d. 1941, In Loving Memory. Father
Watkins, Elizabeth, b. 1915, d. 1999, Columbarium
Watkins, Lavinia, b. 1867, d. 1943, In Loving Memory. Mother
Watkins, Lloyd, b. 1912, d. 1985, Columbarium
Westbury, Blaine Thomas, b. 1953, d. 1994, In Loving Memory
Wheeler, Baby Cameron, b. Feb 23, 1966, d. Feb 23, 1966
Wheeler, James David, b. 1931, d. 1997, In Loving Memory of, stone with Baby Cameron
Willox, Robert James, b. 1922, d. 1991, Otto and Hedwig Steiner also Robert Willox buried in one plot
Wolfenden, Archibald, b. 1883, d. 1953, In Loving Memory
Wolfenden, Doris, b. 1908, d. 1954, In Loving Memory Of. Gone But Not Forgotten
Wolfenden, Eva Annie, b. 1897, d. 1931, Gone But Not Forgotten By The Family, Shares a stone with Stanley
Wolfenden, June Stanley, b. Jun-28, d. Aug-28, Sister
Wolfenden, Stanley, b. 1889, d. 1973, Gone But Not Forgotten By The Family, Shares a stone with Eva Annie
Wolfenden, Stewart H., b. 1903, d. 1983, At Rest
Wolfenden, Tanya, b. 1970, d. 1973, The Dark Came To Cover The Sky
Wright, Alice A., b. 1924, d. 2004, Loving Wife & Mother
Wright, Harold E., b. 1928, d. 1987, Loving Husband & Father
Yadernuk, Stephen, b. 1914, d. 1953, Wooden Cross
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