Cemetary Blessings :)

For a few years now, my mom has been talking about going up to Rose Farm, near Altona for those of you who know your Manitoba geography.  The Rose Farm / Lowe Farm area is the area that my grandparents on both of my mom's side of the family grew up.  Well, yesterday was my mom's birthday so my sister Kim and I took her on a small day trip to see the area.  We spent a lot of time at the Rose Farm cemetary which is basically all grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives.

This is my great grandma's gravestone.  I won't show you them all!  I do remember being at this cemetary before but it was really cold and rainy so I didn't look around.

One thing I really enjoyed and was blessed by were the epitaths on the stones which I took as evidence of their walks with God.  Imagine being known for daring to be like Daniel!

I love cemetaries!  There is so much history and is a good reminder of the brevity of life.  It's so easy to just live each day without thinking how it could be our last. I also can't wait to see all these relatives in heaven!

Anyone know their German?  I know the word Vater is father but would enjoy knowing what the bottom says.  In 1875 my mom's grandparents arrived as German Russian Mennonite immigrants.  German because they still spoke German and had roots in Germany but Russian because they had been several generations there.  They left because of the pressure to put their young men in the military and fear of their children growing up too Russian.  They wanted more freedom to worship like they wanted and to train up their own children in their own schools.  Upon arrival in the United States, they took rail to the Great Lakes, boat across the lakes, rail from Duluth, MN to the Red River. They went north on the Red River in a paddlewheel steamboat and settled in southern Manitoba on the prairie.  At least that is what I remember.  I hope my facts are correct!

This cemetary wasn't taken care of really good.  Proably because it's not used anymore.  Anyway, the small grave in the back had a very deep hole dug in it!  Didn't look too close!

Southern Manitoba has lots of Ukranians and their churches all have the onion shaped domes.  A lot of my relatives were living in the Ukraine but then it was a part of Imperial Russia and they were Mennonites, not Russian Orthadox which is what I think these churches are.

This was taken a long ways away but it's the house my grandma grew up in and my mom remembers it pretty good.  

Well, we went to Steinbach too and did some shopping.  A really fun day with my mom and sister!  Interestingly, I was in Canada, Arthur was fishing up in Canada, and Isaac, Miriam and Hosanna were also in Canada, all on the same day but different places.  No border problems, thankfully.  I know some people have a lot of problems getting back into the states.  Well, have a great evening and live each day so you have no regrets when you live this world.