Comments / Notes
Caretakers have been: K. K. Wiebe, G. G. Thiessen, Martin Lemke, Henry Wiebe, J. K. Wiebe, J. L. Hamm, J. H. Block, J. R. Wall, Clarence Wiebe, and Darrel Wiebe.
Besides the cemetery record book, some of the information is from “Borden Mennonite Brethren Church History 1905-1980 Precious Memories” ISBN 0-88925-165-2, also “Mennonite Brethren Herald” obituaries and “Family Record of Gerhard G. and Anna Derksen 2003” by Julia Neufeld. Information from the gravestones themselves was submitted by Doreen Wiebe.
After meeting in homes since the homesteaders began to come to the area about 1902-1903, the Hoffnungsfeld School was built in 1906. The first teacher was Mr. William Diefenbaker, the father of the Right Honorable John G. Diefenbaker, former Prime Minister of Canada. Worship services took place in the school and mid-week services continued in the homes.
In October 1906 Elder Br. David Dyck donated two acres of land to the local brethren for a church and cemetery site. Building started in 1907. In 1952 the present church sanctuary was built. The old church was dismantled in two days and most of the old lumber was used in the new building. Page 58 & 59 by J. R. Wall.
“The corner where the first graves were started is somewhat on a higher elevation. It was found to be very rocky and so, for this reason, some plots were discarded. A little further west and south, the stony conditions decrease but you have sand to contend with. This makes for easy digging but sometimes cave-ins take place.
I have been told that the first burials took place 1 ½ miles north of where the church now is. These were later transferred to the present graveyard. There is record of this in the cemetery-book. The first burial on record was Baby Martin Lemke, Aug. 7, 1903.
I notice there are some errors and omissions, especially in the earlier records. Some are impossible to correct and there may be others I am not aware of.”
Additional legacy notes:
When coming from the west (the Battlefords) take highway #16 east. Go east 3 miles past Borden and turn left, north, on Larsen Road. Follow directions from there as above.
Update: Mar 2010
Borden SK S0K 0N0
Darrel & Kathy have the cemetery record book.