Local Cemeteries & Burial Places:
The future of the County of Camrose is intricately connected to the lives lived before us; to the memories made, the passions that soared, the sacrifices felt, and the long good-byes whispered eternally. On this page, you'll find a collection of photographs and stories documenting monuments, ranging from large, formal and intricate stone work, to hillside remembrances. Documenting lives once lived; dreams once carried, of torches now passed --to us.
St. Thomas Cemetery Stories:The above photo was taken from a literary artifact found at the Camrose and District Centennial Museum, The Early History of Camrose Alberta and District 1947 compiled by the Camrose Historical Society, which began in 1933. For more information on this resource, and others like it, see our "Suggested Readings" page here: http://livingheritage.weebly.com/suggested-readings.html |
To hear a tale of passion and price, of one now resting in the Old St. Thomas Church cemetery, click on box to the left. When you do, you will hear Stan Trautman tell the story of a 1915 murder that took place in the county by a woman who killed her cheating husband.
To read an article written by Janine Carroll, Camrose and District Centennial Museum Coordinator and local Geneological expert, expounding on the case slightly, placing it in context of women's history, go here: http://www.camrosecanadian.com/2016/07/06/museum-invites-public-to-contribute-to-projects The incident, and its handling in court, garnered attention across the country. The events have since inspired a play entitled: "Thy Neighbour's Wife" which may find its way to a Camrose stage soon! The gravestone above marks the earthly resting place in Old St. Thomas, of beloved wife and grandmother, Mary Trautman. It's intricate detail, picturing a scene overlooking the Battle River, was created by Stone Works out of Millet, Alberta, the same company commissioned by the Duhamel Historical Society, to create the monument that demarcates those buried here.
Francois Adam, also pictured to the left, owned the first store, in the original settlement of Duhamel. For most of his life, he was a wealthy businessman and entrepreneur. He died penniless, however, after business dealings with Poland, just before the country went bankrupt, left him high and dry. The Duhamel Historical Society took responsibility for placing a grave stone at his burial site in Old St. Thomas. Click on the photo above, of Adam's monument to hear local resident and historian Stan Trautman expound on Adam's life within the context of the original Duhamel settlement.
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Fridhem Cemetery:
Fridhem, means peaceful home in Swedish. The cemetery has been in its place since 1903, when Karl Peterson donated three acres of land for such a use. The cemetery comes alongside one of the best and only places to see prairie mirages. You will swear you see a town rising up in the distance, where only expanses of fields stretch on.