History of the Cottrell Cemetery
Location: SE28-028-06-W4
Written by Ina Hains - Photos courtesy www.findagrave.com
Story of Mr J.C. (John Chapman) and Mrs Mary “Amelia” VanDyke Cottrell
John, Amelia and their family were all born in Iowa, USA and came from Kingsley, Iowa. John was semi-retired already at this time. He became interested in Politics and was an elected representative to the House of Representatives at Des Moines, the Capital of the State of Iowa. He held this elected office for many years. Through the medium of Literature and his knowledge of Geography be became very interest in Canada, a part of the Great North-West. This interest became a great challenge for John, one that he could not resist. This, therefore, began the start of a new life and many experiences for the Cottrell family. In 1910, John along with his son, Ferrol and a friend of his son’s, Max Collins, left Kingsley in a brand new automobile, the Carter-Car, in those days called a touring car the same as today. It would have likely been called a “convertible” as well. When they arrived in Canada there were no hard top variety of roads only “Prairie Trails”, as John called them. John homesteaded on land which was located about 10 miles northeast of the community that was later in that year called Cereal. This was his first Canadian home. The lumber was hauled from Bassano like all homesteaders of that time via either oxen or horse and wagon. Amelia arrived on the homestead with the rest of the family in 1912, arriving via train to Kindersley then Alsask, Saskatchewan on May 30, 1912, on what was called Memorial Day in the USA. John was there to meet them at the train and they made their trek to the homestead, which took miles and hours of driving to arrive at the little home that he had prepared for them. They lived there for a while before moving south to 28-028-06W4, closer to the townsite.
The South East Quarter of this piece of land was later donated to the Village of Cereal by J. C. Cottrell for the use of a Community Cemetery after the railroad came in. They built a larger three room home on this land when they moved closer to Cereal. The 1st train came to town in 1912 and their home was just too close to the tracks. so he felt he had to move his buildings. He moved them to the North West onto NE 28-28-06W4, so within a half mile North East of the present Township of Cereal.
John and Amelia were very active in community affairs. John was the Justice of Peace for many years as well as sitting on the Hospital Board, School Board and was instrumental in building the 1st Hotel. He also was the Editor of the “Cereal Recorder” from 1936 to 1947. He also ran his own Real Estate and Insurance business for many years right up until a few weeks before his his passing in 1949. They were both very respected and valued members of this little Village. Tony Toy purchased John’s building from his family in 1950 in which he opened a Restaurant and Store. Because of this donation of land from Mr Cottrell the Cemetery was named the “Cottrell Cemetery”. The Burial Records have the 1st Grave recorded in the new Cemetery in June of 1914 but that is not accurate as we have many unmarked graves in the Cemetery and the oldest marked graves were added in April, 1914.
John also brought the 1st Steam Engine to the Cereal District in 1914, all the way from Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
Story of the Cereal Women’s Institute (Cereal W.I.)
Mrs Cottrell was the 1st President of the newly-organized Alberta Women’s Institute that held it’s 1st meeting in a Box Car on September 16, 1915. The original club was called the “Prairie Circle” and it began in1913, originally it was just a monthly meeting to acquaint all the newly arriving families. The women started to wonder if something could benefit their small town by their monthly afternoon tea parties, so they asked a Miss Noble to come from Edmonton to organize a branch of the Alberta Women’s Institute for them, it was called the Prairie Circle Women’s Institute. It wasn’t until 1934 or 1935 that a resolution was made to drop the name of Prairie Circle Women’s Institute and it became the Cereal Women’s Institute (shortened later to Cereal WI). Majority of the same women from the Prairie Circle became members of the newly name organization. This group diversified to do whatever they could to improve the community.
In 1924 this very busy group of ladies planted the trees around the now Cottrell Cemetery.
Mrs Cottrell passed away on May 27, 1927 and was buried on the West end of on the Cemetery which was her previous homesite. Mr Cottrell enjoyed his full life in Cereal and this little Village meant a lot to him and his family. He joined his wife on Sep 30, 1949 just a couple weeks short of his 90th Birthday. His son wrote that “the years were kind to Dad and Mother as they have been to me” (about their life in Cereal). The Cottrell’s had son’s Ferrol, Dave, who passed in 1915, Stephen (Steve), and Duane as well as their daughter Wanita who married Murray Wolfe and resided in Hanna.
The Cereal W.I. looked after the lunch for the Volunteers on the 1st Monday of June for the Annual Cottrell Cemetery Clean-up right up until they dispersed the organization. At that point Ina Hains organized the Annual Cottrell Cemetery Clean-up and as of 2021 is still doing so. With the dismantlement of the Village of Cereal in 2020, and the village going back to the Special Areas the Cottrell Cemetery Funds were dispersed and placed under the umbrella of the Board of Trade with Ina Hains as the Administrator of the Cottrell Cemetery. Ina began assisting with the Cemetery Clean-up after she joined the Cereal Community in 1973 to assist and carry the load for Edna Hains as she was in her 80’s by this time and a Life Member of the Cereal Women’s Institute (WI), which was common for many of the members of this group. The majority were all Life Members. Until the WI was dissolved in 2009 the Life Members were willing to do the baking and supply lunch for the Volunteers on this day each year. The volunteers were always well fed for their services. Over the years many families were very dedicated in keeping the Cemetery in good condition and this has continued on until today with the younger generations taking over the roles from their fathers, mothers, grandparents and even great-grandparents. The Duffield’s, Coates’, Melvill’s, MacKenzie’s, Bennett’s, Halpenny’s, Kasa’s, Machell’s, Muzyka/Heatherington, Roger’s, Waldschmidt’s, Waterhouse’s, as well as the Duffield families, the Hains’, Wood’s, Olsen’s, Nichols’ have been staple names near 110 years since the Cemetery land was donated for this use.
Major improvements over the years were:
The front gate with the Cottrell Recognition on it.
The Black Chain Link Fence surrounding the original site east and south of the Cemetery.
The surveying and addition of the new south and north sections of plots.
The adding of the new Black Chain Fence around the north section of the Cemetery as well as the erecting of the new swinging gate with a Black Cross on it for that side of the Cemetery.
The addition of up to 200 new Black medal Crosses to mark firstly the unknown unmarked graves starting in 2011. Moving to the known unmarked graves. then lastly to the known marked graves of families that are without families in the area where the graves are not readable now. This is an ongoing process now.
The addition of a weatherproof Information Box installed at the entry to the Cemetery in 2021.
The Cottrell Cemetery was very fortunate to receive many “In Memory” Donations over the years to help with the improvements to the Cemetery, it also benefited from many large Donations from the Estate of Olga Jensen, the Cereal Pro Rodeo Association, the dissolving of the Cereal Women’s Institute, the Cereal Bull-A-Rama and the Cereal Golden Center.
Story of local Funeral Services that serviced Cereal and area for the next 100 years
This recognition goes to our local Funeral Directors from Waterhouse Funeral Home, Certified in 1922, operating from 1922-1957, located on Main Street, Cereal, to Klym’s Funeral Home, Certified in 1954, operating from 1959-1987, Business built in Oyen and to MacLean’s Funeral Home, Certified in 1967, purchased and operating from 1987- 2019, and lastly as of July 1st, 2019 this Business continued at the location in Oyen under the new ownership of Ryan and Brooke Koehli, Oyen Funeral Services, Brooke being connected to the Nichols family.
Tony Klym started to work for Jack Waterhouse in 1950 then started and built his own business in Oyen after Jack’s death. Keith MacLean, came from Provost and helped Tony Klym out when his health started failing, Keith then purchased his business, moving from Provost to Cereal then to Oyen. Keith was the grandson of oldtimers Ralph and Ruth Nichols of Cereal. Tony Klym lived and farmed just southeast of the Cemetery.
Lorne K. Sully kept and initialled the Burial Records from Aug 9th, 1915 to May, 1919 then John C. Cottrell kept and initialled the Burial Records of our Cemetery until his death in 1949. John (Jack) Waterhouse and Tony Klym as well as their their wives are buried in the Cottrell Cemetery. Lorne Sully no location at this time.
The Cottrell Cemetery is under a change of management with the dissolving of the Village of Cereal in 2021.
As of April 2021 with the dissolving of the Village of Cereal the Cottrell Cemetery will be under the umbrella of the long standing Cereal & District Board of Trade. This association has assisted the community with funds throughout the years, they have run the well known weekly Cereal Bingo’s for too many years to count and the Annual Fall Turkey Bingo’s as well, later taking on the Prairie Pioneer Museum, then adding on the Cereal Campgrounds. Ina Hains has organized the Annual Cottrell Cemetery Clean-up and Lunch since 2009 with the dissolvement of the long running Cereal Women’s Institute. She will continue as the Administrator of the Cemetery as well as working along side the Cereal & District Board of Trade. Any suggestions or questions can be directed to the Cereal & District Board of Trade or to Ina herself. Also anyone interested in purchasing a Plot or Plots please contact Ina at the address below and we’ll make the arrangements.
We’ll be working along side of Kim Walker from The Oyen Funeral Home to continue having a well kept Cemetery. Our thanks to the outgoing Village of Cereal for all the years dedicated to the Cottrell Cemetery.
Cereal & District Board of Trade Executive
President - Kerry Lang
Vice-President - Joan Pennett
Secretary - Elaine Michaels
Treasurer - Terry-Dale Olsen
Cemetery Administrator - Ina Hains
lhains@netago.ca • 403-326-2141
Box 131, Cereal, AB T0J 0N0
