The following is a transcription of the Champion Creek (Blagodatnoye) Cemetery located 5 kilometres south of Castlegar, British Columbia. Land location: Sub-lot 26, District Lot 4598, Kootenay District Plan X-34. Latitude: 49° 13.420. Longitude: 117° 40.419. Transcribed by Lawrna S. Myers and Pat Picton on September 19, 2002. Updated March 7, 2005 with William Kavaloff.
View of the cemetery plaque and gate. Photo courtesy Greg Nesteroff.
Historical Background
Blagodatnoye Cemetery was established in 1912 by the Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood ("CCUB") to serve the Blagodatnoye settlement area. Located along Champion Creek, it also came to be known as Champion Creek Doukhobor Cemetery. After the demise of the CCUB in 1937-1939, the cemetery continued to be used by its successor organization, the Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ ("USCC") until the 1970’s. It is no longer in active use. The cemetery is privately owned and maintained by the USCC Cemetery Association. It was restored in 2000.
Layout
The cemetery is approximately two acres in size and is enclosed by a wire fence with a single iron gate. It is partially wooded. The cemetery contains approximately 120 interments in a single section comprised of nine rows facing east-west. The majority of graves (108) have no marker and the mounds have been leveled. Some mounds are marked by piles of rock. We have used death registrations to identify 52 unmarked graves. The remaining 56 or so unmarked graves are unidentified. With respect to graves with markers, the markers are typically plain slate, marble or concrete upright headstones or flat markers set flush to the ground. Click here for an online cemetery map.
Driving Directions
To access the cemetery, travel south from Castlegar on Highway No. 3 towards Salmo. Turn right at Columbia Road and continue for approximately 1 km (.6 mile). Turn left at Prairie Road and continue for approximately 3 km (1.9 mile) to the end of the pavement, then continue for approximately 2 km (1.2 mile) to the locked gate. (Note that the road is paved for a several kilometres before turning into a dirt road. The road parallels the river, heading towards Trail). Once at the locked gate, continue on foot for approximately 2 km (1.2 mile). Where the road splits, continue along the lower road to the right which ends in front of the cemetery entrance. The cemetery is on private property and permission to access should be obtained by the owners.
Transcription
| Surname | Name | Birth Date | Death Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Androsoff | Andrew S. | Oct 1871 | Jul 12, 1963 | No Marker |
| Androsoff | Avdotia | Apr 10, 1884 | Jun 19, 1958 | Nee Swetlikoff – No Marker |
| Bulanoff | Andrew | 1869 | – | No Marker |
| Bulanoff | Daria | 1869 | – | Wife of Andrew – No Marker |
| Chernenkoff | Lukeria P. | 1866 | – | Wife of Nickolai – No Marker |
| Chernenkoff | Nickolai P. | 1865 | – | No Marker |
| Fofanoff | Anuta P. | Jul 1894 | May 17, 1968 | Nee Popoff – No Marker |
| Fofanoff | Pete P. | Jul 21, 1891 | May 29, 1854 | No Marker |
| Fofanoff | William P. | Sep 30, 1922 | Dec 20, 1944 | No Marker |
| Fofonoff | Petro | – | – | No Marker |
| Fofonoff | Mrs. Petro | – | – | Wife of Petro – No Marker |
| Kalesnikoff | Mary | Jul 14, 1937 | Jul 3, 1944 | Child of Peter – No Marker |
| Kalesnikoff | Molly | Jul 23, 1870 | Sep 24, 1941 | Wife of William – No Marker |
| Kalesnikoff | William J. | 1871 | Apr 23, 1943 | No Marker |
| Kavaloff | Andrew J. | 1871 | Sep 9, 1943 | |
| Kavaloff | Barbara | Apr 15, 1950 | Feb 9, 1951 | Child of William |
| Kavaloff | Dora J. | 1870 | 1926 | Nee Reibin – Wife of Andrew |
| Malikoff | Stephan S. | Abt. 1863 | 1914 | No Marker |
| Malikoff | Stephan | Abt. 1845 | – | No Marker |
| Ozeroff | William P. | 1856 | Nov 19, 1949 | No Marker |
| Ozeroff | Mary | – | – | Wife of William – No Marker |
| Popoff | Alyosha | – | Apr 18, 1952 | No Marker |
| Popoff | Hanya | Apr 28, 1875 | Apr 26, 1942 | Nee Malikoff – No Marker |
| Popoff | Malanya | 1918 | – | Child of Alex – No Marker |
| Popoff | Peter A. | Apr 21, 1942 | Jan 26, 1949 | Child of Alex – No Marker |
| Postnikoff | Agafia | 1882 | Sep 11, 1957 | Wife of Larry |
| Postnikoff | Alex | 1911 | 1971 | |
| Postnikoff | Annie | Bef. 1926 | Aft. 1928 | Child of Alkokim – No Marker |
| Postnikoff | Dunya | 1884 | 1936 | Nee Zibin – No Marker |
| Postnikoff | Elsie | – | – | Child of Aldokim – No Marker |
| Postnikoff | F.V. | Jun 15, 1902 | Aug 1, 1954 | |
| Postnikoff | Harry | Oct 9, 1947 | Dec 7, 1949 | Child of Sam – No Marker |
| Postnikoff | Johnny | Bef. 1924 | Bef. 1928 | Child of Aldokim – No Marker |
| Postnikoff | Larry J. | Jun 10, 1879 | Apr 28, 1966 | No Marker |
| Postnikoff | Luba | – | – | Child of Aldokim – No Marker |
| Postnikoff | Martha M. | 1862 | – | Nee Bloodoff – No Marker |
| Postnikoff | Mary | 1864 | Sep 1, 1949 | Nee Perehudoff – No Marker |
| Postnikoff | Molly | – | Feb 5, 1932 | Child of Andrew – No Marker |
| Postnikoff | Natasha | Bef. 1927 | Bef. 1928 | Child of Aldokim – No Marker |
| Postnikoff | Pete A. | Apr 10, 1914 | Jun 2, 1933 | Child of Andrew – No Marker |
| Postnikoff | William P. | Dec 10, 1896 | Jul 25, 1955 | |
| Postnikoff | William J. | Apr 2, 1866 | Apr 3, 1953 | No Marker |
| Postnikoff | Zachari | Abt. 1863 | – | No Marker |
| Reibin | John S. | 1846 | 1920 | |
| Reibin | Mary J. | 1849 | 1921 | Nee Shukin – Wife of John |
| Repin | Katrina | May 5, 1878 | Apr 11, 1955 | Nee Zbitneff – No Marker |
| Semenoff | Charles R. | Mar 22, 1936 | May 9, 1936 | Child of John – No Marker |
| Sofonoff | Alex J. | Apr 8, 1919 | Oct 31, 1945 | |
| Sofonoff | Mikisha | 1870 | – | No Marker |
| Sofonoff | Polly J. | Aug 1, 1871 | Oct 10, 1943 | Nee Nechvolodoff – No Marker |
| Stoopnikoff | Margaret | – | – | Child of Joe – No Marker |
| Zeboroff | Fanny | – | – | Wife of John – No Marker |
| Zeboroff | Fred E. | Nov 25, 1898 | Dec 31, 1969 | |
| Zeboroff | Grace | Sep 12, 1938 | Jun 18, 1944 | Child of Fred – No Marker |
| Zeboroff | John | Abt. 1838 | Aug 12, 1928 | No Marker |
| Zeboroff | John | Jan 1, 1912 | Apr 27, 1972 | No Marker |
| Zeboroff | Mary | Apr 28, 1940 | Sep 1, 1940 | Child of Fred – No Marker |
| Zeboroff | Pearl | Apr 12, 1887 | Jul 10, 1960 | Nee Gritchen – No Marker |
| Zeboroff | Pete W. | Oct 1, 1908 | Feb 5, 1957 | No Marker |
| Zeboroff | William I. | Jun 1, 1886 | Jun 12, 1966 | No Marker |
View of the cemetery from the west facing east. Note it is partially wooded.
View of the cemetery plaque at gate.
Notes
Various sources of data have been used in compiling this information, including: marker transcriptions, oral tradition and death registrations. This is a work in progress. If readers have any comments, corrections or additions with respect to Champion Creek (Blagodatnoye) Cemetery, please contact: Lawrna S. Myers.
