Old Efremovka Cemetery Site – Kamsack District, Saskatchewan

The following is a transcription of the Old Efremovka Doukhobor Cemetery Site located 5 miles south-west of Kamsack, Saskatchewan. Rural Municipality of Cote No. 271. Land location: SW 20-29-32 West of First. Latitude: 51°31.613. Longitude: 101°557.882. Compiled September 24, 2005 by Jonathan J. Kalmakoff with Fred S. Petroff & Fred J. Strelieff. 

View of the cemetery site from the grid facing north. It is located to the immediate right of the

building in the foreground. It is now under cultivation.

Historical Background

Old Efremovka Cemetery was established in 1899 by the Doukhobors of Old Efremovka village near Kamsack. After the abandonment and relocation of the village site in 1905, the cemetery ceased to be actively used. In the 1950’s, the cemetery site was destroyed. It is privately owned.

Layout

According to tradition, the cemetery was approximately a tenth of an acre in size. The cemetery contained approximately 5 interments in one or more rows facing east-west. The graves were unmarked. When the site was cleared in the 1950’s, all traces of the cemetery were removed.

Driving Directions

To access the cemetery, travel west from Kamsack on Highway No. 5 for a 1/2 mile (.8 km). Turn south and continue on the gravel road for 2 3/4 miles (4.4 km). Then turn west on the gravel road and continue for 2 miles (3.2 km). Turn north and follow the dirt road for a 1/2 mile (.8 km).  The dirt road winds eastward and stops in front of an old farm building located along the north-west boundary of the quarter-section. The cemetery site is approximately 100 yards (91.4 m) from the building. This cemetery site is on private property and permission to access should be obtained by the owners.

Burials

There is no burial register, cemetery plot map, death certificates, grave markers or other records for the Old Efremovka Cemetery site. However, the following families resided in Old Efremovka village and may have members buried at the Old Efremovka Cemetery site: Barisoff, Cheveldeoff, Dubasoff, Hancheroff, Kazakoff, Khokhlin, Krigin, Parkin, Pereverzeff, Pramorukoff, Sherstobitoff, Stoochnoff, Voikin.

Notes

Special thanks to Mike Nadane for assisting in locating the cemetery. This is a work in progress. If readers have any comments, corrections or additions with respect to the Old Efremovka Cemetery site, please contact Jonathan J. Kalmakoff.