Ooteshenia Cemetery – Buchanan District, Saskatchewan

The following is a transcription of the Ooteshenia Doukhobor Cemetery located 7 miles south-east of Buchanan, Saskatchewan. Rural Municipality of Good Lake No. 274. Land location: SW 31-30-5 West of Second. Latitude: 51°38.468. Longitude: 102°42.505. Transcribed October 2, 2004 by Jonathan J. Kalmakoff with Fred S. Petroff & Fred J. Strelieff. 

View of the cemetery from the west facing east.

Historical Background

Ooteshenia (aka Utesheniye) Cemetery was established in 1900 by the Doukhobors of Utesheniye village. After the abandonment of the village in 1913, the cemetery continued to be used by local Doukhobors until the 1950’s. It is no longer in active use. The cemetery was restored by a committee in 1985-1986 and since that time has been maintained in very good condition. It is privately owned.

Layout

The cemetery is approximately one acre in size and is enclosed by iron fence posts. There is an open gate on the west side. The cemetery contains 66 interments in a single section comprised of six rows facing east-west. Over half the graves (45) have no marker and the mounds have been leveled. I have used death certificates and oral tradition to identify eight of these. The remaining 38 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 from Buchanan, travel south on Highway No. 47 for 5 3/4 miles (9.3 km). Then turn east on Secondary Route No. 651 for 2 3/4 miles (4.4 km). Turn north-west on the gravel road and continue for 1 1/4 mile (2 km). To access the cemetery from Canora, travel west on Secondary Route No. 651 for 11 1/4 miles (18 km). Turn north-west on the gravel road and continue for 1 1/4 mile (2 km). The cemetery is on the east side of the road, approximately 1/4 mile (.4 km) from the road allowance. This cemetery is on private property and permission to access should be obtained by the owners.

Transcription

Surname Name Birth Date Death Date Comments
Chutskoff Wasyl W. Dec. 29, 1914 Apr. 14, 1918
Eletskoff Annie A. 1862 1936
Holoboff Louis G. 1921 1921 No Marker
Holoboff Pauline W. 1841 1927 No Marker
Kotelnikoff Lukian T. 1885 1956 No Marker
Kotelnikoff Martha J. 1883 1965 No Marker
Kotelnikoff Mary H. 1857 1936 No Marker
Katelnikoff * Timofey T. 1857 Oct. 14, 1928 Died – age 71 years
Konkin * Avdotia F. 1880 Jan. 4, 1949 Died – age 69 years
Konkin * P.W. 1874 May 11, 1935 Died – age 61 years
Ozoroff Alex W. 1877  Sep. 3, 1948
Petroff Agafia 1855 1934 Nee Eletskoff
Petroff Alexei D. 1846 1924 No Marker
Petroff Dmitry N. 1825 1914 No Marker
Petroff Peter D. 1852 1949
Petroff Polly G. 1910 1926 No Marker
Petroff * Vasily D. 1855 1940
Petroff Wasyl G. 1924 1924 No Marker
Strelioff * Havrila S. Jul. 25, 1838 Mar. 27, 1910
Strelioff * Praskovia A. Oct. 20, 1839 Jun. 10, 1911
Strilaiff Peter H. Jun. 29, 1863 Oct. 12, 1919
Sukovaoff Florence Aug. 3, 1925 Aug. 28, 1943
Sukovaoff * Mikhail N. 1886 May 1, 1903 Died – age 17 years
Sukovaoff Nick W. 1860 1944 No Marker
Sukovaoff * Vasily A. 1826 Jun. 14, 1900 Died – age 74 years
Verigin Evdokia N. 1847 May 25, 1924 Died – age 77 years
Zeibin * George J. 1876 1961
Zeibin * Ivan N. 1850 Jul. 18, 1922
Zeibin John G. 1901 Aug. 20, 1936 Died – age 35 years
Zeibin Marfa F. 1878 1951  
Zeibin * Maria V. 1850 Mar. 4, 1924 Died – age 74 years

*Translated from Russian.

Stone cairn at the cemetery gate.

View of the cemetery from the north-west facing south-east.

Notes

Various sources of data have been used in compiling this information, including: marker transcriptions, death certificates and oral tradition. I have photos of the headstones and would be happy to share them. This is a work in progress. If readers have any comments, corrections or additions with respect to Ooteshenia Cemetery, please contact Jonathan J. Kalmakoff.