Historic Sites of Manitoba: Berbank Memorial Church (Municipality of Grassland)

In 1919, the school districts of Bertha and Riverbank united to build a church as a memorial to four men who gave their lives in the First World War. In 1944, the people of the Berbank district dedicated a plaque in front of the church to local pioneers and those who served in the First World War, Second World War, Korean War, and peacekeeping. The church, in what is now the Municipality of Grassland, served as a place of worship until it closed in 1966. The congregation united with one at Nesbitt in June 1966, forming the Nesbitt-Berbank United Church, and the former church building was used as a community centre.

Berbank Memorial Church (August 2010) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Berbank Memorial Church (September 2024) Source: Connor McDowell Interior of Berbank Memorial Church (September 2024) Source: Connor McDowell Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.53274, W99.91336 denoted by symbol on the map above

First World War Fatalities

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
John Thompson “Jack” Fisher [Nesbitt, Next of Kin, Norwood Methodist, Wawanesa, Wawanesa, Wesley College]	Student	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lieutenant	25 December 1890	30 August 1917
Joseph Henry Hardwick [Nesbitt, Wawanesa]	Farmer	5th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery	Acting Bombardier	14 October 1893	13 April 1917
Henry Lyle Martin [Nesbitt, Wawanesa]	Farmer	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	25 April 1890	22 November 1918
Cecil Edmund Minary [Nesbitt, Wawanesa]	Farmer	52nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	6 July 1895	28 August 1918

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Nesbitt-Berbank United Church (Nesbitt, Municipality of Oakland-Wawanesa)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Oakland Commemorative Monument (Nesbitt, Municipality of Oakland-Wawanesa)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Riverbank School No. 384 (Municipality of Grassland)

Sources:

Oakland Echoes, 1879-1970 by J. B. Rome, 1970, page 21.

We thank Connor McDowell (Brandon Sun) for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Darryl Toews.

Page revised: 9 September 2024

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