In September 1898, homesteads were made available in Township 17, Range 1E north of Teulon in the Crescent Lake and Norris Lake areas. A large group of Scandinavian settlers made their way up the Colonization Road (now Highway #17) to claim 160-acre homesteads by paying a $10 fee. Others followed in 1899. Many of these settlers were carpenters, masons, and brick layers, and they created the foundations of the Norris Lake settlement. Eventually many left for Winnipeg or elsewhere since they found it impossible to make a living on the land. A post office served the district from 1904 to 1925.
In 1904 a diphtheria epidemic swept through the district, taking the lives of many children. Medical attention was miles away, in Teulon or Stonewall. One family lost three children and a father. A cemetery was established on NW21-17-1E. The last burial was around 1923. A new burial site was established on 10-17-1E in 1907.
A plaque, dedicated in 2004, contains the surnames of pioneer families who once lived in the district, some of whom are buried in unmarked graves in this cemetery.
Norris Lake Pioneer Cemetery (May 2024)
Source: Rose Kuzina
Norris Lake Pioneer Cemetery monument (July 2010)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Norris Lake Pioneer Cemetery (June 2021)
Source: George Penner
Norris Lake Pioneer Cemetery plaque (July 2023)
Source: Glen ToewsSite Coordinates (lat/long): N50.47418, W97.40317
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Norris Lake Cemetery (RM of Rockwood)
A list of burials in this cemetery is available from the Manitoba Genealogical Society, including a searchable online database available to members at the MGS Manitoba Name Index (MANI). Some additional information is contained in the 1996 MGS publication Carved in Stone: Manitoba Cemeteries and Burial Sites, revised edition, Special Projects Publication, 106 pages.
We thank George Penner, Glen Toews, and Rose Kuzina for providing information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 19 July 2024
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