This summer as a result of participating in our Branch‘s cemetery transcribing project, I re-visited the history of my community‘s little country church. Roseville Church was 1 1/2 miles down the road from our farm beside Roseville Cemetery. However, to preserve the building, it is now located at the Chapman Museum just a short distance from its original location. This little church has given me a glimpse into what rural life was like for my husband, Don, while he was growing up. Inside there is the organ that his grandmother used to pump out the music on Sunday morning, Attendance Roll charts hanging on the wall listing himself, his siblings, cousins and friends with stars strung out behind their names, hymn books along with many other items relating to the church and the people who once attended the services.

After taking some photographs of the church, of memorabilia and reminiscing with Lois Allen, I dug out my "From Generations to Generations" history book as compiled by the Committee and Members of the Kirkham Bridge Women‘s Institute. The following, with permission is their article about Rosedale Church.

The English Church which had been holding services in this new settlement a few years previous to the building of Roseville Church, was first represented by the Reverend Shepherd, minister at Rapid City, and it is something worthy of note that the English Church has given a steady and continuous service up to the present time.

For the Baptist, Mr. Westwood, a local preacher, was the first to occupy the pulpit. When the Baptist College was instituted at Brandon, the students used to fill the vacancies, one of whom in later years was the Reverend K. Stone, a preacher in the First Baptist Church,. This denomination, at one time, held their baptismal service at the ―Ford‖ four miles straight west of Roseville, on the Little Saskatchewan River. It attracted many spectators; some even came the night before to set up camp so that they would be on hand early to get a choice seat on the bank, to witness the event.

A Methodist, Reverend Davies, is supposed to have held the very first service in the church on March 30th, 1884. One Methodist preacher stands out in the memory of one of the first church-goers. He could quote scripture ‘ad lib‘, his ordinary conversation was full of Scriptural texts and sayings, and his invocations were something extraordinary. He would begin very softly then get to forte, gradually working up to crescendo, until at last one could almost hear him a mile away, hammering at the Throne of Grace.

The Congregationalists were first supplied by the Y. M. C. A. of Brandon, who gave some very interesting and lively meetings. Reverend Mason ministered for several years, as did Mr. H. Cater, then Mayor of Brandon.

About 1915, the Methodists withdrew their minister from Roseville as he had a large charge which took in Forrest; Wesley and Bethel. The Congregational Church in Brandon, from where this denomination had drawn its supply of ministers was closed, so this left only the Anglican and Baptist denominations. For some time the Baptists carried on services but when the divinity course was no longer offered at Brandon College, it was found too difficult to secure someone to take services, so they too dropped out. Then for the next twenty-five years the Anglican and Union services alternated until gradually for various reasons the Union services were discontinued.

Through the years several changes have been made to the Church, all by voluntary labour. An addition, 16 x 16 was built in 1896, which increased the seating capacity considerably. In 1909 a basement was dug, then in 1926 a new foundation was placed under it, and a new furnace installed. It was repainted inside and out and another carpet purchased for the platform. In 1942 the interior was lined with gyproc and painted. The original seats and pulpit were made and donated by Mr. James Varcoe; but in 1952 these seats were sent to the mission at Snow Lake and Roseville fell heir to the pews from the disused Church at Wheatland. An altar was added in 1944, and a Booker Furnace some time later. In 1953 the building was wired for electricity. The building has served many purposes—for Sunday School classes, concerts (Christmas and otherwise), meeting place for the Circle of Kings Daughter‘s, Ladies Aid, Women‘s Auxiliary and Junior Auxiliary, and sometimes for picnic suppers, 25th, 50th, 70th and 100th Anniversaries have been celebrated.
 

What a wealth of recollections these two words bring to the minds of those whose lives were coincident with the beginning and building of that Church, memories sweet and bitter, memories of joys and sorrows, memories of dear ones ―loved long since and lost awhile,‖ memories that are ever hallowed by the fleeting wings of Time. One cannot tell the story of Roseville Church without mentioning some of the incidents leading up to its beginning and building which has meant so much to the people of this district, and is held in such affectionate remembrance by all those who were members from its earliest history.

During January, 1882, Mr. William Peirson, visiting the Varcoes in Portage la Prairie, remarked to Mrs. Varcoe (then principal of Portage Collegiate), ―We are looking forward to the time when you settle on your homestead, so that you can take a Bible Class for our boys on the Sabbath‖. When she arrived on her farm Mr. Peirson called again, and urged the formation of a Bible Class. Accordingly on Easter Sunday, March 25th, 1883, at the invitation of Mr. and Mrs. James Varcoe eight young people gathered at their home to form a Class and to study God‘s word. Later on it was urged that the  ̳heads of the families should enjoy the privileges of Christian Worship‘, so through the summer of that year services were held in four different homes (Peirson‘s, Caporn‘s, Varcoe‘s and probably Cousin‘s), hymns were sung, with a word of prayer. It was found that at the end of a year, an average of 21 persons had been present each Sunday.

It should be emphasized here, that the formation and origin of Roseville Mission Hall (as it was then called) was greatly due to the efforts and sincere sense of Christian duty and service held by the James Varcoes, who have long since passed to the  ̳Great Beyond‘. In the spring of 1884, when the need of a place of worship was apparent to everyone, two friends went around collecting and canvassing for the necessary funds. Everyone visited, gave, or promised willingly sums of money, and also the needed labour for building this first church in Daly Municipality.
Mr. Varcoe donated two acres of land in the northeast corner of his farm on 8-11- 20 for a church site and burial ground. Thirteen teams hauled the building materials from Brandon, free of charge, then work commenced. A structure 16 x 24 was soon erected ―for the people had a mind to work‖ and the first service was held on Easter Sunday, April 13th, 1884. It might here be stated that owing to the smallness of any one denomination, it was thought better to make it a Union Church and to pool the funds under one treasurer. Each denomination — Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist and Congregationalist, held its own service one Sunday of the each month, which on the whole worked very successfully, as everyone joined heartily in the services whether it was their particular denomination or not.

In connection with this it might be said  ̳in passing‘ that while those inside the Church were singing ―Peace, perfect Peace‖, with every sign of concord and unity, there was often disunity outside. As is well known, in country places there is always a large canine population. So it was in those days. Every farmer was the possessor of two or three dogs and no doubt the latter did not see why they could not follow a team or buggy on Sundays as well as week days, so there generally was a goodly array of Church- going dogs.

Often when the congregation was singing a hymn, some dogs more musically inclined than the rest would join in, which did not contribute to the melody, but which not doubt, they thought a howling success. At other times just as the minister was beginning his  ̳thirdly‘, a dogmatic discussion would start up outside by some dogs belong perhaps to a Baptist or Episcopalian member, others would join in and it would end up in a  ̳free- for-all‘. This was very disturbing and tantalizing to the younger portion of the congregation inside, particularly when they could hear some of the boys at the back slipping out to see the fun. Sometimes an elder of the Church would go out ostensibly to stop the noise, but it was thought he really went to see that his dogs didn‘t get the worst of the discussion. Roseville, in those days, boasted a choir and choir master. One choir leader of note was Mr. George Mann who was a gold medalist, having sung before Queen Victoria. He proved to be master of any situation, when for instance on the Sunday morning that Mrs. Fred Caporn‘s big collie dog followed her to Church and as she took her place in the choir the dog took his place under her seat. While the first hymn was being sung the dog began to howl. Mr. Mann turned when (he) heard the sound and said, "The soprano is out".

1959 saw Roseville celebrate its 75th Anniversary. The Anglican Ministers from Rivers continued to conduct services, but finally, because of changing times, it was felt that it would be better to amalgamate with St. James Anglican Church in Rivers. A once a year service and picnic continued to be held at Roseville.

In 1979 the Roseville congregation decided to close Roseville Church, and the building was donated and moved to the Albert Chapman Museum. The annual service and picnic have continued to be held on the Museum Grounds.

In 1983 a special service took place, to unveil and dedicate a cairn which now stands in Roseville Cemetery, where close by for so many years the community had gathered to worship. Centennial year, 1984, also was celebrated with thankfulness for 100 years of worship, fellowship, and neighborliness in Roseville Community. Indeed, Roseville Church has remained a Beacon Light, casting its rays of Christian influence and blessings into the hearts and lives of all who lived within the radius of its beam.