For some years now I have been a volunteer for the RCMP Grave Inspection and Maintenance Program. My work has included photographing the gravesites of former RCMP members, giving a description of the condition of the headstone and plot and in some cases material, such as obituaries, collected on the subject. Since the RCMP was formed from the former North West Mounted Police, those of the NWMP are also rightfully included.
After becoming a resident of Agassiz, I took some time to look at the Kent Municipal Cemetery “The Old Agassiz Cemetery” on Limbert Road and found two former NWMP members buried there. One of the burials really caught my attention, so I researched him thoroughly and found him an extremely interesting man.
After I had exhausted what I could glean on this man, and his wife, the genealogist in me kicked in and I became interested in whom else was buried there and what their story might be.
This research has had me involved for about three years now and I have found material on all but 20 of the burials. I’ve explored all of the normal avenues through public archives to obtain information and have accumulated a mini genealogy on most with records and would like to finish The old Agassiz Cemetery files.
There is no doubt that there are still people who are related to the forefathers of Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs, Harrison Mills etc. still living in our community and it would be wonderful if they could step forward and share some information on their ancestors to help to complete the files.
The finished records will be held at the Agassiz, Harrison Museum in Agassiz as genealogical files of the early people who once worked and resided in this area and all that are buried in “The Old Agassiz Cemetery.”
if any of your readers are descendants of one of these pioneers or if anyone has information, no matter how small, that they would like to contribute to this project they can phone the Agassiz-Harrison Museum at 604-796-3545.
Linda Shepard
Agassiz, BC
