SEASONAL NOTE: The snow is VERY deep in the area. The parking spot waypoint is full of snow. If you attempt this find parking elsewhere, and bring snowshoes!
This is a PUZZLE Cache. The container is NOT at the posted coordinates.
To find the container, you must first read the information below.
This is a SOLVE FROM ANYWHERE puzzle.
The Location:
Hidden down in the shadows of the Trans-Canada Highway 17b, in Keewatin, at the foot of a steep embankment, stands a concrete cross-topped slab with no inscriptions on it; a mysterious object. In fact, it is the last remaining evidence of the St. Louis of France Roman Catholic Church Cemetery in Keewatin. This site was recently researched by Laureen Parsons, who, in 2008, had compiled a list of the people who were buried here.
The list includes a total of 23 people. All but one of the burials in this site dates from 1901-1907. Winters must have been harsh during these years, as a majority of deaths, especially infant ones, were occurring during the winter season. Most of the inhabitants were from tight-knit families, related to each other in some way or another. Almost all were French descendants or first generation immigrants. Many not only shared last names, but often first names as well. Of the 23 residents, 6 are named Joseph and a whopping 13 are named Marie. 57% of the inhabitants are named Marie.
It can be said that this is a children’s cemetery. The overall average age of its inhabitants is 10 years old. 17% of the burials here are stillborn births. 54% of the inhabitants are under a year of age. This is unusual to say the least.
This puzzle cache is designed to give you to opportunity to learn about the roughly two dozen people who, over 100 years ago, made this their final resting place. Mill construction victims, families ravaged by typhoid fever. And many other stories await.
The Task:
Answer the questions listed below. Use the answer sheet image provided. The colours matter. Decode the puzzle to find the final coordinates of the container.
You can check your final answer for this puzzle on Geochecker.com.
The Questions:
i) Here lies a middle aged, first generation immigrant from France. She lost three-month old twins in 1903, herself passing just 13 months later at the age of 36, survived by 5 children. One of them also dies of the same affliction a month later at the age of 16. Who is she?
ii) Here lies a pair of immigrant workers, one from Eastern Europe, the other from Michigan, USA. Both share the same first name, and both died in their mid twenties, when they were killed in separate construction accidents during the building of the flour mill in Keewatin. Who are they?
iii) Here lies a child who, after 7 months of struggle, died form begin “born weakly” Who is he?
iv) Though buried elsewhere, this couple lost both of their infant children to unknown causes. Who are they?
v) Here lies a young girl who died at only a month old from 'internal trouble'. Who is she?
vi) Here lies a girl who was stillborn; the final child buried here, almost 40 years after the previous burial. The reason for this remains unknown. Who is she?
vii) Here lies a 53 year old woman, the oldest person to be buried here. She originally traveled to Keewatin from Quebec. Who is she?
viii) Here lies a young boy who, at 2 years 9 months old, died of ‘suffocation’. Who is he?
ix) Here lies a 49 year old shoes maker who was born 1856. Who is he?
x) At the site of the old church (location unknown) lie three children between the ages of three and seven months. All are buried in the basement of the church. Who are they?
These images are produced by DIANE DILLON, who transcribed the information about this cemetery site into these images
The records for these transcriptions were gathered by LAUREEN PARSONS, who now volunteers her time to maintain the cemetery site.
These images were originally published here: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~murrayp/kenora/keewatin/stlouis/
