Volunteers with the Alberta Family Histories Society are at Queens Park Cemetery taking photos of markers and recording names and dates on themA dedicated group of volunteers make up the Alberta Family Histories Society and they travel from Edmonton to the farthest points south of the province to record names and dates on grave markers.
Schultz says it can be a challenge to find all the hidden cemeteries in rural areas, and in some cases the volunteers are left with little information on grave markers. "It's a great resource source for people checking on families," he said. "People that love family history, are looking for their relatives, are looking for perhaps surnames, I'm also a member of a surname society, and being able to connect the dots so people that have family histories, on ancestry and so on, they need all that background information to enhance and complete their whole family research.
Williams says she enjoys wandering through some of the city's older cemeteries to read the epitaphs that date back to the 1800's. Many markers were made of sandstone that was in abundance in the region in Calgary's early days. "He was quite a colorful character," she added, " did a lot of interesting things in his time, has a wonderful little cemetery for him and his two wives, just on the shores of Waterton Lakes, white picket fence, lake and mountains in the background -- just a beautiful sight.
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