Welcome to the Winkler Heritage Society Website!

We hope you will find the information on this website useful and educational. Please feel free to browse around and contact us if you have any question or comments about the site.

Stones and Stories

Grave stones do more than designate a location and preserve basic human data. The short line separating the two dates on every stone symbolizes a life. A grave stone is a testimony of the respect and esteem we continue to hold for that life. However, far too frequently, the stories surrounding that life are lost.

At their January, 2010 regular meeting, the Winkler Heritage Society board launched a new initiative, Stones and Stories, under the direction of Arnie Neufeld and Bruce Wiebe. The overall goal of this project is to preserve our cemeteries and preserve the history that can be gleaned from them.

An inventory will be taken of all the grave markers in the Winkler cemetery. Photos will be taken of all monuments and the families of those whose stones need repairs will be contacted.

Further, the committee will create an historical memories bank, containing a photo of the person buried in each cemetery site, a copy of the person’s obituary, and the location of each grave on the cemetery map. A photo of the corresponding monument will also be printed on each person’s page.

Because one of the main goals is to gather, preserve, and make available to all, a wealth of local historical information, individuals and families are requested to loan copies of obituaries (German or English) and photos of deceased family members to the Stones and Stories committee. All original copies will be returned. (Please attach an address to all obituaries and photos submitted.)

Copies of obituaries and photos can be dropped off at the Winkler Centennial Library front desk. They can also be forwarded by email. The email address is: stonesandstories@yahoo.ca. The mailing address is: Stones and Stories Project, c/o 1060 Pembina Avenue, Winkler, MB R6W 1X4.
For further information, or to obtain memory bank pages, contact Arnie Neufeld, 204-325-8009, arnieneufeld@mts.net