The handful of church buildings scattered across the prairies are fairly well documented. All of the ones Paul and I have visited seem to be maintained and looked after by a group or church denomination somewhere else. Many of these are well marked on our maps in coordination with a nearby cemetery. They all have their own unique story.
The first church building Paul and I biked to was the Kenlis United Church. Kenlis is a former farming community south of the Abernethy area. The church is the only building left standing. It was friendly to find a guest book on a podium that visitors were encouraged to sign. I wasn’t expecting to find any welcoming signs in an empty building on this bike journey. Much less open doors and a guest book.
North of the church are two legendary landmarks: The Anderson farmhouse and the Kenlis Cemetery. All three places are linked together in a unique story posted in a frame inside the church. With few details, it tells of a Ms. Bates, a visitor at the new fieldstone home by the Anderson family. Out the back window, she was looking at a picturesque coulee that drains into the Peasant Creek and mentioned this would be an ideal place for a cemetery. Then three weeks later, Ms. Bates was the first to be buried there.
During a later trip, Paul and I visited both the Anderson Farmhouse and the Kenlis Cemetery and found Ms. Bates’ grave from 1891.