When: 1:30 PM March 29, 2008

Where: Triangle Oasis Pine Room Winkler MB ­ Corner Hwys 14 & 32

Present: (in order of surname alphabetically) Betty Elias (Winkler), George B. Elias (Winnipeg), Peter & Mary Fehr (Sanford), John Peters (Land owner, Haskett/Kronsfeld), Ernest Unrau (Morden), Art Warkentine (Winkler), Alan & Helen Warkentin (Haskett), Lawrence Warkentin (Morden), Frank Wieler (Winkler), John Wieler (Winkler) - 12 in total

Opening: Chairman Art Warkentine welcomed the attendees. He reported that the nasty weather and other commitments kept others from attending, but it was still a good attendance. He reported that with recent donations and pledges, the Kronsfeld account balance now stands at $ 3291.16. He shared that he still remembered a marked cemetery at Kronsfeld, and that his father and others were concerned that there was now nothing to mark the cemetery, and that it would be good to get it done.

Presentation: Alan Warkentin presented a Power Point presentation, showing a brief history of Kronsfeld, its inhabitants, and of some of the burials that took place there. To date 42 burials are confirmed there. The options of different ways of marking the cemetery was presented. He reported on quotes from Hillcrest Memorials, (Schanzenfeld) and South MB Memorials, (Winnipeg). There are many different possibilities depending on font size of plaque, granite slab, etc. Alan also reported on the cost and implications of having a caveat for the cemetery registered. A similar caveat registered on a cemetery in 2007 was $400.

Report: Ernest Unrau reported on the website he has set up for the Kronsfeld Cemetery Project, and asked if others could also submit information to make the website more complete. Ernest reported on quotes from three plaque firms: Behrends Bronze ( Edmonton) Shim Bronze ( Quebec) & Checker Signs ( Morden ) Other options were of porcelain plaques, bronze etching, and granite. Many options of layout and font size were presented.

Decisions made by general consensus:

• The issue of having a caveat on the cemetery should be pursued. The landowner John Peters agreed to that. Lawrence Warkentin agreed to be in charge of seeing that it gets done.
• The cemetery should be marked with the names on a bronze plaque and mounted on colored cement in a style as the Schoenwiese monument.
• The corners of the cemetery should be marked with flat cement pads with piers down so that they can not be shifted easily.
• It is OK if the landowner grazes cattle on the cemetery plot. That keeps maintenance at a minimum. The plaque will be sturdy enough to withstand the bumping of cattle.
• Ernest Unrau is in charge of getting the plaque ordered. The plaque is to be mounted by a professional, preferably by the business that the plaque is ordered from.
• George B. Elias and Alan Warkentin will finalize a list of names and dates to be placed on the plaque. There are still some questions of names to be on the plaque, the spelling of some names, and some dates which have variables. Ernest can not order a plaque until this is done. The estimated time for a plaque to be done when ordered is two months.
• A plaque dedication service is a good idea, but no plans will be made for that until a plaque has been ordered and we can be sure that the plaque will be mounted by the day of the service.

Closing: Chairman Art Warkentine thanked those present for attending.

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