The Lipton Jewish Cemetery is about as unique as you will ever find on the prairies. Our Balcarres hosts suggested the place to us today, so we stopped to visit on our way home. It is approximately 20 km north and 10 km west of Balcarres. According to the brief history displayed in the building on the property, it was started in 1901 or 1902 by Jewish settlers arriving from Romania. It is actually situated on a road allowance. Once the location error was discovered, a few feet of land was purchased on each side of the cemetery and the road was routed around to the west.
As is their custom in the old country, most graves are covered by concrete or stone slabs or small buildings. This was to deter wild animals from digging up fresh graves. Headstones are placed at the foot of the grave, facing east. Men are buried in one spot, boys in another and women and girls in yet another area.
The small building on the property houses a wood stove to heat water and a bath for cleansing as well as a cart/stretcher for transporting. There is a guest book, which we signed. The visitor list is quite active and recent, with people from Minnesota visiting on June 20, 2017.
The cemetery appears to be maintained with the support of the Regina Beth Jacob Synagogue. The last burial was in 1951.
The Prairie Fiddler 