Alone in the Cemetery

I am one of those people who have spent a great deal of time in cemeteries. Originally my family would go out to the cemetery where my relatives were buried and we would have a picnic and clean the grave sites. There is just my sister and I left and we still go out in the spring, get rid of the weeds and have a picnic. It is a family tradition, but I don't know what will happen after we are gone. My sister and I have also searched throughout Saskatchewan to find and photograph headstones of extended family members. 

A couple of years back I was searching for graves of WWI vets in the Cupar cemetery and I came across a grave for a child named Stanley Robert Whiskin who was not even 3 when he died. There was no mention of his parents and there were no other family graves. He was totally alone. I found it sad. 

                                                                                                            Cupar Herald 19 February 1914

Since then I have found out a lot about the family and about his death. 

 His father was B.R.(Bert) Whiskin from Great Yarmouth Norfolk England.

 He came to Cupar in 1905 and opened one of the first businesses here, a barbershop and pool hall.

 Later he had a land company. 

Three other brothers came later, one (Fred) would become editor of the Cupar Herald.

 Two (Arthur and Frank) would serve in WWI and survive. Both young men sent letters home, which were published in the Cupar Herald.

 A sister (Cicelyn) would also come and marry a fellow from Saskatoon named William Simpson. The grandfather (Robert) of little Stanley would also come later but returned frequently to England, especially in the winters, and eventually stayed in England. 

None of the descendants of the Whiskins live in the Cupar area, but they are an important part of it's history.