Now a non-denominational cemetery, the St Michael's Cemetery was established by a group of Roman Catholic families who were dissatisfied with the policies in place at the nearby Holy Rosary RC Cemetery. In 1914, they set up their own cemetery board with no parish affiliation and began burials on this small plot of land. Today, it continues to be operated by a local board.

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During the period from 1895 to 1902 the Ukrainian settlers began coming to the Pleasant Home district. Several hundred families settled there and received and sent large quantities of mail. You can imagine how eager these people were to receive letters and mail from their former European home. It was quite an experience to be at Pleasant Home when the mail arrived. None of the Europeans could talk English, and at first neither Mr. nor Mrs. Madill, nor any of their family, could speak or read Ukrainian, or Polish or any of the new settlers' languages. Shortly after these new settlers arrived, Mr. Madill added a small store to his house and Post Office, hoping to develop some business and he did. Interpreters were secured from time to time and in a few months, Mrs. Madill, who managed the office and store, became quite expert in her dealings with the newcomers. The younger group were very eager to learn English and helped their parents and Mrs. Madill with the many letters, papers and parcels that were coming to them from Europe, The mail was quite heavy to Pleasant Home for at least two years after Teulon Post Office was opened and until Komarno was opened; then the majority of the new settlers used the new offices, and (to post office at) Pleasant Home was closed.

The first Ukrainian settlers that arrived in what is now the Pleasant Home district came in the year 1897. There were already English settlers there who had come from Ontario, Those that arrived in 1897 were Messrs. Yakimischak, Hryiuk, Rurok Dernchuk, Anton Walchuk, Elias Chreptyk, Wasyl Porayko, John Roga, Stephen Dragan, George Lukaschuk, William Boitson, John W. Drohomereski, Metro Dmytro Genik, George Kuzych and Nykola Romanchuk, Then in the following year, 1898, there arrived Mr. Hrykor, P. Drohomereski, John Drohomereski, N. W. Drohomercski and Peter W. Drohomereski, These early settlers made their living by working for the English settlers, who in turn gave them small plots of land for gardens and also the necessary seed. Some of these plots were as many as five miles from their homes. This gave them an opportunity to grow vegetables and potatoes until they could get some land cleared of their own. For their meat supplies they hunted moose, partridges and rabbits.

(Source: Rockwood Echoes - 90 Years of Progress (1870 - 1960), p 16, pp 320f [TBD; Adapted])

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A monument in this cemetery commemorates five of the many Ukrainian pioneer families who homesteaded in this area during late the 19th century: Porayko, Chreptyk, Lukaschuk, Dragan, and Roga.

(Source: Manitoba Historical Society [Adapted])

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Dominion Land Survey coordinates: LSD03-32-17-03-E1

In the Rural Municipality of Rockwood

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A part of the community's story, and those of its inhabitants, from the early days of European settlement through roughly 1982 is told in the volumes "Rockwood Echoes - 90 Years of Progress (1870 - 1960)" and "100 Years of History, Rockwood Municipality".

Free digital versions of these and many other Manitoba local history books can be found online in the University of Manitoba Digital Collections. There is also a list of such books organized by district and town name on the Manitoba Historical Society's website on their page entitled "Finding Aid: Manitoba Local History Books".

A list of burials in this cemetery is available from the Manitoba Genealogical Society (reference #0790), transcribed by a member or members in 1993. Also available to MGS members is a searchable online database named the "MGS Manitoba Name Index" (or MANI). Some additional information is contained in the 1996 MGS publication "Carved in Stone: Manitoba Cemeteries and Burial Sites" (revised edition, Special Projects Publication, 106 pages).

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Additionally, the Ukrainian Museum of Canada (Manitoba Branch) centralizes, curates and makes available extensive records from various groups related to the communities established by the families of Ukrainian descent who settled lived in, died in, or contributed to the story of Manitoba.

As well, the Ogniwo Polish Museum centralizes, curates and makes available extensive records from various groups related to the communities established by the families of Polish descent who settled, lived in, died in, or contributed to the story of Manitoba.