Gilbert Private Cemetery Located in the southwest corner of of Section 29 of Silver Creek Township and contains only the direct decedents of Wm. Gilbert. It is situated on a high bluff over looking Indian Lake. Only a private road on private land off Indian Lake Road reaches it.
GILBERT, Isaac Anderson son of /Wm. 52y 1884 Co K 5th Mich Cav was a
prisoner in the Libby Prison
Cynthia w/Wm 91y 1886
William 73y 1864
Veteran War of 1812 & a pioneer
Susan w/Eugene 1843 1915
Eugene
1833 1916
From the research files of Jeannie Watson
1. WILLIAM BAGWELL GILBERT (1791-2/18/1864, called Uncle Tommy) was born in Long Island, NY. He came to MI in 1839. He was the pioneer patriarch of the Silver Creek Twp. Gilberts & a Veteran of the War of 1812. His parents were John Gilbert (b. 1777) & Lena (Lany) Bagwell (b. 1777). His grandparents were William Gilbert (b. 1617) & Martha (unk. m/n). His ancestry was French & he died at age 73. He built "Gilbert's Castle" on the east bluff overlooking Indian Lake. His brother was Asenath Gilbert (1798-1885). Gilbert Five Generation Genealogy & the Book "History of Cass Co" (pg. 384) verifies William's date.
2. CYNTHIA SAMMONS (4/5/1795-1886, wife of Wm.) was born in Orange Co., NY. She was of German descent and died at age 91. The local Hawks Genealogy, the Five Generation Gilbert Genealogy my ancestors kept, and the following affiliate family trees on "Ancestry.com" all agree with a 1795 birth: Sammons, Cushing, Patterson, Cory, Gillum & Likins. Her parents were Cornelius Sammons & Margaret Potter. Her grandparents were Casey Sammons & Rebeccah Silver. Daughter Belinda Ann Gilbert"s birth date (1816-10/20/1868, wife of Abram Conklin, Indian Lake Cem.) prove that her mother could not have been born in 1815 & died at age 71 as many have believed (Cynthia would have been 1 year at Belinda's birth if that were true). There is not doubt Cynthia was born in 1795.
3. ISAAC ANDERSON GILBERT (1832-1884) was the SON of William & Cynthia (not Wm.'s brother), as many believed. If Isaac were William's brother, there would be a 41 year difference between their births. He died at age 52, and was a Veteran of the Civil War (Co. K 5th MI CAV, Libby Prison). These facts were verified by Civil War Records, the Gilbert Five Generation Genealogy, & local history books.
4. For the record William & Cynthia's children were: Belinda (m. Abram Conklin), Isaac Anderson (lived in Keeler), William (m. Mary O.), Eugene (m. Nina Root & Susan Tice, & lived in Gilbert's Castle for 50 years), Julia Ann (m. Daniel Blish), & Jane (m. Dexter Cushing).