DeWitt Township, Clinton Co., MI
(2011)
This active cemetery located at the corner of Wood and Clark Roads is very well maintained with burials dating back to 1855*. The first burial was Ora Gunnison. What is now section A (lots 1-60) was given by his father, Elihu Gunnison, for use as a public cemetery. There are six burial plots in each lot.
All markers were read by Ken Coin and Wayne Summers in the fall of 2000. This reading was then compared with the 1938 reading of the cemetery and the sexton’s records. There are a number of unknown early graves interred before accurate sexton’s records were kept. Some of these graves were discovered in 1978-79 after the cemetery had resold what was thought to be unused plots. The cemetery was reread and all markers photographed in April 2011. Sexton’s records were checked in August 2011.
*The gravestone of Ora Gunnison appears to read d. 6/11/1858. However, Thomas Worden, who died in 1857 is said to have been a pallbearer at the funeral of his best friend Ora Gunnison. Furthermore, census records would indicate a death date of 1855 would be a near match of his age at time of death.
Abbreviations:
SR = Sexton’s Records a. = age at death
GAR = Grand Army of the Republic d. = died
Bur. = Burial* fs = family source
SAW = Spanish American War OES = Order of Eastern Stars
WW = World War F&AM = Free and Accepted Masons
WCTU = Women’s Christian Temperance Union
*
Burial dates in the sexton’s records sometimes are the date of death.
Records:
Gunnisonville
Cemetery Records – Lot Order PDF
Gunnisonville
Cemetery Records – Name Order PDF
Lot
Map:
Gunnisonville
Cemetery Map PDF
8/2011