Berrien County Genealogy Project presents...

Higbee / Bertrand's Protestant Cemetery

Bertrand, Niles Township, Berrien County, Michigan

Recorded by Daundra J. Baker, in 1965, re-visited often.

UPDATE: Sept 2003, Niles Twp. was granted title to this cemetery.

Photos and Transcriptions © 1965-2004, Daundra J. Baker - All rights reserved. budblossum@aol.com

This cemetery is No. 92 in the Michigan Cemetery Atlas of 1990. It is located in Block 19, Lots 1, 2 & 3 in the 1873 Berrien County plat book. It is at the end of Higgins Street on the right. Higgins Street turns west off of South 3rd Street/Old US-31, heading west out of Niles.

At the time of early pioneer settlement the only cemeteries in the Bertrand area was a cemetery at the Saint Joseph Mission Catholic Church and one at the Native American burial ground on the west side of the St. Joseph river. Higbee cemetery is located just north of the Burial Square, so it was called, in the town of Bertrand. It was plated in 1833. There are many indentations in the ground which indicate there are several unmarked or removed burials. I recorded the markers I found at the time of my first visit. Upon revisiting, a few years ago, I noted that some of the markers were gone, including the Civil War marker for Sylvester Loux.

I welcome any information that can prove or disprove information on the veterans in this cemetery, and would like to hear from anyone who knows of other burials or removals. As always, I welcome corrections. Daundra J. Baker

Dont miss the notes below about Veterans and the Condition of Higbee Cemetery in 2001.


 Deceased

 Birth

Death

Inscriptions and Comments
Barnhart, Jacob   Sept. 7, 1883 68y, 11m, 22d
Bean, Asa   Oct. 31, 1856 60y [This possibly reads 30y, marker is worn.]
Butterfield, ______   Oct. 7, 1847 31y, Wife of John W. Butterfield [John W. Butterfield m. Lydia Harris on Feb. 13, 1848 in Berrien Co., MI.]
B., I.      [Footstone for wife of John Butterfield, above]
Eckler, Eliza Elizabeth (Noey) 21 Apr 1825 Jan. 11, 1910  b. Shuylkill Co., PA... d. Bertrand, Berrien Co., MI....w/o John Franklin
Eckler, John Franklin  [30 Oct 1918]  [19 May 18950] b. in Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, PA, d. Bertrand, Berrien Co., MI age 76y Vet. Civil War [G.A.R., Enlisted in Company F, 167th Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania as Corporal on Nov. 12, 1862, mustered out Aug. 12, 1863 at Reding, PA. Pension cites his wife as Eliza and she was widowed Sept. 9, 1875, she was an invalid Sept. 3, 1879.]
Higbee, Isaac [22 Sept 1789]  June 20, 1860 70y, 9m [Date from DAR headstone readings]
H, I. . . [A footstone for Isaac Higbee]
Higbee, Polly  [5 Aug 1785] [1 Aug 1862]  Wife of Isaac Higbee [Marker is broken.]
Higbee, Syrena [Fellows]   Apr. 22, 1853 Wife of Daniel C Higbee m Mar 19, 1833
Hilton, Hanna  May _?_, 1788 Nov. 24, 1857 Wife of James Hilton, born in Nottingham, England.
Long, William H.     Oct. 10, 1924 79y; G. A. R. [Marker is hand made of cement & small tiles.] [Berrien Co. death index shows a William Henry Long d. Oct. 12, 1903 in Bertrand Twp.; Marker could be incorrect if made later.]
More about William Long: Enlisted as Seargeant in Sept. 10, 1861 in Benton, age 34, Company B, 12th Regiment, Michigan on Dec. 19, 1861. POW on May 21, 1863, paroled on June 15, 1863. Promoted to Full Seargeant 1st Class on Feb. 22, 1865. Mustered out Feb. 15, 1866 in Camden, AR.
Loux, Sylvester    Sept. 24, 1886 G. A. R.
More about Sylvester Loux: Enlisted as Private, Jan. 16, 1864, Company E, 129 Indiana Infantry Regiment. Lived in Adamsville, Cass Co. Michigan at time of enlistment. Mustered out June 22, 1865.
Prettyman, Burton R.    Mar. 1, 1863 73y, Veteran of the War of 1812
Prettyman, Nancy    Dec. 6, 1836 43y, 10m, First wife of Burton Prettyman
Prettyman, Prudence    July 17, 1863 55y, 7m, Second wife of Burton Prettyman
P., P.     [A footstone for Prudence Prettyman.]
Randall, Henry  1817    
More about Henry Randall: Enlisted as a Private on Aug. 12, 1861 in Niles, MI at 44 years old, Company B, 9th Infantry, Michigan Regiment. Henry married Jane E. Richardson Dec. 23, 1847 in Berrien Co., MI
Seward, Charles    Feb. 15, 1851 53y, 6m, 19d
Souires, Ama M.      Wife of William Souires [Marker is broken.]
Souires, William    Nov. 8, 1847 31y, 7m
Unknown    Aug. 1, 1862 [Marker is broken. Located next to Margaret Weaver.]
Weaver, Margaret    Aug. 9, 1839 40y, Wife of O. R. Weaver
Weaver, O. R.  abt. 1871 Mar. 7, 1850 69y
Whipple, Eunice  1832 1876  

Additional Information on Veterans

I found this list in the Silverbrook Records listing Civil War Veterans burials at Protestant Cemetery in Bertrand.
Henry Randall in the 9th
___?____Grey
John Eckler
Sylvester Loux in the 129th Ind.

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