Saving Graves: Endangered Cemetery Report

Saving Graves
"Working together to preserve and protect endangered cemeteries"

Higbee Cemetery - Niles, Berrien County, Michigan

Date: June 26, 2001

Cemetery: Higbee
Established: 1830's
Street: The nearest road is Higgins off 3rd street in Niles Township Michigan
Type: Road-public
City: 4 miles south of Niles, MI
Township: Niles Township
County: Berrien
State: Michigan
Nation: USA
Zip: 49120
Nearby: It is between Bertrand Rd. and Fulkerson Rd. off Third street
Location: Suburban-undeveloped
Land: Flat
Watersource: No
Features: The cemetery is full of trees
Sign: No
Land_Type: Private
Access: Closed
Enclosure: None
Gate: None
Status: Abandoned
Size: Small
Gravestones: Last time I was there there were only 4 or 5 stones left
Oldest: 1839
Newest: 1910
Unmarked: Yes
Broken: Yes
Toppled: Yes
Buried: Yes
Removed: Yes
Weather_problems: No
Pollution_problems: No
Association: No
Records: Yes
Inventory: Yes
Records_location: Cemetery Records (Berrien County Michigan) of All Persons Born Before 1867 (D.A.R) -- Published date of 1930
Condition: Cemetery in danger of destruction
Vandalized: Yes
Police_report: No
VA: Gravestones-Overturned
VA: Gravestones-Broken
VA: Gravestones-Stolen
Overgrowth: Graves-Disturbing
Overgrowth: Gravestones-Disturbing
Overgrowth: Gravestones-Damaging
Vegetation: Trees
Vegetation: Vines
Drainage: Good
Problem: Access denied
Problem: Apathy
Problem: Disintegrating Headstones
Restoration: No work started as of yet
Owner: Private
Use: Residential
Bordering: Residential
Change: Unknown
Reason:
Visited: Rarely
Archeology: Unknown
Contacted:

Other_Information

Here is a list of the known burials as of 1930 when the D.A.R. made their report:

Barnhart, Jacob d sep 7, 1883 Beal, Asa d Oct 31, 1856 Butterfield, Isabella d Oct 7, 1847 Eckler, Eliza 1825-1910 Hilton, Hannah 1788-1857 Higbee, Isaac June 20, 1860 Higbee, Polly Aug 1, 1862 Higbee, Syrena wf of D.C. Higbee 1853 Loux, Sylvester 129th Indiana Inf. No date Prettyman, Burton H. Mar 1, 1863 Prettyman, Nancy wf of burton Dec. 6, 1836 Prettyman, Prudence, wf of Burton July 17, 1863 Seward, Charles Feb. 15, 1853 Squires, Anna M. wf wm. 1853 Squires, William 1847 Weaver, Margaret 1790-1839 Weaver, O.R. 1781-1850 Whipple, Eunice 1832-1876

There were probably more burials than this, since it was the protestant cemetery in the town of Bertrand (now gone as well). There is a Catholic Cemetery nearby that fared somewhat better, although it's been the victim of numerous vandalism attacks as well (for the past 40 years).

I haven't contacted the property owner, I'm not sure who that is, and I'm not sure if there is anything left. I haven't been to the cemetery in a while.

Support

Submitted by:

name: Gwen Hagey-Shirk
Email:

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Please be aware that in publishing an Endangered Cemetery Report, Saving Graves in no way accepts responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained within that report, and takes no position of either agreeing or disagreeing with the information presented within the report. The information is presented as the personal opinion of the report submitter only. The naming of a cemetery as "Endangered" may not necessarily reflect the overall or general conditions of a specific cemetery as presented in an Endangered Cemetery Report. Saving Graves recognizes that because the information presented within a specific Endangered Cemetery Report is only a personal opinion, there may likely be dissenting opinions presented. In such cases, Saving Graves will (with the permission of the person submitting said differing opinion) take steps to add that opinion to the specific Endangered Cemetery Report in the form of an update, and encourages all readers and submitters to consider all points of view presented.