Gillen Cemetery

Franklin Twp

Section 16

39 49 27N Latitude; 89 51 31W Longitude

This cemetery is on private property. Obtain permission from property owner before visiting this cemetery.

Directions:

Go south of Roachdale on Co Rd 250E for two miles to Co Rd 1100N. Turn right and follow 1100N west about three miles. About one mile west of the Meridian Line Road (you are still on 1100N), there is a small overgrown area on a high area between two hills. Go north in this overgrown pasture about 200 yards to the ravine. Go down the steep hill and cross the branch. Follow the branch to about 100 feet west of the fence and go north about 100 yards. The cemetery is in an open area near some trees, at about the highest point in this old pasture.

Condition: Poor

Cemetery was fenced in at one time, but the fence is long gone. Prior owner let cattle run through the area. Current owner has no cattle, but because of this, the area is overgrown pretty bad. There are two stones standing, and several more stacked in a pile. There might be more. The monolith stone was reset and the cemetery was surveyed in the summer of 2004. Owner indicated he did not want more work done. There are about 6-8 tablet stones that should be reset if owner grants permission in the future.

* = computed birth

Birth

Death

Age

Surname

First Name

Other inscriptions

M

D

Y

M

D

Y

Y

M

D

GILLEN

Willis Y.

*

Nov

18

1805

Aug

28

1870

64

9

10

GILLEN

Malinda

w/o Wilis Y.

*

Feb

28

1811

May

31

1864

53

3

3

GILLEN

Malinda

w/o Wilis Y.

*

Feb

28

1821

May

31

1864

43

3

3

GILLEN

Infant

s/o W. Y. & M. (assume died with mother)

*

May

31

1864

May

31

1864

GILLEN

John D.

s/o W. Y. & M.

*

Sept

8

1849

Mar

8

1865

15

6

-

GILLEN

Mary J.

d/o W. Y. & M.

*

Nov

7

1852

Aug

3

1865

12

9

25

GILLEN

Infant

s/o C. & R. E. (assume b & d same day)

*

Dec

1

1865

Dec

1

1865

GILLEN

Infant

d/o C. & R. E. (assume b & d same day)

*

Aug

14

1868

Aug

14

1868

Note: Malinda Gillen is on the monolith with Willis and is on a separate tablet stone to the south of

that stone. Her age on the monolith is 53 years, 3 months and 3 days but her age on the tablet stone

is 43 years, 3 months and 3 days. Both stones say "and infant son at her side"

Based on information in census records, it appears the 53 years age is the correct one., since in

the census records, based on her age in the census, appears to have been born about 1821.

But her age in the 1850 census is listed at that time as 49 years, meaning she would have

been born about 1801. It is possible this is a scriveners error in the census.