The Gillett family - benefactors of the cemetery and builders of the chapel - have a large, gated plot, surrounded by a bronze fence. Three steps lead up to a gate flanked by two stone posts, a cross surmounting each, echoing the design of the cemetery's main entrance.
John Dean Gillett purchased land and raised livestock nearby, becoming a prominent local businessman. He was called "The Cattle King of the World" by the London Gazette, shipping over 3,000 animals to Europe each year.
Lemira Parke was courted by both Abraham Lincoln and John Dean Gillett, eventually marrying Gillett. John and Lemira Gillett built a house on Elkhart Hill, but continued to travel through Europe, maintaining also a home in Venice.
Emma Gillett, daughter of John and Lemira, married Governor Richard James Oglesby, and is buried with him in the Oglesby Mausoleum.
References
Gillett Family History at the Old Gillett Farm
