War of 1812 veteran. Gabriel applied for a pension in 1871 but was denied because confirmation of his entire service could not be found.

"Another old Pioneer gone. -- Mr. Gabriel Dean died Sunday morning last at 1 o'clock, a.m. at his home in the south east part of this township. He was 91 years of age and father of James C. Dean, of Nevada, Cal., and Mrs. Smith and Mrs Griswold, of this place. He was the oldest man in the town and a resident for more than 40 years. His funeral took place at 10 a.m. Tuesday." [Northville Record, 2/23/1878 p.4,c.2]

Gabriel Dean - Last Will and Testament, 10 Sept. 1874
    "To whom it may concern; Know ye that I Gabriel Dean of the town of Livonia, County of Wayne and state of Michigan, being of sound mind and memory, do make and declare this my last will and testament in manner and form as follows, that is to say;
    First, I order and direct that all my debts and funeral expenses shall be paid
    Secondly, I order and direct that all my monies and credits and all my personal property, except so much as shall be used in paying my debts and funeral expenses, shall be divided into nine equal shares, and that Harriet White, Fanny Griswold, Charlotte A. Smith, Edmund Dean, James C. Dean, Lafayette Dean, Mary Robinson and Nancy J. Dean shall each have one share, and that the three children of Henry J. Dean, deceased, shall have one share, and that the share given to the children of Henry J. Dean shall be so subdivided that George Needleton Dean shall have one hundred dollars more than Alice Lawson or Clark Dean.
    Thirdly, That in consideration of having given to each of my sons Henry J., Edmund, and James C. a piece of land in former years, I hereby give and divise to my son Lafayette a strip of land off the East side of my farm, it being seventeen acres off the West side of the E 1/2 of the S.W. 1/4 of section thirty {30} of the town of Livonia, to have and to hold, to himself, his heirs and assigns forever.
    Fourthly, I give and devise unto my children, viz. Harriet White, Fanny Griswold, Henry J. Dean, deceased, represented by his three children, Charlotte A. Smith, Edmund Dean, James C. Dean, Lafayette Dean, Mary Robinson and Nancy J. Dean, all that part of my farm in the town of Livonia embraced in the W 1/2 of the S.W. 1/4 of section thirty of said town, to be divided equally among them, to have and to hold, to themselves, their heirs and assigns forever.
    I hereby revoke all former wills by me made.
    Subscribed my name and set my seal this tenth day of September A.D. 1874
    [signed] Gabriel (his X mark) Dean [seal]
Subscribed by the testator in presence of each of us and at the same time declared by him to us to be his last will and testament and thereupon we at the request of the testator, sign our names hereto as witnessed this 10th day of Sept. A.D. 1874.
[signed] William H. Ambler, Robert F. Allen"