Will of Samuel Sinnett

SINNETT, DONALDSON, GEORGE, KNOX, BURNETT, DAY, ERLES

Posted By: John Rogers (email)
Date: 11/23/2008 at 22:59:55

Samuel Sinnett Last Will and Testament
Source: Muscatine County District Court
(Photocopy of 2 page hand-written document, 2nd page incomplete)

(First page)

I Samuel Sinnett of Muscatine County State of Iowa being of sound mind and body do make and publish this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills made by me. Whereas I am possessed of certain property and real estate, consisting of the farm on which I am at present residing containing somewhere near two hundred (200) acres of land more or less located in the Township of Bloomington Muscatine County Iowa, together with eight tenement houses and one lot of small value situated in the city of Muscatine, together with all the personal property I may have at the time of my decease. Now God having taken my beloved wife and companion to himself, this new will has become necessary, and as it was her wish that all my children should share alike in the divisions of my property (including my oldest daughter Mrs Donaldson) and the children of my youngest son Harry Sinnett now deceased. It is my will that all the land lying east of the railroad shall be retained as a Homestead and the body of timber now growing there shall be kept as a home supply for the farm I likewise will that no mortgage or incumbrance shall be placed on the Homestead but it shall descend without debt or incumbrance to the heirs of the estate and whereas there is part of my land situated between the railroad and the Tipton land on which there is a very valuable deposite of gravel suitable for road purpose I want that property for the benefit of my --------

(The second page was angled during microfilming, so part of the upper left-hand corner of the page is missing. The names of some of the children are missing, but they are: 2nd named child, Sarah Jane Sinnett; 5th child, Samuel Townsend Sinnett; 7th child, John Harris Sinnett.)

(Second Page)

...gravel but retain the land. I would...utor to sell my city property and divide the proceeds ...my children. Now as God has helped me with ...children, Mary Susan Sinnett (Mrs Donaldson), ...ane Sinnett, Georgiana Sinnett (Mrs George), Isabel Sinnett, ...el Townsend Sinnett, Charles Eugene Sinnett, and John Harris ...ett (deceased) Now as each of these has received 500 dollars ...ts equivalent in land except my daughter Georgiana who ..y received 250$, I leave the request with my executor that she ..eive 250$ to make her share equal with the others ..d Whereas Miss Elizabeth Knox sister to my late wife ... been an inmate of our home and has been the careful guardian ... our children, it is my will that she be carefully provided for while ..he lives and has funeral expenses paid for out of my estate And whereas God in his divine providence has removed by death my youngest son John Harris Sinnett leaving his widow with two children it is my will that my executor shall place the portion of my estate that should descend to my son (if he had lived)in good security for the support and education of said children ....they arrive at lawful age and that their mother shall have the interest of the same to help support and educate them. In case of death of said children before arriving at lawful age that portion of my estate shall revert back to my heirs I hereby appoint J. B. Hunt as executor of this will
Signed this 27th day of December 1897

(signed) Samuel Sinnett
Witness

L G Burnett

L. C. Day

State of Iowa
Muscatine County District Court of said County.
JW Erles (?), Clerk of the District Court...testify that the foregoing
instrument ..was on the 16th of January AD 1900..admitted to Probate…

In Witness Whereof……

This 16th (of) January AD 1900

(signed) JW Erles (?)