Here is a transcription of John Rhoades’ will as written in the probate record. It is not confirmed to be the original, but a clerks copy. Don’t forget, photo copiers and scanners were not invented yet. All court copies were done by hand by an employee of the court. This means the signatures are just recorded in the same handwriting as the will and are not the actual signatures of the decedent and their witnesses. Notice that the body spells the surname as RHOADES while John’s signature is recorded as RHOADS.
Last Will and Testament of John Rhoades
August the 22 AD 1859
In The name of The Benevolent Father of All I John Rhoades of A Boit Township Allen County Ind Doe make and publish this my last will and Testament I give and devise to my Beloved wife the farm on which wee now Reside situated In A Boit township allen County Ind Containing one hundred and forty acres and all So Eighty one acres of land in whitley County State of Ind during her natural life and all the Stock household goods furniture provisions and other goods and chatels which may Be thareon at the time of my decease during her natural life as afore said so long as She Remains my widow during her natural life and if she should marry all the above property yet a fore mentioned in this article is to Bee sold and divided Equally Between the heirs of the deceased as they Becom of age and all So the said daniel Rhoades a son of the deceased is to assist his mother in taking care of the family and Setling up the Estate and all So he is to take charg of the farm and the utensils thare on for the Use of the family of the deceaced. Signed and acknowledged and sealed as his last Will and testament in our preasants and siged By us in his preasence.
John X Rhoads
S. W. Strauder J.P
T.J. Holmes
Merrlin Vaughn
Accessed September 9, 2015 Source Citation Allen County, Indiana, Index to Wills, 1824-1899 ; Inventory, 1900-1920; Author: Indiana. Circuit Court (Allen County); Probate Place: Allen, Indiana
Source Information Ancestry.com. Indiana, Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Indiana County, District and Probate Courts.
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