Will of Jonathan Wimer

Transcription by Paul W. Myer in The Wimer Family, 1973, p. 35

I, Jonathan Wimer, being of sound mind and disposing memeory and being desirous to settle my wordly affairs while I have strength and capacity so to do and that I may be the better prepared to leave this world whenever it shall please the Almighty to call hence, do therefore make and declare this my last will and testament in manner following. I will and desire that all my just debts and funeral expenses be first paid. To my wife, I will and bequeath the use of the furniture in the house also the brown mare and buggy also the use of two rooms in the east end of the house and one room upstairs during her lifetime then to go as hereinafter directed. She also is to have a comfortable maintenance from the farm on which I now live including medical and other attention so that she may pass the declining years of life as comfortably as possible. Also I give her an annuity of fifteen dollars to be paid to her annually by my son, Jefferson. To my daughter-in-law, Margaret, widow of my son Jonathan H., I will and bequeath that part of my real estate bought of the Ralston Farm on which Jefferson lives containing about forty acres in the following manner and conditions. If she shall have a child the heir to my son Jonathan H. and it should live to become of legal age, then the said land to be vested in it in fee simple. If it should not live to the age of twenty-one years, then the said Margaret Wimer, widow of my son Jonathan H., to have use of said land during the time she remains unmarried or until her decease and in the event of her marriage or death without a living child, the son or daughter of my son, Jonathan H., the said land to revert and become vested in my son Jefferson and further if she should have no child an heir of my son Jonathan H., I still desire her to have the use of said land until her marriage or decease then to revert as above directed. To my son, Jefferson, I will and bequeath all the balance of my real estate and also my personal property (except three cows) or whatever nature be the same. He is to keep and maintain his mother heretofore directed, he to pay to her said annuity and keep the mare heretofore willed to her and pay all my debts and funeral expenses and pay each of my daughters and grandchildren hereafternamed the amounts willed to them respectively. To my daughter Margaret Jane, three hundred dollars; to my daughter Sophia, three hundred dollars; to my daughter Rebecca, three hundred dollars; to my daughter Catharine Ann, three hundred dollars; to my three grandchildren, children of my daughter, Hannah, one hundred dollars each. I will and bequeath to my daughter-in-law Margaret, I will two of the cows above excepted and to my daughter Margaret Jane the other one. The above bequeaths to be paid as follows, the oldest daughter to be paid first and so on to the youngest one each year till all are paid, the three grandchildren to be paid in the year that their Mother should have been living the first payment to be made at the expiration of six years after my decease. The second seven years after and so to the youngest. To my son, Peter, I have already given to him his share of my property and give that as a reason for not giving him any additional property. I hereby appoint and constitute my sons Jefferson and Peter as executors of this, my last will and testament hereby revoking any will or wills by me at any time heretofore made. In witness whereof I the said testator have hereunto this my last will and testament set my hand and seal this eighth day of June, AD One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty.