The following is the Will of Aurelia Root of Milan, Monroe County, Michigan --
widow of Webster Root of Carlton, Orleans, New York -- recorded in Orleans
County, NY:
Transcribed from SAMPUBCO copy by Douglas J. Murphy
Orleans County, New York Will Book Vol. 7, page 127
Surnames: CLARK, ROOT, MEAD (legatee, but unknown relation), PHILLIPS (legatee,
but unknown relation)
Last Will and Testament of
[signature] Aurelia A. Root
Deceased
Be it Remembered, That heretofore, to-wit: on the twenty-second day of May in
the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, William Clark,
Executor named in the Last Will and Testament of Aurelia A. Root late of the
town of Milan in the County of Monroe, Michigan deceased, appeared in open
Court, before the Surrogate of the County of Orleans, and made application to
have the said Last Will and Testament which relates to both Real and Personal
Estate, proved: and on such application the said Surrogate did ascertain by
satisfactory evidence who were the heirs at law and next of kin of the said
testatrix and their respective residences -
And said Surrogate did thereupon issue a Citation in due form of law, directed
to the heirs at law and next of kin by their respective names, stating their
respective places of residence, requiring them to appear before said Surrogate
at his office in the village of Albion, in said County, on the seventh day of
June A.D. 1869, to attend the Probate of said Will, and upon said 7th day of
June 1869, A. M. Warner was duly appointed Special Guardian of Elmer V. Root,
Nancy A. Root and Aristeen J. Root minor heirs at law of said deceased for the
purpose of appearing for said minors upon the Probate of said Will -
And afterwards, to-wit, on the seventh day of June A.D. 1869, satisfactory
evidence by affidavit was produced and presented to said Surrogate of the due
service of said Citation in the mode prescribed by law, and on that day, no one
appearing to oppose the Probate of such Will, such proceedings were thereupon
had in said Court afterwards, that the said Surrogate took the proofs of said
Will hereinafter set forth, upon this seventh day of June A.D. 1869, and he
thereupon adjudged the said Will to be a valid Will of Real and Personal Estate,
and the proofs thereof to be sufficient, which said Last Will and Testament and
proofs, are as follows, that is to say:
I, Aurelia A. Root of Milan, Monroe County and State of Michigan being of sound
mind and memory and considering the uncertainty of life, do therefore make,
ordain, publish, and delare this to be my last Will and Testament - that is to
say,
First: After all my lawful debts are paid and discharged the residue of my
Estate both real and personal I give and bequest to my three children, viz:
Elmer V. Root, Nancy A. Root, and Aristeen J. Root to be divided equally between
them share and share alike after the youngest (Aristeen J. Root) shall arrive at
the age of twenty-one, unless she shall marry previous to that time. It is my
will and desire that all my three children above named shall jointly use and
occupy my said Estate during the time above stated. Provided then shall be paid
out of my personal Estate within two years of my decease fifty dollars to Ann J.
Phillips wife of Arthur Phillips of Milan, Monroe County and State of Michigan
and fifty dollars to Cleantha R Mead wife of Alonzo Mead of the same place.
I hereby constitute and appoint William Clark of Carlton, Orleans County and
State of New York to be Executor of this my last will and testament hereby
revoking all former wills by me made and I also constitute and appoint Alonzo
Clark of the same place to be Guardian to all three of my above named Children.
In witness whereof I have hereunto
Subscribed my name and affixed
My seal this 26th day of March A.D. 1869
[signature] Aurelia A. Root [notary mark] L.S.
The above written instrument was subscribed by Aurelia A. Root in our presence
and acknowledged by her to each of us and she at the same time published and
declared the above instrument so subscribed to be her last Will and Testament
and and [sic] we at the Testator's request and in her presence have signed our
names as witnesses herein to and written opposite our names our respective
places of residence.
Harmon Allen of Milan Monroe Co Mich
John Cove " " " " "
Nathan Phillips " " " " "
In the matter of Proving the Last Will and Testament
OF
Aurelia A. Root
Deceased
Orleans County, ss.:
Nathan Phillips and John C. Cove being first duly sworn, in open Court, upon
their several corporeal oaths, each for himself doth depose and say, that he is
a subscribing witness to the last Will and Testament of Aurelia A. Root late of
the town of Milan in the County of Monroe and State of Michigan deceased. And
these deponents do further say, that the said Aurelia A. Root deceased, did, in
the presence of said deponents, subscribe her name at the end of the instrument
in writing, which is now here shown to these deponents, and which purports to be
the last Will and Testament of the said deceased, and which bears date on the
twenty-sixth day of March one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
That the said deceased did, at the time of subscribing her name to the said
instrument as aforesaid, declare the same to be her last Will and Testament, and
these deponents did thereupon subscribe their own respective names at the end of
said instrument, as attesting witnesses to the execution thereof, each at the
request of the deceased, and in her presence and in the presence of each other:
That the said deceased, at the time of subscribing her name to said instrument
aforesaid, and publishing said instrument as aforesaid, was upwards of
twenty-one years of age, and a citizen of the United States: that She appeared
to be, and deponents believed She was, of sound mind, and understanding, and not
under any restraint, and as deponents verily believe, in all respects competent
to devise real estate: that each of these deponents saw the other sign his name
to said instrument in the presence of the said deceased. That Harmon Allen the
other witness to said Will resides at Milan, Michigan and is now absent out of
this State and that the signature to said will as witness is in the handwriting
of said Allen and that Deponents saw him sign the same as such witness-
Nathan Phillips
John C. Cove
Subscribed and sworn to me this 7th day of June A.D. 1869
Jno. G. Sawyer
Surrogate
Orleans County, ss.:
I, appearing upon the proofs duly taken in respect, to the Last Will and
Testament of Aurelia A. Root late of the town of Milan in the County of Monroe
and State of Michigan deceased, that the said Will was duly executed, and that
the said Aurelia A. Root at the time she executed the same, was in all respects
competent to devise real estate, and not under restraint, the said Last Will and
Testament and the proofs and examinations are hereby recorded, signed, and
certified by me, pursuant to the provisions of the Revised Statutes, this
seventh day of June A.D. 1869.
[Signature] Jno. G. Sawyer, Surrogate
Submitted by: Doug Murphy 23 Nov 2003