Will and Probate for James A. Shedd
Denmark, Lee, Iowa, October 2, 187211315
I James A. Shedd of Denmark Lee County, Iowa, do declare & publish this my last Will & Testament hereby revoking & annulling all other wills heretofore made by me.
1st I give & bequeath to my beloved wife Caroline L. Shedd all the personal property of every description, bonds & money which I may have & own at the time of my decease to be hers absolutely, after the payment of all my just debts & funeral expenses. But I except the two thousand dollars due from Edwin B. James for the "East Field" from the above bequest.
2. I give & bequeath to my said beloved wife all the interest which she may receive on the said two thousand dollars, both before & after it may be paid by said Ed. B. James, during her natural life. The said two thousand dollars to be loaned out by her, when paid in as she may think best.
3. I give, devise & bequeath to her, the tract of land called "the East field," being 70 & 29/100 acres & part of Section 28 Tp. 69, N.R. 4, lately bargained & sold by me to said Ed. B. James, to be heres so far as to enable her & empower her to make a deed for the same in fee simple, & said Ed. B. James when he shall have fully paid for the same according to the terms of the contract made & entered into between me & him on the 9th day of October AD 1872. Also including the twenty acre wood lot conveyed to me by deed by Philip James & wife the 7th of October 1872 which is to be conveyed by my said wife to said Ed. B. James, when she conveys the above named 70 29/100 acres, said 20 acre lot is a part of Section 27, Tp. 69, N. R. 4 W.
4th. I also give, devise & bequeath to my said wife the house & lot (the Homestead) where we now reside, with all the land belonging thereto, consisting os out lots Nos. 10 & 11 & a fractional part of No. 9 on the plat of the Town of Denmark Lee Co. Iowa. Also the twenty acre wood lot being part of Section 21, Tp. 69, R. 4 to be hers absolutely.
5th. It is my will & desire that the two thousand dollars above mentioned after the decease of my said wife, should be divided equally between my dear daughter Emma R. Shedd & my dear son Charles F. Shedd. The 1000$ to Charles F. is to pay off the obligations given by me to him on or about the 20th of April of April 1872 which obligation stipulated that the money should be paid after the decease of both of his parents & was given for work & labor performed for us after he became of age.
The 1000 t$o Emma R. is in part consideration of her many years of labor for 7s & devotion to the happiness & comfort of her parents in their declining years, & if she remain single & at home during the life of her mother, I hope & trust that her mother will remember her liberally in her last Will.
I most sincerely regret that it is not in my power to do anything for our other dear children (viz) James A. Shedd, Caroline L. Fletcher, Hattie A. Snively, but I feel that my obligations to the said Emma R. & Charles F. Shedd are such that I am bound to do all I can for them. And furthermore I hereby constitute & appoint my said wife Caroline L. Shedd Executrix of this my last Will & Testament.
James A. Shedd
We hereby sign our names as witnesses to the foregoing Will in the presence of each other & in the presence of the Testator, who has signed his hame in our presence & we have signed ours at his request.
Washington Tibbets
Mary Tibbets
Fannie S. Tibbets
January 13th 1873
