Last Will & Testament of Maria Frances (Rutter) Townsend 1892

TOWNSEND RUTTER HAYDEN LAHMAN LENON HARRIS CARPENTER

Posted By: Bill Waters (email)
Date: 11/10/2011 at 22:43:51

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
In the name of God amen: - I, MARIA F. TOWNSEND, of the town of Panora, County of Guthrie, and State of Iowa, being weak in bodily health, but of sound and disposing mind and memory, and in full possession of all my mental faculties, I have the strength of mind and body so to do, and being at peace with all the world, do hereby make, publish, and declare the following as and for my LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT, hereby expressly revoking any and all Wills by me heretofore made, that is to say:
ITEM I. I desire that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid out of any personal property of which I may die possessed, aside from my household and Kitchen furniture.
ITEM II. I give, devise, and bequeath to my beloved daughter, Maggie T. Hayden, of Panora, Iowa, the South Half of Lot Three (3), and the South Half of Lot Four (4) all in Block Eight (8) of Bull’s 2nd. Addition to the Town of Panora.
ITEM III. I give, devise and bequeath to my beloved daughters, Georgie W. Lahman of Wiota, Iowa, Emma W. Lenon of Guthrie Center, Iowa, Flora Harris of Mapleton, Iowa, and Minnie Carpenter of Bancroft, Iowa, the North Half of Lot Three(3) and the North Half of Lot Four (4), all in Block Eight (8) in Bull’s 2nd. Addition to the Town of Panora, Iowa. And it is my will that my four daughters take the same incumbered with any mortgage thereon at the date of my death, and that the mortgage thereon, if any there be, shall be paid out of the said North Halves of the said Lots, and the remainder after paying the said mortgage shall be divided as above set forth in this third item of my will.
ITEM IV. To my five daughters above named I give my household and kitchen furniture, share and share alike to be divided equally among them. The remainder of my estate I desire to be equally among my said five daughters.
ITEM V. I hereby appoint Chas. L. Powell of Panora, Iowa, Exccutor of this my last will and Testament.
Done at Panora, Ia., this 26th day of Dec. A. D. 1892.
Signed Maria F. Townsend

We, the undersigned do hereby certify that Maria F. Townsend of Panora, Iowa, did sign the forgoing instrument in our presence as and for her Last Will and Testament on the 26th. Day of December A. D. 1892, and that we signed the same at her request as witnesses thereto in her presence and in the presence of each other, on the 26th. Day of December, A. D. 1892.

Signed: John Thompson of Panora, Iowa.
Signed: Viola Carpenter of Panora, Iowa
Signed: Unreadable signature Clerk of District Court

Source: weeour@yahoo.com 3rd G Granddaughter
Transcribed from a photocopy of the original will

Additional Information: Maria was born Feb. 1814 in Baltimore, Baltimore Co., Maryland, the daughter of Solomon Rutter & Margaret Ridenour
Her father, Capt. Solomon Rutter, was one of the heros during the War of 1812, in the defense of Baltimore.

She married Joseph Merryman Baxley Sept. 24, 1835 in Baltimore, Maryland

They had 2 daughters:

Georgetta, who married Van Buren Martin Lahman in Illinois, and Emma, who married Peter H. Lenon in Guthrie Co. Both husbands have very strong ties to Guthrie Co. (The Lahmans later settled in Cass Co.)

Joseph Baxley died in 1839.

In 1843, Maria married William K. Townsend in Ogle Co., Illinois, where they had 4 children together:

Isaac, who died young; Florence Adelaide "Flora", who married William James Harris in Guthrie Co.; twins, Margaret "Maggie, who married Tullius C. Hayden in Guthrie Co., and Mariette "Minnie", who married John D. Carpenter in Guthrie Co.

William K. Townsend served in the Civil War and after his discharge from the Army, the family migrated to Iowa about 1864. They settled in Panora, Guthrie Co. and remained until their deaths. The 1885 Iowa census gives their location as the corner of Lane & Front Streets. William & Maria are buried in the West Cass Cemetery.

Source Documents
 

Guthrie Documents maintained by Cheryl Siebrass.
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