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Last Will
and Testament
Christopher
Beckham
State of
Georgia Wilcox County
I,
Christopher Beckham of said County and State being of sound and
disposing mind and memory do make this my last will and testament hereby
revoking and annulling all others by me heretofore made.
First – I
desire and direct that my body be buried in a decent and Christian like
manner suitable to my conditions and circumstances in life.
Second – I
desire and direct that all my just debts be paid without unnecessary
delay by my executor hereinafter named and appointed.
Third – I
give bequeath and devise to my wife Minnie Louisa Beckham for and during
her natural life or widowhood all of the following described to wit: All
that tract on lot of land lying and being in the City of Abbeville
County of Wilcox State of Georgia known as the Palace Hotel property
bounded as follows North by lands of Connor Bros East by Bowen Street
South by Right of way of S.A.L. Ry. And west by Church Street – together
with all improvements thereon except it is subject to a lease Contract
now held by Mary E. Beckham to the artificial stone building in which
Beckham Bakery is now be operated a written Contract for this lease is
now held by me and duplicate held by the said Mary E. Beckham I also
give and bequeath to my said wife Minnie Louisa Beckham for and during
her natural life or widowhood all that tract or lot of land lying in
west side of Church Street in said City of Abbeville except that portion
bought by me from one Priceles on which property there is a building now
occupied by Eady Brady as a dwelling and in which she runs a restaurant
which lot I hereinafter give to Mrs. Florry Newman. The property hereby
bequeathed to my said wife is the land now used by me for a lot for my
cows and hogs and for truck patches. I further direct that if my said
wife Marry again then her right – title and interest- in all the above
described property shall cease and that same shall revert back to my
estate and be equally divided between my four Children hereinafter named
I further direct that my said wife have full possession and control of
all the above described property and shall have the profits thereof for
the full period of her natural life provided she does not marry again
provided that she shall not have authority to sell of otherwise dispose
of said property in any way whatever and at her death or remarriage to
revert to my estate and be equally divided between my four children
hereinafter named or their heirs.
Fourth I
give bequeath and devise to my daughter Mrs. Florry Newman all of the
following described property to wit – all that tract or parcel of land
lying and being in the City of Abbeville said County and State which
property is fully described in a deed to me and executed by Priceles
which deed is now on record in the Office of the Clerk of the Superior
Court of Wilcox County Georgia and being the property in which the house
now occupied by Eady Brady for a dwelling and restaurant is now located
this being in addition to other bequeath hereinafter made to the said
Mrs. Florry Newman.
Fifty I
give bequeath and devise to my four children Mrs. Florry Newman, Otto F.
Beckham, John M. Beckham and Odessa Beckham all property not heretofore
mentioned both real and personal and of whatever nature to equally
divide among them Share and share alike and direct that if possible the
division be make in kind but in the event this cannot be done then I
direct my executor hereinafter named to make said division by sale as
early as possible. If either of my said children herein mentioned shall
die before this will takes effect leaving no wife and no child or
children then his or her part of the estate shall be equally divided
among the surviving children as is also the estate in remainder herby
created and if either one of them be dead leaving a wife child or
children such wife child or children are to take for strips in lieu of
this deceased parents wife or husband.
Sixth I
hereby Constitute and appoint my daughter Mrs. Florry Newman the sole
executrix of this my last will and testament and I expressly confer upon
her the power as such to administer my estate excusing from giving any
bond of make any returns to the Ordinary and in the event it shall
appear that a satisfactory division of my estate cannot be made between
my said children in kind I expressly confer upon her the power and full
authority to sell all or any part of my estate not herein before
specially devised at public or private sale with or without notice at
public or private sale as she may deem best and without any order of the
Court making good and sufficient Conveyances to the purchasers and
holding the proceeds of the said sale to the same uses and trust as
hereinafter declared in the several items of my will This 14th
day of May 1910.
Christopher
Beckham
Singed
Sealed and declared and published by Christopher Beckham as his last
will and testament in the presence of us the undersigned who subscribe
our names hereto in presence of said testator after he had signed his
name hereto at his special instance and request and in the presence of
each other This 14th day of May 1910.
C.F.
Chapman
J.G.
Girandeau
Omar L.
Little
Georgia
Wilcox
I J.B.
Girandeau do swear that I as well as C.F. Chapman and Omar L. Little saw
the within named Christopher Beckham sign and publish the within
attached paper as his last will and testament that I subscribed the same
as Witness thereto at the special instance and request of the said
Christopher Beckham and in his presence as did also C.F. Chapman and
Omar L. Little in the presence of testator and of each other that the
said Christopher Beckham signed the same freely and voluntarily and was
at the time of such signing of sound and disposing mind and memory.
J.B.
Girandeau
Sworn to
and subscribed before me
This 30 day
of November 1910
J.M. Warren
Ordinary
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