Three Rivers
Hudson~Mohawk~Schoharie
History From America's Most Famous Valleys
1799 Will of Christian Etz, Father of Elizabeth Etz Walradt
In the name of God Amen, I Christian Etz of the Town of Canojohary District in the County of Montgomery and State of New York, being of sound and disposing mind and memory do make Publish and Declare this to be my last will and testament an manner and form following --
First and principally I resign my soul to the great and merciful God who made it, in hopes through the alone merits of my blessed Lord and savior Jesus Christ to have a joyful resurrection to life eternal, and my body I direct to be decently interred on such burying place as heirs and my hereinafter named executors shall deem fit.
And as to the worldy estate which God has been graciously graciously pleased to endow me with I devise bequeath and dispose of the same in manner and form following --
Imprimis, I will order and direct that all such just debts as I may owe at the time of my decease together with my funeral expense of every kind to be paid by my two sons Christian and William and they they my two sons aforesaid shall will and truly support maintain nurse and cherish my Beloved wife Annamaria during her natural wife with such meat(?) drink and clothing as a tender Mother to them, and a trusty beloved and faithful wife to me justly deserveth, and in case my said wife should at any time after my decease please and prefer to live with any of my daughters herein after named in such case it is my will and order and direct that my sons Christian and William shall will and truly deliver unto my said wife at such place yearly and every year the following articles exclusive of those herein already provided for, that is to say one ____ hog not weighing less than one hundred pounds, three pounds of ____ tea and so much sugar as is proportionable thereto ten ___ of good clean merchantable wheat and two wagon (sic) load of hay this last article to be delivered at my present farm together with a milk cow such as my said wife may chuse (sic) from my then stock.
Item. I give and bequeath unto to my two sons Christian Etz and William Etz all my real and personal estate of every kind and wherever found to them or the survivors of them their heirs executors administrators or assigns to be equally divided amongst them share and share alike. But before any division is made of my personal estate I order and direct that my son William be paid by my son Christian the sum of eight pounds current money of the State of New York that sum having been _____ by William to Doctor ____ and that an equal number of _____ and of equal value be also first be set aside in lieu of the ___ brought to my farm by Dorothea wife of my son Christian.
Item, I give and bequeath unto my three daughters Elizabeth wife of John Walrad, Catherine wife of Jacobus van Derwerke, and Gertraut wife of Peter _____, and to each of them the sum of twenty five pounds current money of the State of New York to be paid unto them respectively by my two sons Christian and William or by the survivor of them in three several payments that is to say the first payment the sum of ten pounds one year after my decease to each of them, the second payment the sum of ten pounds two years after my decease and the third and last payment the sum of five pounds __ like money afors. (aforesaid?) the third year after my decease.
Item, I further give and bequeath unto my two grandchildren namely the two oldest children of my daughter Anna Maria wife of Martinus van Der Werke the sum of ten pounds provided such children be actually born before the date of this my last will and testament to be paid unto them when they arrive at full age by my two sons Christian and William or the survivor of them and lastly I appoint my trusty and beloved friends Henry (?) Frey Simon Brown and D____ Dintsman (?) to be executors of this my last will and testament.
Christian Etz
Signed sealed published and delivered by the testator as and for his Last Will and Testament the tenth day of April 17?? in the presence of us
The words The third year after my decease ____ 15th line of 2nd sheet over a ___ before execution.
_________
_________ Kunschman (?)
__________ Frey
Transcribed August 4, 2002 by;
Jerry L. Walrath
8112 Hawkcrest
Grand Blanc, MI 48439