WILL OF JOHN CARDIN, SR. ( Deceased) Dec. Term, 1882 In the name of God, Amen I, John Cardin, Sr. of the county of Polk and the State of Tennessee, being in reasonable health and sound of mind but calling to mind the uncertainty of life and being desirous, while in my proper sences to make shore what disposition shall be made of my property, the Lord has blessed me with. I will and bequeath as follows , viz: First: During my own life I have the rents of all the lands that is cultivated on the farm, after my death, all the households and kitchen furniturethat belongs to me shall be divided between my three daughters, viz: Mary Ann, Sarah A., and L.B. Carden, except what L.B. Carden had made since the death of her mother and what she may make before my death and what she has now shall be her own property. Second: I will and bequeath to my son, Andrew J. Cardin, five hundred dollars which I have given him in cash. Third: I will and bequeath to my daughter, Mary Ann Allford, five hundred dollars in land, the palce that she sold to KernealiousHooker, which I have deeded to her for her part. Fourth: I will and bequeath to my son, E.B. Carden , five hundred dollars in land, the place that he sold to Ruben Carden, which I deeded to him for his part of my estate. Fifth: I will and bequeath to my son , Ruben Carden the eighty acres of land that G.W. Hillard now cultivated also the 80 acres that Mrs. Hayes now lives on joining each other lying in the 4th District of Polk County Tennessee, with fifty dollars which he had already received. Sixth: I will and bequeath to my son, John Carden, that part of my lands lying and joining V. Miller and M.E. Fouts , lands making the line to commence with corner of the meadow at the lane between me and FOuts, and running with the fence to the creek, thence up the creek to the ford, thence to run square across the bottom to the hill to a white rock. Thence strate across to the Patterson hollow and thence strate to the York place known as the Barbary York place, giving him the north east part of the farm where he now lives. Seventh: I will and bequeath to son, F.M. Cardin, the lands lying on the south east side of the creek commenceing at the ford and running with the line above described and running square across the bottoms with John's line to the Barbary York land, giving him the upper end of my farm joining A. Ladd all on the south east side of the creek the part that he now lives upon. Eighth: I will and bequeath to my daughter, Sarah A. Carden, now wife of E.E. Weber, eighty acres of land joining Ladd on the east and south and Fetzer on the west, Copeland and L.B. Carden on the north, the 80 acres known as the Bivens 80 acres. Ninth: I will and bequeath to my daughter, L.B. Carden forty acres of land that I bought off of the Fetzer lot joining the lands of M.E. Fouts and Copelands and a part of the Bivens 80 acres now the land bequeathed to Sarah A. Weber. Also the lands the house stands upon commenceing at the corner of the meadow and running with John's line to the ford of the creek, thence running with the creek to A. Ladd's line , thence with Ladds line to the lain, thence with the lain to the corner of John's at the meadow and she shall have the timber off of the other three parts to keep up her farm and wash wood. Tenth: I hereby constitue and appoint my two sons , John and Frances M. Carden my executors without security to this my last will and testatment that they shall sell all of any stock that is on hand at my death for the heirs, that the property shall be sold to the highest bidder of the heirs, that the proceeds be equally divided between the five heirs here. That is all stock and wagons and other farming utensils. Finally, I will and bequeath my body to the Earth , and my soul to God who gave it. In testimony whereof I herewith set my hand and seal this 29th day of March 1880. John Cardin, Sr. In the presence of Elisha Davis, Joseph R. Mathis and T.W. Matthis * notes on the Carden family: According to an article in the Heritage of Polk County Tn. 1939-1997 submitted by Terri Adams, John Carden Sr. was the son of Leonard Carden who died in Monroe Co. Tn. in 1854. John was born March 1803 in Spartenburg S.C. and moved to Monroe Co. with his family about 1820, and on to Polk Co. with his wife Elizabeth by 1840, settleing in the Cookson Creek area. John and Elizabeth had eight children: Andrew J. born abt. 1830, Mary Ann, ca. 1832, E Barry, ca. 1834, married Martha ; Reuben, March 10, 1840, married Margaret Lemmons; John Jr. , May 9, 1843, married Barsha M.; Francis M. , Nov. 15, 1847, married Mary Melvina Fetzer; Sarah Adeline, May 18, 1853, married Edward E. Weber and Louisa B., July 22, 1857, married John H. Willson. Sarah Adeline , daughter of John Carden Sr. is mentioned in the will as being the wife of E.E. Weber. Edward Edewat Weber, born Feb. 1853 was the son of Andreas Weber, the " Old Dutch Weaver" born Feb. 1804 in Wurzinger Germany. According to the 1900 census, Andreas and his wife, Catherine Coon, came to the U.S. in 1834 and to Polk Co. by 1842, living at first in Vineland also known as the Old Dutch Settlement. He purchased land and moved to Cookson Creek and raised his family there. John Carden's son Francis M. married Mary Melvina Fetzet,born Sept. 27, 1854 the duaghter of John Harve and Sarah Fry Fetzer. Francis M. and Mary Carden had nine children: Henry Andrew, Berry Anderson, Mary Lori, Margaretta Nora, Andrew , John Oliver, Isabell, Florence and Laura Mabell.