Page 492 Will of Shelley P. Downs, Deceased
State of Georgia, Jasper County
In the name of God, Amen. I, Shelly P. Downs, do make this my Last Will and Testament.
Item 1st: I direct that all my just debts be paid as soon as practicable by my Executors and collections be made from all those who owe me.
Item 2nd: I give and bequeath to my beloved wife, Mrs. Ella C. Downs, all my property (except special legacies) Real & Personal to use and live upon during her natural life or widowhood, to sell, rent, reinvest, to dispose of perishable propery - mules, horses, cattle, hogs, corn, cotton, crops of all kind, to make any changes profitable to her and beneficial to the Estate. All to be wisely & Economically managed; and after her death or marriage to be equally divided between my Ten children, viz: Thomas P., James A., Howard S., Marvin and Vassar G. Downs, Lola O. Cunard, Fannie Lou Elliott, Ella C.Malone, Mattie E. Kelly and Clifford Malone. I give also to my wife my Receipts for my Linament to make and sell and all other private Formulas - to sell my Drugs & medicines to best advantage.
Item 4th: I give to Marvin and Grandbury Seventy-five Dollars each for educational purposes, and to Howard, Marvin and Grandbury the usual amount of house-hold goods given to the other children - say about twenty Dollars worth each.
Item 5th: I hereby appoint J. P. Malone, Thos. P. & James A. Downs, my Executors.
This March 16th, 1899. Shelley P. Downs
Signed & sealed in the presence of
C. T. Ezell, John H. Kelly, Wm. M. Bradley
Georgia, Jasper County, Court of Ordinary, at Chambers.
The foregoing petition of Josiah P. Malone, Thomas P. Downs and James A. Downs, _____ for probate in Common Form of the Will of Shelley P. Downs, and further _____ the issuance of Letters Testamentary to petitioners, being supported by the _______ affidavit of Cullen T. Ezell, one of the witnesses to said will, and the contents of said petition appealing to be true: It is now ordered that the same be recorded, having been duly moved in common form.
Let Letters Testamentary issue to each petitioner upon their taking the usual oath of office; and Letters to issue on May 7th 1900.
May 7th, 1900 Adial __ Florence, Ordinary
Georgia, Jasper County. Before me personally appeared Cullen T. Ezell, named as witness to the within writing proporting to be the Last Will of Shelley P. Downs, who, being duly sworn, disposes and says on oath that he, with John H. Kelly and Wm. M. Bradley, did on the 16th day of March, 1899, attest as witnesses the within writing in the presence of Shelley P. Downs, ____ _____ _____ voluntarily signed and published the same as his Last Will; and that said Shelley P. Downs was, at the time of said attestations and signing, of sound and disposing mind and memory.
C. T. Ezell
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 7th day of May, 1900.
Adial _ Florence, Ordinary
Georgia, Jasper County. We, Josiah P. Malone, Thomas P. Downs and James A. Downs do solemnly swear that the above writing contains the Last Will and Testament of the within named Shelley P. Downs as far as we know or believe; and that we will well and truely execute the same according to the laws of this State: so help us God.
Josiah P. Malone, Thomas P. Downs, James A. Downs
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 7th day of May, 1900
Recorded May 7th, 1900 Adial O.(?) Florence, Ordinary and Ex-Officio