The Last Will and Testament of Margaret Ruedger
19 April 1886
I Margaret Ruedger
concidering the uncertainty of this mortal life and being of sound mind and
memory do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and forme
following that is to say I give to my Children Renold Ruedger Fred Ruedger Emma
Humphrey Henry Ruedger Sander Ruedger John Ruedger and Lydia Ruedger all my
real Estate consisting of the South east quarter of the Northeast quarter and
the North east quarter of the southeast quarter of section eleven Township
twenty five north Range nine East of the third principal meridian and ten acres
off of the entire east side of the north west quarter of the southeast quarter
of section eleven town twenty-five north Range nine east of the third principal
meridian also all that part of the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter
lying south of the right of way of the Gilmore, Clinton and Springfield Rail
Road except ten acres off of the east side of said tract of land containing
twenty nine 15/100 acres (illegible) also all that part of the northeast
quarter of the northwest quarter lying south of the right of way of the
Gilmore, Clinton, and Springfield Rail Road containing eight 47/100 acres more
or less also all that part of the north half of the southwest quarter lying
south of the right of way of the Gilmore Clinton and Springfield Rail Road
containing forty two 25/100 acres more or less and also the north west quarter
of the southeast quarter except ten acres off of the east side of said
described piece containing thirty 70/100 acres more or less all being in
section eleven in Town twenty-five north of Range Nine east of the third
principal meridian. All of the above
described land being in Ford county Illinois and described by Warranty Deed.
Each one of my children I
desire to have share Equally in said estate after each one received the
portions mentioned in this will. The
Real Estate may not be sold by them until the youngest of them shall become of age.
I give to my son Reynold
Ruedger the two horses he has been raising for the past two years and to Fred
Ruedger I give two horses one of them the horse he has used the past year and
the other a yearling bay colt. It is my
wish and my will that all my personal property, notes, and effects of Every
kind Except the Real estate be converted into money by Public sale or otherwise
and used to pay off the indebtedness against me and my Real Estate. It is my wish that the proceeds from the
farm be used to take care of my minor children and that my brother-in-law Jacob
Blesch should be guardian for them and that Byron Liskeof Roberts Ills and B.
H. SkeelsThawville Ills be and I hereby appoint them as my sole executors of
this my last will and testament. I
further wish that if there is any surplus after paying my indebtedness after
this sale of my personal effects or at any time from the proceeds of the farm
that my daughter Emma be paid One Hundred Dollars in money. It is also my wish that my boys have the use
of the farm if they so desire provided they will do any where near as well by
it as any one else for it is my desire and wish to and then so they can care
for my younger children. Should there
be any more from the proceeds of the farm than enough to maintain my children
it is my wish that it be used to improve the farm or be divided equally among
the children after the youngest becomes of age. I desire that my brother-in-law, Jacob Blesch, to have
supervision of the farm and advise with my children or in case of improper
management of the farm or should my children not wish to use the farm then
lease to other parties to best advantage as in his judgment he may deam best
until the youngest child shal become of age when Equal division shal be made.
In witness thereof I have
hereunto set my hand and seal the 19th day of April AD 1886
Margaretha Ruedger
Witnesses:
Jacob Blesch, Roberts IL
Thomas Adamson,
Thawville, IL
Notes on the Administration of the will:
1886-1887
Regular documentation of receipts
and bills for Margaret’s estate were submitted to the court. The income, including note payments received from
people, amounted to $1153.24. Some of the
expenses paid out were as follows:
J. Blesch (guardian), first
$50 in Dec. 1886, then $227.28 in January of 1887! In April he receives another
$50, then $15 in May, and $110 in August. Perhaps some of the large amounts were tuition for school; John was
sent to Valpariso College in Indiana, as was his oldest brother, Rheinhold.
1888-1889
R. Ruedger paid $100 in rent.
Perhaps he was renting out the farm. My grandmother, his oldest daughter, always called
the farm the Beeset Farm, but I have not found any written record of that name for
the farm. In November of 1888, Emma Ruedger
Humphrey is paid $136 “for support of children”, so apparently she was looking after
her younger siblings at this time. In January 1889, Ed Hailing is given $5 for “caring
for John”. In March, R.L. Ruedger is given
$6.06, but no explanation is given.
1889
Apparently, Margaretha
had lent out quite a bit of money. By
1889, her executors had collected it all--$1687.23! None of the loans were over $185, so you can imagine the length
of the list. Some familiar surnames
found on the list are:
Ruedger-$8.20
J. Blesch-$62.59
Haling-$26.50
They paid out the same amount of money, but the reason for
the expenditures aren’t listed. Again,
we see familiar names:
R. Ruedger-$33.80
E.S. Haling-$1.33
J. Blesch-2 notes and
interest (the only time a reason is given): $1025.31
1889-1890
Even though there was a paper
giving “final accounting”, the reports of income from the farm continue. R. Ruedger paid rent three times, all of differing
amounts: $52.42, $147.58, and $200. He is
paid $5.97 for shelling (corn?). Emma receives
her $100 mentioned in the will, plus $125 for boarding her sister Lydia. In June, R. Ruedger is paid $51.30 for putting
in tile (perhaps for drainage) In June, $8 is spent on clothing for Lydia. Jacob Blesch says: “bought with other goods for
myselg for which I got no receipt.”
1890-1891
R. Ruedger pays rent only
once, for $200. In Oct. Jacob paid $8.40 for Lydia’s clothes. In December, Henry Ruedger is paid $43.80 for
tiling. In November, $2 is spent on shoes for Lydia. In March of 1891, Emma is paid $50 for board and clothing for Lydia.
In May, Lydia gets another pair of shoes,
this time costing $2.75. R. L. Ruedger is
paid $54.45 in June for more tiling.
1891-1892
R. Ruedger pays his annual
$200 rent. In October 1891, Henry Ruedger is paid $23 for painting and repairing
the house. In November of that year, Lydia
gets $4.40 worth of new clothing, and, the next month, she gets new shoes for $3.85.
Brother Henry Ruedger is paid $300 for laying
in tile in December.
1892-1894
This is the last report on
file. By 1894, John would have been 20,
and Lydia 14. R. Ruedger pays rent twice
in this period, once for $147 and once for $160. R.L. Ruedger is paid for materials
“for improvement” ($51.93), for boarding help and hauling corn ($9.60), and for
a cloak for Lydia ($10) John Ruedger is
given $70 cash for school, and H. Ruedger is paid $35.96 for painting and work.
It is interesting to note that at this time
P.J. Foster, Reynold’s brother-in-law, is paid to build a barn on the farm.