Amanuensis Monday is a weekly blogging prompt sponsored by Geneabloggers in which participants transcribe family documents, journals, letters, postcards, etc.
Gottfried Wimmers was one of my husband's 3x great-grandfathers on his mom's side of the family.
He was born about 1804 in Keyenberg, Germany and immigrated to Ohio with his wife and children in 1852. I have transcribed his last will and testament here (original probate record transcription images below):
Sworn to and subscribed in open Court this 24" day of January, AD 1883. HH Pulekamp, Prob. Judge.
Will. Last Will and Testament of Godfried Wimmers, of Granville Township, Mercer County, Ohio, November, 28" 1882. I Godfried Wimmers do make and publish this my last Will and Testament as follows: I will that after my death all of my property, Real Estate and personal property, shall be and belong to Maria Wimmers, widow of my son John Wimmers, deceased, so long as she may live her natural life; provided: that she pays, or cause to be paid, the following: All of debts; and also to Hubert Wimmers, my son, fifty dollars; and to my daughter Agnes Wimmers, five dollars; and twenty five dollars for Masses for my benefit. I Will that after my death and after the death of Maria Wimmers above mentioned, all of the property then left of my estate, shall be and belong to the children of my son John, deceased in fee simple and forever, provided: that if the amounts above mentioned are not all paid at the death of said Maria Wimmers, that than said children of my son John, deceased, pay or cause to be paid said sums not yet paid. I will that my son Hubert and my daughter Agnes above mentioned, received said said sums above mentioned as their full share of my estate, and shall not be entitled to any further sum or amount out of my estate. I hearby declare that my other children, viz: Jacob _ Joseph _ Lorenz _ and William _ have received of my estate their full share which I ever intended for them; and I hearby Will that they receive no more of my estate. I revoke all former Wills by me made. In witness where of I have (...?) set my hand and scrawl seal, this 28th day of November A.D. 1882.
Godfried Wimmers (seal)
Signed, sealed and acknowledged by said Godfried Wimmers as his last Will and Testament in our presence, and signed by us, at his request and in his presence, and in the presence of each other - Bernard Uhlenhake and John G Beckman.
Gottfried Wimmers was one of my husband's 3x great-grandfathers on his mom's side of the family.
He was born about 1804 in Keyenberg, Germany and immigrated to Ohio with his wife and children in 1852. I have transcribed his last will and testament here (original probate record transcription images below):
Sworn to and subscribed in open Court this 24" day of January, AD 1883. HH Pulekamp, Prob. Judge.
Will. Last Will and Testament of Godfried Wimmers, of Granville Township, Mercer County, Ohio, November, 28" 1882. I Godfried Wimmers do make and publish this my last Will and Testament as follows: I will that after my death all of my property, Real Estate and personal property, shall be and belong to Maria Wimmers, widow of my son John Wimmers, deceased, so long as she may live her natural life; provided: that she pays, or cause to be paid, the following: All of debts; and also to Hubert Wimmers, my son, fifty dollars; and to my daughter Agnes Wimmers, five dollars; and twenty five dollars for Masses for my benefit. I Will that after my death and after the death of Maria Wimmers above mentioned, all of the property then left of my estate, shall be and belong to the children of my son John, deceased in fee simple and forever, provided: that if the amounts above mentioned are not all paid at the death of said Maria Wimmers, that than said children of my son John, deceased, pay or cause to be paid said sums not yet paid. I will that my son Hubert and my daughter Agnes above mentioned, received said said sums above mentioned as their full share of my estate, and shall not be entitled to any further sum or amount out of my estate. I hearby declare that my other children, viz: Jacob _ Joseph _ Lorenz _ and William _ have received of my estate their full share which I ever intended for them; and I hearby Will that they receive no more of my estate. I revoke all former Wills by me made. In witness where of I have (...?) set my hand and scrawl seal, this 28th day of November A.D. 1882.
Godfried Wimmers (seal)
Signed, sealed and acknowledged by said Godfried Wimmers as his last Will and Testament in our presence, and signed by us, at his request and in his presence, and in the presence of each other - Bernard Uhlenhake and John G Beckman.
 Godfried Wimmers Will Page 1 |  Godfried Wimmers Will Page 2 |
Since at least 1870, potentially several years before then, Gottfried and his wife, Eva, lived with their son John, his wife, and his children on the family farm in Granville Twp, Mercer County, Ohio. On September 15, 1882, John Wimmers, at the age of 45, was killed in some sort of accident (see death record below, at bottom). His wife, Maria (Mary), was left to care for five children aged 15 and younger. Gottfried wrote this final version of his will two months after John's death and less than one month before his own death, which occurred on December 17, 1882. He was 79 years old. He was obviously worried about the fate of his daughter-in-law and grandchildren, and left the majority of his estate to them. John's wife, Mary, managed the farm with the help of her sons Henry, John, and Hubert until at least 1900. She passed away in 1919 in St. Henry, Ohio at the age of 81.
Mercer County, Ohio Probate Death Records for John and Gottfried Wimmers.
©2013, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder
