Probate Court held at the Courthouse
in Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio
before J.P. Biehn Probate Judge in
and for said County on the 23rd
day of November A.D. 1880

Joshua Mefford
Will

Be it remembered that heretofore to wit on the 27th day of October A.D. 1880 the following entry was made

ENTRY
This day was produced and filed here a paperwriting purporting to be the will and codicil thereto of Joshua Mefford decd. late of Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio, and at the same time application made in due form of law to admit the same to probate. It is therefore ordered by the Court that all the next of kin of the decedant resident of the State of Ohio be legally notified of the filing of said paperwriting and application and time for hearing the same, which time is fixed by the Court for Saturday October 30th 1880 at 10 o'clock A.M.

Which application is in the words and figures following to wit:
To the Honorable the Judge of said Court And now comes Robert J. Mefford & Walker Mefford and produces for admission to probate in said Court the last will and testament of Joshua Mefford late a resident of the township of Pleasant in said County who died on the 22nd day of October A.D. 1880, said will was deposited during the lifetime of the Testator in the office of the Judge of the Probate Court of said County for safekeeping as allowed by law, said Testator died leaving Margaret Mefford his widow and the following persons all his next of kin resident in the State of Ohio
Malinda Shreve Daughter Russelville, O.
William Mefford Son Highland Cnter, Iowa
Nathan Mefford Son Felicity, Clermont, O.
Hannah Latta Daughter Malvern, Osage Co, Kansas
Walker Mefford Son Russelville, Brown Co, O.
Louisa J. Mefford Daughter Russelville, Brown Co, O.
Mary A. Mitchell Daughter Georgetown, O.
Elizabeth V. Nevins Daughter South Fincastle " O.
Jerusha Scandlin Daughter State of Missouri
Robert J. Mefford Son Georgetown, O.
Robert J. Mefford

State of Ohio, Brown County p.
The above named Robert J. Mefford having first duly sworn says the statements of the foregoing application are true as he verily believes
Sworn to before me and subscribed in my presence this 27th day of October A.D. 1880
J. P. Biehn Judge

NOTICE
State of Ohio, Brown County p.
Robert J. Mefford, Malinda Shreve, Nathan Mefford, Walker Mefford, Louisa J. Mefford, Mary A. Mitchell, Elizabeth V. Nevins & Robert J. Mefford
You are hearby notified that on the 27th day of October A. D. 1880 an instrument of writing purporting to be the last will and testament of Joshua Mefford, late of Pleasant Township in said County deceased was produced in open court and an application to admit the same to probate was in the same day made in said Court, said application will be for hearing before this Court on the 30th day of October A.D. 1880 at 10 o'clock A.M.
J. P. Biehm Judge

RETURN
State of Ohio, Brown County p.
Robert J. Mefford being duly sworn says that on the 28th day of October A.D. 1880 he served the within notice by delivering a true copy thereof to the within named Mary A. Mitchell and Margaret Mefford and on Oct 29th 1880 Nathan Mefford was served by affidavit in like manner with a copy hereof, and Walker Mefford [this line partially cut off] on the 27th day of October 1880 he seved the within notice on Malinda Shreve, Louisa J. Mefford and on October 28th 1880 he served the same on Elizabeth V. Nevins by delivering to each of them a true copy thereof.
Walker Mefford
R. J. Mefford
Subscribed in my presence and sworn to before me this 30th day of October A.D. 1880
J. P. Biehn Judge
And on the 30th day of October A.D. 1880 the following entry was made

ENTRY
This day came in to be heard the matter of the Probate of a certain paperwriting purporting to be the last will and testament of Joshua Mefford dec. and a certain other paperwriting purporting to be a codicil of said Joshua Mefford, to said paperwriting purporting to be said last will and testament and it being made to appear to the satisfaction of the Court that the widow Margaret Mefford and Malinda Shreve, Nathan Mefford, Louisa J. Mefford, Mary A. Mitchell, Elizabeth V. Nevins, Walker Mefford & R. J. Mefford, the next of kin of said decedant residing within the State of Ohio have been notified of said application to probate said will and codicil pursuant to the order of this Court herein before made and james H. Marshall and George Kernams whose signatures appear as witnesses to said will and W. B. Whiteman and B. H. Wegener whose names appear as witnesses to said codicil being duly sworn and examined and their evidence being reduced to writing by the Court and signed by them and it appearing to the Court from said testimony that said will and codicil were each duly attested and executed and that the said Joshua Mefford at the time of executing each of said instruments of writing was of full age and of sound mind and memory and not under any restraint and that said paperwriting purporting to be said last will is the last will of said Joshua Mefford, now deceased, and that said paperwriting purporting to be a codicil to said will is the codicil of said deceased to said will and it is ordered that they be and they are each hereby admitted to Probate. It is further ordered that said paperwriting purporting to be said last will and testament of said Joshua Mefford decd. be filed and recorded as his last will and testament, and that the said paperwriting purporting to be the codicil to said last will and testament be filed and recorded as the codicil of said Joshua Mefford to his said last will and testament, and it is further ordered that the said testimony of said witnesses together with all the proceedings hereing be also filed and recorded with said will and codicil.

Which Will is in the words and figures following to wit:

WILL
Know all men that I, Joshua Mefford of Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio, do hereby make and publish this my last will and testament as follows:
ITEM 1st
I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Margaret Mefford in lieu of her dower my household and kitchen furniture all the personal property that I may own at my decease, other than money, notes, bonds and other evidence of credit, also I give to my said wife the sum of three thousand dollars to be paid to her by my Executor, for and during the term of her natural life; and whatever may be and remain unencumbered and unexpended by my said wife at her death I give and bequeath to my son Robert J. Mefford
ITEM 2nd
I give and devise to my said with Margaret Mefford during the term of her natural life the real estate in the village of Georgetown Brown County, Ohio where I now reside being four lots and residence purchased from Frederick Wall, also eighteen and one [this line partially cut off] in said village being thirteen and one fourth acres purchased from Hester A. McColgin and five acres purchased from John W. King.
ITEM 3rd
I bequeath to my daughter Malinda Shreve four hundred dollars, to my son William Mefford thirteen hundred dollars, to my daughter Elizabeth V. Nevins two thousand dollars, to my son Nathan Mefford twenty five dollars, to my daughter Jerusha Scandlin twenty five dollars, to my son Robert J. Mefford two thousand five hundred dollars, to my daughter Hannah Latta two thousand dollars, and to my daughter Mary A. Mitchell two thousand dollars.
ITEM 4th
All the rest and residue of my property real and personal, including the real estate mentioned in item two after the death of my wife Margaret Mefford, I give
devise and bequeath to my following named children to be equally devided between them viz: Malinda Shreves, William Mefford, Louisa J. Mefford, Walker
Mefford, Elizabeth V. Nevins, Robert J. Mefford, Hannah Latta and Mary A. Mitchell share and share alike.
I hereby nominate and appoint G. W. Mitchell and Walker Mefford, Executors of this my last will and testament.
I hereby revoke all former wills by me made.
In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand and seal this 3rd day of October A.D. 1870
Joshua Mefford {seal}

Signed and sealed and acknowledged in our presence who sign the same as witnesses in the presence of the Testator and in the presence of each other.
Geo. Kerans
J. H. Marshall

CODICIL
Know ye all men by these presents that I Joshua Mefford does endorse this as my codicil and appendage to my will & does thereby appoint my son Robert J. Mefford as Executor to fill the vacancy of A. W. Mitchell decd. Witness my hand and seal this 24th day of April 1880
Joshua Mefford {seal}
W. S. Whiteman
B. H. Wegener

TESTIMONY
State of Ohio, Brown County p
Personally appeared in open court George Kerans and J. H. Marshall the subscribing witness to a paperwriting purporting to be the last will and testament of Joshua Mefford decd. who being duly sworn according to law to speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in relation to the execution of said paperwriting declare? the same that this paper before them purporting to be the last will and testatment of Joshua Mefford, of the date of October 5th 1870 now deceased, is the will of said deceased Joshua Mefford that they were present at the execution of said will at the request of the Testator subscribed their names to the same as witnesses in his presence and that they saw the said Joshua Mefford deceased sign and seal said will and heard him acknowledge the same to be his last will and testament, and the said Joshua Mefford at the time of making signing and sealing said will was of legal age and of sound and disposing mind and memory and under no undue or unlawful restraint whatsoever.
Geo. Kerans
J. H. Marshall
Sworn to and subscribed in open Court this 30th day of October A.D. 1880
J. P. Biehn Judge

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Joshua Mefford's will transcribed 25 Nov 2000 by Terry Bodkin
Transcribed from photocopies made by cousin Genevieve Johnson of pages 98 through 103 from the Will Book on record in Brown Co, Ohio.