The Columbia evening Missourian., 1920-11-12
CURIOUS WILLS
FOUND OLD
LEGAL RECORDS
Boone Copnty's Early Settlers
Gave a Great Deal Of
Space to Their Souls
and Bodies.
EVEN ADAM WROTE WILL
So Says V. NJ. Harris, Former
Columbian, Who Wrote Book
On Ancient, Curious and
Famous Wills

black girl. and the pioneer Boone Coun-
ty girl of 1880 OF Whereabouts mas ready
for housekeeping. according to y. 7,
Gentry
These three phrases are frequently
found on the pages Of the old will books
filed away on the shelves in the Probate
Court room at the courthouse.
a girl IN Boone County who was the
possessor of SO much wealth in 1880 was
looked upon with envy by 4 great many
other eirls.Fi said Mr. Gentry
In the old wills the pioneers gave a
great deal of space 10 comment upon
their souls and bodies. These wills are
all written in long hand. the old fashion
ed double :" which resembles the lat
ter p Of today. being invariably used
by the writers. The paragraph was not
used. the wills being written without
break on the page. Items are mol sepa-
rated as they are in the modern wills of
today.
Il give my body to the ground and my
soul to the God VINO gave it. In the
name of God. amen" are two phrases
that are often found in the old wills OF
this part Of the country, says Mr. Cen
Try.
THE QUEEREsT WILL FILED
Perhaps abou, the queercsi will ever
iiled for record in the nii"d S,aics is
the will Of Ira r Nash, Hho came 10
these parts in 1901
lie was certainty i queer duck saw
]. Z. Bcegs. ! never have heard Of
more eccentric character
-Rtmor has it thai he was / pi.at.
at one time, said Mr. Gently He vas
quite a man-quiic man. Wen ciu-
caied-a graduate Of the University Il
Virginia. but he was quarrelsome. and he
would fight his neighbors quickly upon
small provocation
The Nash will was filed for record
in the courthouse in Columbia in 1871.
1t begins as follows:
That il is appointed for al men 10
die is Wegi7l geH established. and
car be brough, home 10 me bresf Of sVeTy
thinking human, not only mifh fhe mere
conriciion, bHf Hith ~ po,0eTtul demon.
sTation, 10 gTore Which yoa men OF 65.
or IS years iook around, enquire large
~ for the men Of your present age Al
your earliest recollection, nay those that
rere jRst quitting the muSter roll, or II
you chose those in the prime Of lie. say
thirty years, Nhere are thcy. gone. ir
recoVerabfy gore, dead nearly 09 in 100
Of them, and rdl soon all be dead. for
il is appointed for al men 10 die
Socrates could not hear Of place Ehere
men did not die.
wILLED l6i2 GALLONS OF WmsKEl
In apportioning his properly Nash
stipulates that 1T is my desire thai
John Mellow, having married my elsest
daughter Alpha Morgan. shall have six
teen and one-half gallons Of good proof
whiskey.'
Nash is buried on one Of the highest
bluffs along the MISSOURI River in this
county. He hated his neighbors ard
wished TO be buried high and standing
erect 50 that he could look down upon
them. His first request was granted but
the last was moi.
Niispellcd words and grammatical er-
rors are frequent among the old wills
recorded a, the courthouse. The old
settlers did not have much OF an op.
portunity for schooling and tie fact that
a will was often written while d man was
sick. by someone who was called at
his bedside in hurry, accounts FOR
great mapy Of the errors in Them. Go.
lumbia lawyers say.
Isaac Willcookson, Of Boone County.
wrote will October 4. 1884 which was
unusual at the time il was written. The
will. which is filed for record in the
courthouse, reads as follows:
In the name q God Arica. Isaac
Falcocksoa Of fte SAFE Of Missouri
and CouHf} Of B0oR I'm fte abundant
mercy and goodness Of God tho pedl IN
toddr, yet Of sound aai pcrjeci Hr5ef.
Ssefte''N e''" Htf MUS 80 Eck4sfHlt lfiEE
my last nil and testament and drsire
il may be TeoeiUed b, eli as suck-frq
most hEmbiy beq4egih my soul 10 Cod
my maker jeseaohiny his most gracious
acceptance Of Il through he all suiiicirFr
Merits and mediation ei nv most com
passionate redeemsr Jesus Christ rho
garc himself 70 be an atoncpient lor
my sins and IS a5ic 70 sate to the utter
rsoH all that CONF INTO God BY him. see
1g he erer frefh to MAKE nlercssios
Them. and pho I irasi iriH not reject
nc returning p-Eitegt HnHc5 rirr !
cs'ac 10 him tor rs,c, in M. sspe arl
ee-f2srcs : re-3sr rr --y --ol5 ~
ee-terf .st.;,f 5s,..--iE..,s ~ -
e,--;sz -: E----,...-, s-il;;;T -. CO, -.
ss'z. =s-s -:src.f-J - s,zc:.o.s = w.
pore ne for fts ,-ic Of ny dizso'u,ioa
and then 10 take ne 10 himself into lEaf'
Pe0oe end resi- oad iacomBacbis lcltcisT
which he has prepared ior al thar lsc
and tear his hoiY aGr,e. 4raen biesss4
BE- God. sire ny bo9y TO The earih
from irhence il ras ialeH in tuY as
surance Of its resurrection from thence
al the last DAY as for aHy bHriel de.
s''e e 'ao' 'isvc7t. sltes. ienf a.
~