Document is hand written.  The signature of J. J. Stith is with the same ink but is in an unsteady form.
      Jesse Jones Stith b. Mar 14, 1818 d. July 21, 1895
      Lucinda Cain b. April 10, 1824 m. Jesse J. Stith    d. March 30, 1909
      graves at Big Spring United Methodist Church (dates from grave stones)
This will dated April 18, 1891
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Last Will of Jesse J. Stith

 

I, Jesse J. Stith of the County of Meade and State of Kentucky being in feeble health but sound and disposing mind and knowing the uncertainty of life do this the Twenty second day of April Eighteen Hundred and Ninety One make this my last will and testament hereby revoking all others heretofore made by me.

1st. I devise that at my death my beloved wife Lucinda Stith whom I shall hereafter name as my executrix shall take charge of all my property both real and personal and pay all of my just debts.

2nd.  I devise that my wife Lucinda Stith shall have full control of all of my property both real and personal and the benefits of same during her life time and I give her the right to give sell and convey one third of all my personal and real estate at any time she may see proper and empower her to make deeds to the same one third at any time she wants to convey it.

3rd.  I devise that after the death of my wife Lucinda Stith three hundred dollars of the remainder of my estate in money shall be set apart and placed in the hands of the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church South at Big Spring and by them to be loaned out and the interest accruing thereon to be paid by the said Trustees annually to the preacher in charge of said church and in the event that the church at Big Spring should go down and fail to be a church, the principal shall the said three hundred dollars be paid by said trustees to the general conference and applied by the Louisville Conference to the support of the broken down ministries of said conference.

4th.  I devise that at the death of my Wife Lucinda Stith the remainder of my estate both personal and real except the one third heretofore devised to her shall be divided equally between my lawful heirs and my three adopted children Jessie Shumate wife of William Shumate, Mary E. Adkison, and Charles E. Lewis.

5th.  When my farm is sold or divided one quarter of an acre of land where the grave yard now is and where my parents are buried is to be reserved and not deeded to any one.

6th.  I further devise that at my death having full confidence in my beloved wife Lucinda Stith I put everything in her hands and appoint her my executrix without bond or security.

J. J. Stith

Atts. S. C. Malice

 

Document is hand written.  The signature of J. J. Stith is with the same ink but is in an unsteady form.