Last   Will  and  Testament  of
 Joel   Ray

          Know all men by these presents, that I Joel Ray being of sound and disposing mind and memory and realizing the uncertainty of life and desiring to make my own disposition of my property, do hereby make and declare the following to be my last will and testament, hereby revoking any and all former wills at any time heretofore made by me.

Item 1.  I will and direct that all my just debts and the expenses of the administration of my estate be paid by my executor hereinafter named out of any money which may come into his hands from my estate.

Item 2.  I will and bequeath to my beloved daughter Susan Blochett, wife of  Leander Blochett of Los Angeles California, the sum of One Hundred and fifty ($150.00) dollars.

Item 3.  All the residue of my estate and personal I devise and bequeath and dispose of as follows:
             I will, devise and bequeath to my beloved daughter Luella Jefferson the one fifth (1/5) part and share of such residue for and during the term of her natural life only, she to have the rents and profits and interest thereof during said term of her natural life, and at her death the same to go to and become the absolute property of her child or children living at the time of her death.  I will, devise and bequeath the one fifth (1/5) part and share of such residue of my estate above mentioned to each of my other beloved children, Susan Blochett,  William L. Ray,  Emma Stephens, and  Etta Ellerman absolutely; and in case either of said Four children shall not survive me, then the part and share so herein devised and bequeathed to said child shall at my death to go and become the property of the child, children or descendents of such deceased child of mine.

Item 4.  I hereby nominate and appoint my beloved son William L. Ray as the executor of this my last Will and Testament, and hereby direct that he shall employ and have as his attorney my friend Albert F. Wray, in the administration and settlement of my estate under this Will.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 18th day of April 1914.
                                                    his
Attest Thomas H. Campbell           Joel  X   Ray
( SEAL )                                         mark

          The foregoing instrument is this day signed, acknowledged and declared by the above named Joel Ray to be his last Will and Testament in our presence together, and is hereby signed and attested by us in his presence and in the presence of each other and at his request as attesting witnesses thereto.
This April 18th, 1914

J.W. Vanarsdall
Thomas H. Campbell


State of Indiana, Shelby County, SS:
          Be it remembered, that on the 30" day of October, A.D., 1915 the judicial day of the October Term of the Shelby Circuit Court in said year, come into open Court Albert F. Wray attorney and produces in Court an instrument in writing purporting to be the last Will and Testament of Joel Ray, deceased, and now moves the admittance thereof to probate and record, and in proof of said Will introduces John W. Vanarsdall the subscribing witnesses thereto, who being duly sworn by the Clerk of said Court, on oath, declare and testify as follows, that is to say: That on the 18th day of April 1914, he saw the said Joel Ray sign his name to said instrument in writing as and for his last Will and Testament; and that this deponent, at the same time, heard the said Joel Ray declare the said instrument in writing to be his last Will and Testament, and that the said instrument in writing was, at the same time, at the request of the said Joel Ray and with his consent attested and subscribed the said John W. Vanarsdall and Thomas H. Campbell in the presence of said testator, and in the presence of each other, as subscribing witnesses thereto, and that the said Joel Ray was, at the time of the signing and subscribing of said instrument in writing, as aforesaid, of full age (that is, more than twenty-one years of age) and of sound and disposing mind and memory, and not under any coercion or restraint, as the said deponent verily believes, and further deponent says not.

John W. Vanarsdall


          Sworn to and subscribed by the said John W. Vanarsdall before me Cecil B. Collins Clerk of said Court, at Shelbyville Indiana, the 30" day of October 1915.

Cecil B. Collins Clerk


State of Indiana, Shelby County, SS:
                              I, Cecil B. Collins Clerk of the Circuit Court of Shelby county, Indiana, do hereby certify that the within annexed Will and Testament of Joel Ray has been duly admitted to probate, and duly proved by the testimony of John W. Vanarsdall one of the subscribing witnesses thereto, that a complete record of said Will, and of the testimony of the said John W. Vanarsdall in proof thereof, has been by me duly made and recorded in Book 7 at Pages 69 and 70 of the record of Wills of said County.
          In Attestation Whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of said Court, at Shelbyville Indiana, this 30" day of October 1915.

( SEAL )       Cecil B. Collins, Clerk      
Circuit Court Shelby County

Transcribed by Barb Huff

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