Will of Obadiah W. Bowles

Will of Obadiah W. Bowles
El Dorado CA, 19 Feb 1896
(Transcribed from photocopy of original document.)

In the name of God, Amen.
I, Obadiah W. Bowles of Pleasant Valley, County of El Dorado, State of California, of the age of 65 years, and being of sound and disposing mind and memory, and not acting under duress, menace, fraud, or undue influence of any person whatever, do make, publish and declare this my last WILL AND TESTAMENT in the manner following, that is to say:
First, I give and bequeath to my sister Rhoda Bowles of Metcalfe County, Kentucky the sum of Five hundred ($500.00) Dollars.
Secondly, I give and bequeath to Fred E. Twitchell, the son of Edward E. Twitchell of El Dorado County, California, the sum of Two thousand ($2000.00) Dollars.
Thirdly, All of the rest and residue of the estate of which I may die seized or possessed of whatsoever kind and nature I give, devise and bequeath to my wife, Amanda Bowles to be taken and held by her during the term of her natural life and at her death the same to go to and become the property of said Fred E. Twitchell.
Fourthly, I hereby declare that all property now owned or held by me is my separate property.

In the Superior Court of the County of El Dorado, State of California
In the matter of the estate of Obadiah W. Bowles, deceased, Petition for Probate of Will.
To the Hon. M. P. Bennett, Judge of the Superior Court of the County of El Dorado, in the State of California: The petition of Edward E. Twitchell of El Dorado County, State of California, respectfully shows:
That Obadiah W. Bowles died on or about the 1st day of March, 1896 at Placerville, El Dorado County, State of California.
That said deceased at the time of his death was a resident of the said County of El Dorado, in said State, and left Estate in said County and State consisting of real and personal property: That the probable value and character of the said property is as follows, to-wit: 160 acres of land in El Dorado County being NW 1/4 of SW 1/4 Sec 4 and E 1/2 of NE 4 and NE 1/4 of SE 1/4 Sec 5 [... difficult to read ...] of probable value of $900.00 Notes and Mortgages and money on hand and in bank of probable value of about [ does this say $300.00? and what is the writing that follows on the same line?] That said deceased left a Will bearing date the 19th day of February A.D. 1896, In the possession of Irvin & Irvin[?] attorneys at law at Placerville and which they delivered to petitioner and which your petitioner believes and therefore alleges to be the last will and testament of said deceased, and which is herewith presented to said Superior Court.

In the SUPERIOR COURT of the County of El Dorado, State of California, In the Matter of the Estate of Obadiah W. Bowles, Deceased, BE IT REMEMBERED, That pursuant to the Commission hereunto annexed, and on the 23rd day of December 1896 at my office in the Town of Edmonton, Metcalfe County, State of Kentucky, before me, E.R. Beauchamp, a NOTARY PUBLIC, in and for said Metcalfe County, State of Kentucky, residing and having my office at said Town of Edmonton, said County and State, duly appointed and commissioned to administer oaths, personally appeared J. W. Hensley and W. J. Shirley witnesses produced on behalf of certain of the parties interested in the settlement of the estate of said Obadiah W. Bowles deceased, now pending in the above entitled Court, and the said J. W. Hensley being by me first duly sworn wsa then and there diligently examined by me upon the Interrogatories as settled by said Court and as set forth in the Commission hereunto annexed, and testified as follows towit:-
In answer to Interrogatory 1, he said:- My name is John W. Hensley. My age is 76 years. I reside in Metcalfe County, Kentucky.
In answer to Interrogatory 2, he said:- I knew Obadiah W. Bowles who died in California March 1896, and am in no way related to him.
In answer to Interrogatory 3, he said:- I knew the Father but not the mother, the Mother was dead before I became acquainted with the family. His father's name was John Bowles. The father and mother are both dead. The names of the brothers and sisters of Obadiah W. Bowles are as follows - Elz Bowles, William Bowles, Henry Bowles, Austin Bowles, Lafayette Bowles, John Bowles and Willis Bowles. The names of the sisters are - Ednatha Bowles, Elizabeth Bowles, Rhoda Bowles, Eliza Bowles, Martha Bowles and Harrett Bowles.
In answer to Int No 4, he said:- I knew Rhoda Bowles and she was a sister to Obadiah W. Bowles. She married Stephen H.P. White.
In answer to Int No 5, Deponent says - Rhoda Bowles was dead on the 19th day of Feb. 1896.
In answer to Int No 6, Deponent says - Rhoda Bowles died in about 1850 in Barren County Ky then, now Metcalfe Co Ky.
In answer to Int No 7, said - Rhoda Bowles married Stephen H.P. White who resides in Paris Ill.
In answer to Int No 8, - Rhoda Bowles never gave birth but to one child who was John M. White who resides near Edmonton, Metcalfe Co Ky. Said John M White was born unto her after she was the wife of Stephen H.P. White.
In answer to Int No 9, - Rhoda Bowles alias Rhoda White never had but one child, John M White and he is still living near Edmonton, Kentucky.
signed: John W. Hensley

And the said W. J. Shirley being then and there by me first duly sworn was then and there diligently examined by me upon the said Interrogatories as settled by said Court and as set forth in the Commission hereunto annexed and testified as follows towit:-
In answer to Interrogatory 1 he said:- My name is W. J. Shirley. I am fifty nine years old and reside in Metcalfe County, Kentucky.
In answer to Interrogatory 2 he said:- I did know said Obadiah W. Bowles who died in El Dorado Co. State of Cal. in March 1896. I was in no way related to said Bowles.
In answer to Interrogatory 3 he said:- I knew the Father and Mother of Obadiah Bowles- deceased. His Father was named John Bowles, but do not remember his Mother's name. They are both dead and resided in Metcalfe County at the date of their death. The names of the Brothers and Sisters of said Obadiah Bowles deceased are as follows - Ednatha Bowles was the oldest sister. Elizabeth Bowles, now Elizabeth Shockley. Rhoda Bowles who married S.H.O. White and who was the mother of John M. White and said Rhoda White is now dec.d. She died in what is now Metcalfe Co. then Barren County Kentucky. The said John M. White who claims an interest in the estate of Obadiah W. Bowles as an heir of Rhoda Bowles, alias Rhoda White was always recognized as her son. Another sister wsa named Eliza Bowles. Another sister was named Martha Bowles. Another sister was named Harriet Bowles. The brothers were named as follows - Elzy M. Bowles, W.A. Bowles, Henry P. Bowles, Austin W. Bowles, John M. Bowles, Lafayette Bowles, and Willis W. Bowles.
In answer to Int No 4, I knew Rhoda Bowles and she was the sister of Obadiah W. Bowles.
In answer to Int No 5, On the 19th day of Feb. 1896 Rhoda Bowles was dec.d.
In answer to Int No 6, She died about 1850 and in what was then Barren Co. Ky then now Metcalfe County Ky.
In answer to Int No 7, Said Rhoda Bowles was married to Stephen H.P. White and he is living in Paris, Ill.
In answer to Int No 8, Said Rhoda Bowles had but one child. She gave birth to said child after her marriage to S.H.P. White. His name is John M. White, age 47, and lives near Edmonton, Metcalfe County Ky.
In answer to Int No 9, She had but one child, John M. White, and he is still living.
signed: W.J. Shirley

In the Superior Court of the County of El Dorado, State of California
In the matter of the Estate of Obadiah W. Bowles, Deceased.
I, John M. White, of Edmonton, Kentucky, the son of Rhoda Bowles deceased, who was named as a legatee in the last Will and Testament of Obadiah W. Bowles Deceased, do hereby acknowledge that Edward E. Twitchell the Executor of the last Will and Testament of said Obadiah W. Bowles Deceased, has paid over to me the sum of Five hundred Dollars (less the sum of Five Dollars paid by him under the order of the above entitled Court to E. W. Witmer who was appointed by said Court to represent the interest of my said mother in the settlement of said Estate) being the sum bequeathed by said Obadiah W. Bowles, deceased, to my said mother Rhoda Bowles, and which was by the Decree of the said above entitled Court distributed to me as the lineal descendant of said Rhoda Bowles, deceased, on the 30th day of April 1897.
John M. White
Son of Rhoda Bowles deceased
Witness:
C. W. Thompson
W. B. Smith, cashier, 1st National Bank of Glasgow KY