AAFA Wills
WILL OF JAMES M. ALFORD

Believing in God and the Holy Trinity and being of sound mind and knowing the uncertainty of human life I deem it now the proper time to make provisions and declare my desire both spiritual and temporal after death. I do now make and declare this my last will and testament:

1st. I beqeuath (sic) my spirit to God to [who] gave it for his mercy endureth forever:

2nd. To my children I make the following bequests at my death, J. W. Alford I give five dollars, Gus L. Alford I give five dollars, Troy Alford I give five dollars, Mollie Alford Phillips I give five dollars, Gertrude Smith McVickers I give five dollars, LaFayette Thomas Smith If his whereabouts are known at my death I give five dollars, otherwise no bequest is made to him, the last two parties are my grand children, children of my daughter deceased.

3rd. All personal and real property that I may own at my death shall go to my beloved wife Mary A. Alford with whom I have lived happily for more than a half century, after having paid the bequest above named with this provision; that at the death of my beloved wife if she shall survive me all the property both real and personal I may be seized and possessed and shall have bequeathed to her shall go to our daughter Mollie Alford Phillips in recognition of her services in aiding assisting and caring for me and her mother in our declining years and that she will continue to care for and comfort us during our natural lives.

4th. My beloved wife Mary A. Alford shall be executrix of this will without bond and if she shall refuse to accept this trust by reason of age and infirmity then our daughter Mollie Alford Phillips shall be appointed executrix without bond and all that is necessary to be done in court to carry out this testament is that this will shall be probated and an inventory of community and my separate property shall be filed and the court shall not further supervise or contrill (sic) any action by the executrix under this will. My debts to be first paid.

Given under my hand and seal using scroll for seal this April the 9th 1921

J. M. Alford (SEAL)

Witnesses

A. W. Oliver

Lillie Oliver

Filed May 15, 1926

B. M. Alford, Clerk County Court Shelby County Texas.

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Estate of J. M. Alford } In County Court, Shelby County, Texas.

Decd. No. 1286 } July Term A. D. 1926, July 6, 1926.

On this day came on the Proof of the Last will and Testament of J. M. Alford, decd. And Troy Alford the son of J. M. Alford, dec’d being sworn restified (testified) as follows:

That J. M. Alford, is dead, that he died on or about Oct. 3, 1923, That he is familiar with the signature of J. M. Alford, his father, and that he knows that the will presented in the trial is the genuine will of J. M. Alford, deceased.

Also A. W. Oliver, being sworn, states that he was present when the will above mentioned was signed, and that the will offered is the genuine will signed by J. M. Alford, deceased.

Troy Alford

A. W. Oliver

Subscribed and sworn to before me this the 6 day of July A. D. 1926.

B. M. Alford, Clerk County Court Shelby County,

Filed July 6, 1926