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NORTH CAROLINA, HYDE COUNTY

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN:

We, J.G. Neal and Julia M. Neal, his wife, being both of sound mind and memory, but being mindful of the uncertainty of human life, do make, publish and declare this our Last Will and Testament, hereby revoking and declaring utterly void all other wills theretofore by either of us made.

First:  Our executor hereinafter named shall provide for our bodies decent burial and shall pay all funeral expenses and all our just debts out of the first moneys that shall come into his hands as a part of our estate.

Second:  Having by deeds of even date with this our will convey to our children, S.S. Neal, Luke M. Neal, Harold J. Neal, Julia D. Midyette wife of Benjamin J. Midyette, Mary A. Spencer wife of John M. Spencer, and Belle L. Neal, certain advancements of real estate owned by us which conveyances we do hereby confirm and establish, we hereby give and bequeath unto Carrol Lawson, Isabelle L. Lawson and Adolphus Lawson, children of our daughter Lucy C. Lawson, now deceased, the sum of Twenty Five Hundred Dollars ($2500.00) which sum of money shall be paid to our said grandchildren after both of us are dead, the said sum of $2500.00 to be equally divided among our above named grandchildren, share and share alike.

Third:  We give and bequeath unto our said son, Harold J. Neal, the sum of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) because the land hereinbefore devised to him lacked this amount of making his share of our real estate equal in value to that devised to our other children.

Fourth:  All the balance or residue of our property, real, personal and mixed, we give, devise and bequeath to our children and grandchildren above named, each of our said children above named to receive one seventh (1/7) thereof and my above named grandchildren to represent their deceased mother Lucy C. Lawson, and each to receive the one twenty first (1/21) part of said balance or residue, or collectively the one seventh (1/7) thereof that would have been the portion of their mother, Lucy C. Lawson, had she survived us.

To the end that there may be no misunderstanding about the above disposition of our property, we do hereby publish and declare it to be the true intent and purpose of this our will, that it is not to take effect until after we are both dead and that upon the death of either of us, all the property therein disposed of shall remain intact and undivided and all the revenue therefrom be devoted to the support and maintenance of the survivor until the deceased of said survivor and thereafter disposed as hereinbefore provided and directed.

Fifth:  We hereby nominate and appoint our son Luke M. Neal our executor to this our Will to execute the same and every part and clause thereof according to its true intent and meaning.  In testimony of all which we have hereto subscribed our names and affixed our several seals this 23 day of August 1927.
    /s/ J.G. Neal            (Seal)
    /s/ Julia M. Neal     (Seal)

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said J.G. Neal and Julia M. Neal to be their Last will and Testament in the presence of us, who at their request and in their presence and in the presence of each other, have signed the same as attesting witnesses thereto.
    Witness: G.E. Davis
    Witness: W.M. Hooker

[NOTE]  Jonathan Graham Neal [listed as Johnston Gray Neal on death certificate], son of Daniel Morgan Neal & Selina/Celianne Catherine [maiden name possibly Harris], was born May 8, 1848 & died June 21, 1928.  He married Julia Miller Gibbs on Jan. 23, 1873.  Julia M. Gibbs, the daughter of Pelege Spencer Gibbs & Mahala Caroline Gibbs, was born Apr. 18, 1849 & died Jan. 28, 1930.

[The probate page is missing from my files but I imagine this joint will was probated after the death of Julia in 1930.]

This will was contributed by Kay Midgett Sheppard. No part of this document may be used for any commercial purposes. However, please feel free to copy any of this material for your own personal use and family research. If you find anything in these records that pertains to your families, it is strongly suggested that you look at the original record on your own to check for errors or possibly other additional and helpful information. Thank you!

© 2010 Kay Midgett Sheppard