I just wish my ancestors wrote wills like this one.
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| Will of Anna Dora Fairchild, written in 1910, Hancock County Clerk, Will Book J, page 53; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org) |
This will from Anna Dora Fairchild is why some of recommend that researchers "look at everything." I realize that there are proponents of an "exhaustive search," but in reality when I'm stuck an in a pinch--exhaustive to me means everything I can get. Period.
This will is why. Anna requests money be set aside at a local bank for the care of her father's grave and then names him. She died in Illinois before this information will be on the death certificate.
She also directs what is to be on the tombstone for her husband and for her--dates included.
Of course, one always analyzes information for perceived accuracy. But if you don't look everywhere, sometimes you have less information to analyze.
[note--If you want to share this image with others, that's fine. I don't have copyright to the image. I know that and you probably do as well. But at please have the courtesy to indicate where you first found this image--on this blog.]
[note--this is one of those times when I'm writing about someone to whom I am not related...although Fairchild is buried in the German Lutheran Cemetery in Warsaw, Hancock County, Illinois which is where my ancestor Barbara Haase is also buried]
Citation reminder: We are a strong believe in citing genealogical source material in the spriit of Evidence Explained. However, we choose not to include properly formatted citations in these blog posts. There's always enough information in the post to create a citation and full citations are included in my how-to newsletter Casefile Clues.