Last Will and Testament of Joseph Blair

One of the documents I discovered at the Clarion County courthouse: The official record of the Last Will and Testament of Joseph Blair.  Below is a pic of the most pertinent text.  Joseph's mis-spellings were left by the transcriber, but underlined.

Now here is my transcription (spellings corrected) of the FULL transcription, including all the legal mumbo-jumbo and rigamarole.  Not all of the wills in the volume had this, so I'm thinking perhaps it was necessary because he died in Ohio, owned property in Ohio, but his will was executed in part in Pennsylvania.  Regardless, it's all here, every word of the seemingly endless certifications and truths and whole truths and nothing but the truths.

Last Will and Testament of Joseph Blair

I, Joseph Blair of Youngstown, County of Mahoning and State of Ohio, being of sound mind, memory and understanding, do make and publish this my last Will and Testament, hereby revoking and making void all former Wills by me at any time heretofore made.

First, I direct that all my just debts and liabilities of my estate be paid and discharged by hereinafter-named executor as soon as conveniently may be after my death.

Second, I direct that my body be interred beside that of my deceased wife Clara in the Rimersburg Cemetery.

Third, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Lena B. Blair, inter married to D.H.Mortimer, all my household goods and lot and house, situated in Parkwood Ave in Youngstown, Ohio, known as City Lot No. 9818, and the balance of the Estate to be sold and equally divided among all of the other heirs.

I do hereby make, constitute and appoint C.J. Blair of the Borough of East Brady, State of Pennsylvania, to be Executor of this my last Will and Testament.

In Witness Whereof, I, Joseph Blair, the Testator above named have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal the Twenty first day of April, in the year of our Lord on thousand and nine hundred and twenty-three.

Joseph Blair (seal)

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the above named Joseph Blair as and for his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us, who have hereunto subscribed our names at his request as witnesses thereto in the presence of the said Testator and of each other.

C.J. Blair
J.V. Heidrich

Probate Court, Mahoning Co., Ohio
Deposition of J.V. Heidrich, East Brady, Pa, subscribing witness to the last Will and testament of Joseph Blair, Deceased, late of the County of Mahoning, State of Ohio, in said matter pending in the said Probate Court, taken before me, a Commissioner appointed by said Court, pursuant to the [annered?] Commission, on the 23rd day of March, 1926, at East Brady, Pa.

J.V. Heidrich, East Brady, Pa, of lawful age being by me first duly sworn, as hereinafter certified deposes and says: That he was present at the execution of the instrument of writing now before him bearing date of the 21st day of April, 1923, purporting to be the last Will and Testament of Joseph Blair, deceased; that he subscribed his name thereto as witness, at the request of said Testator and in his presence; that he saw said Testator sign said instrument at the end thereof, and heard him acknowledge the same to be his Will, and that said Joseph Blair at the time of executing the same was of full age, and of sound mind and memory, and not under any restraint.

J.V. Heidrich

The State of Pa., Clarion County (SS:

I, Emery Best, duly appointed and commissioned by the Probate Court of the County of Mahoning and the State of Ohio, to take the deposition of J.V. Heidrich, subscribing witness to the last Will and Testament of Joseph Blair, deceased, late of Mahoning County, State of Ohio, which Commission and the said Will are hereto annexed do hereby certify that in pursuance of said Commission i caused the above named J.V.Heidrich, subscribing witness as aforesaid, to appear before me at the time and place above mentioned; that he was by me first duly sworn to testify the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in relation to the execution of said Will, and that the deposition by him subscribed as above set forth, was reduced to writing by Joseph Blair, and also so written in the presence of the witness aforementioned, and was subscribed by the said witness, in my presence, and I further certify that I am not counsel, attorney or relative of any of the parties named in said Will, or otherwise interested in the probate thereof.

In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 23rd day of March, 1926.

(Seal)   Emery Best, Commissioner

My commission expires First Monday of January, 1930.

The State of Ohio, Mahoning County (SS:

Personally appeared in open Court C.J. Blair who being first duly sworn to testify the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, in relation to the execution of the last Will and Testament of Joseph Blair, deceased, deposes and says: That he was present at the execution of the instrument of writing now before him bearing date of the 21st day of April, 1923, purporting to be the last Will and Testament of Joseph Blair, deceased; that he subscribed his name thereto as witness, at the request of said Testator and in his presence; that he saw said Testator sign said instrument at the end thereof, and heard him acknowledge the same to be his Will, and that the said Joseph Blair at the time of executing the same was of full age, and of sound mind and memory, and not under any restraint.

C.J. Blair

Sworn to before me and signed in my presence by said witness in open Court this 25th day of March 1926.

Clifford M. Woodside
Probate Judge

The State of Ohio
Mahoning County (SS:

I, Clifford M. Woodside, Judge and Ex-officio Clerk of the Probate Court within and for said County, having the custody of the Files, Journals, and Records of said Court, do hereby certify that the foregoing is an authenticated copy of the Last Will and Testament of Joseph Blair, late of Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio, deceased, together with the Order of the Court admitting the same to probate and record; also a copy of the Letters Testamentary issued to C.J. Blair as Executor of the Last Will and Testament of the said Joseph Blair, deceased, as the same appears upon the records of said Court; and I further certify that I have carefully compared the foregoing copy with the original record, and that the same is a full and correct transcript thereof.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court at Youngstown, Ohio, this 25th day of June A.D. 1927.

(Seal) Clifford M. Woodside
Judge and Ex-Officio Clerk of the Probate Court

The State of Ohio, Mahoning County (SS:

I, Clifford M. Woodside, Judge and Ex-officio Clerk of the Probate Court within and for said County and State, the same being a Court of law and of Record, do hereby certify that Clifford M. Woodside, whose signature is attached to the foregoing certificate, is and was at the time of signing the same, Ex-Officio Clerk of said Probate Court, and as such, full faith and credit are due his acts, and that the above certificate and attestation are in due form of law and made by the proper officer.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court, at Youngstown, Ohio, this 25th day of June AD, 1927.

(Seal) Clifford M. Woodside, Judge of said Probate Court

Filed July 26, 1927

Researching in person

When one lives 1300 miles from the areas where family lived, researching family history is pretty much limited to info one can obtain online or by mail.  But this weekend I was in Pennsylvania for a family wedding, so I took the opportunity to drive a just a few hours to Clarion.  Yesterday I spent the morning at the Clarion County courthouse, then drove down to Rimersburg to hike through cemeteries.

I'll post a more about what I learned from wills and cemeteries later.  Right now I wanted to share the info on the four marriage records I found.I printed off each Application for Marriage License image from microfische.  Will scan those and append this post when I get home.  The interest here for me personally is the location of Jacob Irven Greenawalt, Sr.

When Lettie Mae Greenawalt (age 26 and a housekeeper) marries 21-year-old farm laborer Charles Stroud Gray (on 27 Mar 1915 before a Justice of the Peace), she says that her father, Jacob I Greenawalt, lives in Hillthorpe, Canada. (Further research shows that this was near Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan, which is where he was in the 1911 Canadian census.)  He's a farmer there, and was born in Toby Twp, Clarion Co., Pa. Her mother, Margaret A Gallantine Greenawalt, lives in Lawsonham, Pa.  She's a housekeeper, and was born in Allegheny Co., Pa.

Five years later, when Minnie Ethel Greenawalt, who is 17, marries 21 year-old miner Herbert J. Shoemaker, (on 15 Jan 1920 before a Justice of the Peace), Minnie says she doesn't know the residence or occupation of her father, J. I. Greenawalt. By this time, Margaret's occupation is 'none', but she still lives in Lawsonham. Because Minnie is just 17, the document states that 'consent of mother filed.'

On 14 Dec 1929, Joseph Victor Greenawalt (age 20 and a miner) married 19-year-old housekeeper Dorothy Belle Gertrude Lucas (age 19). He says his father, J.I. Greenawalt, is a farmer who now lives in Marienville, Pa (Forest County), and was born in Catfish, Pa (that's a new one for me!). His mother, Margaret, is a housekeeper who still lives in Lawsonham.  He obtained his mother's consent before appearing before the county clerk. Dorothy got her father's consent.

Finally, on 28 July 1930, 38-year-old engineer Myron Earl Greenawalt marries 35-year-old housekeeper Hannah Jane McKinney (first marriage for both), father Jacob still lives in Marienville, still a farmer, mother Margaret still lives in Lawsonham, still a housekeeper.

That's it for now.  More research on the docket today!!