In the name of God, Amen, the undersigned Peter Kemmerer of Alsace Township, Berks County and State of Pennsylvania, that I am indeed feeble, sick and weak but possess and enjoy my full sense memory, mind and understanding yet even as well as in my healthy days, for which I thank God heartily, and consider that we all must die and that the time for death is uncertain, and that a person should be prepared at any time to leave his world, make and declare here with these presents, to my last Will and Testament.
First I commend my immortal soul in the hand of my God to his eternal mercy and my body to the earth which my here after named Executors shall have buried in a Christian like manner and as it may be deemed for the best, and what appertains to my worldly possessions consisting in a farm situate in Alsace Township afore said County and in different movable goods, so I bequeath and give before all others to my beloved wife Susanna, all what I at this time possess, as long as she lives, that she can do with all what she wishes excepting she shall not sell the land.
2nd After my death no vendue shall be made, but it shall all remain together, and as here before mentioned to the use of my much beloved wife Susanna.
3rd My beloved wife shall have the right, if she will have nothing more to do about farming it for herself, to rent it to whom she will.
4th And after the death of my beloved wife Susanna within one year, all personal property shall be made to money, but if it should happen that my younger son Peter has not yet arrived at the age of twenty one years, so all shall remain, so that nothing shall be sold until all the children are of the age of twenty one years.
5th And then after the death of my beloved wife Susanna as herein named so the land shall be appraised in one or in two pieces, and my two sons David and Peter shall have the right to accept it if they wish to have it.
6th But if it should happen that my two sons David and Peter could not agree about the pieces, so it should be sold at Public Sale, and the highest bidder shall be the purchaser.
7th It shall then be sold in one or in two pieces at the highest price that can be attained not withstanding by this sale my son David himself shall have the right to bid if he desires, as well as anyone else.
8th But the Sale shall take place by or through my Executor and then.
9th The money arising there from shall be divided in six equal shares namely to my children. As my daughter Sophia and Sarah each one share, and my son David one share, and my other daughters Hannah and Susanna each one share and then my son Peter one share, but it shall be paid to each in their own hands if they are yet living.
10th For the rest, but if my beloved wife Susanna should intermarry again so she shall be debarred from all except she shall have fifty dollars.
11th The children if they wish to be at home shall do her work.
12th And if there should be debts yet existing so they shall endeavor to pay them as they can, without that any of the land be sold. And then finally I here with appoint my beloved wife Susanna, and my son David as Executors of this my Last Will and Testament and I declare yet once these present consisting solely of one sheet of Paper which I undersigned with my own hand as my Last Will and Testament, and recall any kind of last Wills and Testaments before made by me and have undersigned this in due attestation with my own hand and affixed my seal to the same so done in Alsace on March twelfth one thousand eight hundred and fifty eight.
Peter Kemmerer (seal)
Undersigned and sealed and declared as the Last Will and Testament of the above undersigned Peter Kemmerer in presence of us.
J. Phillip Hevlein
John Lorah
N.B. It shall not as above mentioned after the death of my beloved wife Susanna that my son David shall be Executor alone, but my son Peter shall with my son David be Executor and shall have the same right as I have it herein before mentioned with my son David. This I have yet undersigned with my own hand as a Codicil to my Last Will and Testament this done Alsace this twenty second of March one thousand and eight hundred and fifty eight.
Peter Kemmerer (seal)
In the presence of us
J.P. Hevlein
The undersigned do hereby certify the foregoing to be a true and correct translation of the original Last Will and Testament of Peter Kemmerer deceased.P.Y. Edelman, Register
Contributed by: Michelle.
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