In the name of God Amen. I Joseph BOMBERGER Senr. of South Lebanon Township, in the County of Lebanon and State of Pennsylvania, (yeoman) being weak in body, but of sound mind, memory and understanding; and considering that it is appointed to all men once to die and that I may the better be prepared to leave this world whenever it may please God to call me hence, do make and publish this my last will and Testament in manner & form following, to wit:
First, and principally, I recommend my soul to God who gave it, in the hope of a blessed immortality and my body to the earth to be decently buried in a Christianlike manner, by my hereinafter named executors. And with respect to the worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give and bequeath the same as follows, to wit:
ITEM. I give and devise unto my son Joseph BOMBERGER, his heirs & assigns, the plantation on which he now lives, containing ninety six acres and three quarters strict measure, be the same more or less, situate in South Lebanon Township, aforesaid, bounded by land of Frederick Fernsler dec'd., Samuel Weise and others, to have and to hold the same to him the said Joseph Bomberger his heirs and assigns forever.
ITEM. I give and devise unto my son Henry BOMBERGER, his heirs and assigns, the plantation on which I now live containing ninety-six acres and three quarters, strict measure be the same more or less situate in South Lebanon Township aforesaid bounded by land of Widow Roland, Frederick Fernsler, the plantation above devised to my son Joseph Bomberger, and others, To have and to hold the same to him the said Henry Bomberger, his heirs and assigns forever.
ITEM. I give and devise unto my two sons Joseph BOMBERGER, and Henry BOMBERGER as tenants in common my tract of woodland situate in the Township aforesaid, bounded by lands of Philip Breitinstine?, John Heisy and Peter Horst, and containing ten acres be the same more or less and also a tract of woodland situate in Bethel Township and county aforesaid and bounded by lands of Samuel Goshert Esq. & others, containing five acres and three quarters strict measure, be the same more or less. To have and to hold the said two tracts of woodlands, to them the said Joseph Bomberger and Henry Bomberger, their heirs and assigns forever.
ITEM. The lands devised to my son Joseph, I value to him at and for the sum of six thousand five hundred dollars of which he shall retain for his share; the sum of three thousand dollars, and pay to his sisters the sum of three thousand five hundred dollars, as follows, as follows, to wit: Twelve hundred and fifty dollars, to be paid in cash on the first day of April after my decease, and the residue in yearly payments of two hundred and fifty dollars each the first thereof to be on the first day of April next succeeding the payment of the twelve hundred & fifty dollars and so on, yearly and every year, on the first day of April until the whole is fully paid.
ITEM. The lands devised to my son Henry I value to him at and for the sum of six thousand five hundred dollars, of which he shall retain for his share, the sum of three thousand dollars and pay to his sisters the sum of three thousand five hundred dollars as follows, to wit. One thousand dollars to be paid in cash on the first day of April after my decease, and the residue thereof as follows to pay yearly & every year during the lifetime of my dearly beloved wife Elizabeth, the sum of two hundred dollars, the first thereof to be on the first day of April next succeeding the payment of the one thousand dollars, and so on yearly and every year on the first day of April until the death of my said wife Elizabeth, unless the whole amount should be fully paid before her death, but should the whole amount not be fully paid before the death of my wife, then I direct that he pay yearly and every year after her decease the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars on the first day of April as aforesaid, until the whole sum of three thousand five hundred dollars be fully paid.
ITEM. It is my will and I do order and direct that my beloved wife Elizabeth be and remain in the house where she now lives during her natural life, that is, in the Eastern half of said house (my son Henry living in the western) to have the right to one half of the kitchen, wash-house and kitchen cellar, garrets with privilege in the yard, to the pumps, wells and cistern, barn, barn yard, orchard, stable and those parts of both gardens which we now have in use & possession and privilege, to all the fields on the farm, where her cows may be and to have full ingress, egress and regress to all the aforesaid privilege.
ITEM. I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Elizabeth two cows, as much of my house & kitchen furniture, as she may choose to take all the cloth, linen and woollen she may choose to take, my clock and case, my carriage and harness, my one horse sleigh, all specie remaining in the house which I got with my said wife, the interest of one thousand dollars, which shall be lent out for her use during her lifetime, to be paid to her yearly and every year.
ITEM. It is my will, and I do hereby order and direct that my said two sons Joseph and Henry shall furnish my said wife Elizabeth yearly and every year with each twelve bushels of wheat, six bushels of Rye, Twelve bushels of corn, Twenty bushels of oats, six bushels of potatoes, apples as many as she may need, if there by any on said premises; and if she be unable to get them herself, then they shall bring them to her, each his share, of each sort in the orchard; Two barrels of cider each, of which each of them shall give one barrel in season for apple butter and the other in the fall for drink, if there be apples and she wants the same, each a quarter of beef to weigh at least one hundred pounds, if she needs it; each a fat hog, to weigh at lest one hundred & fifty pounds if needed - they my said sons to kill the said hogs, the one at early killing time, and the other at late killing time; to cut up the same ready for salting, and make puddings, sausages & as she may desire it; each six pounds of hatchelled flax, and some tow if she wants it to furnish her with as much good fire-wood ready cut for the stove and kitchen as she may need each his half; chickens and eggs as many as she may need, each his half - and should she my said wife desire to go to any place at any time she shall give notice thereof to either of my said two sons and he shall take her where she wants to go, in his or her carriage.
ITEM. It is my will, and I do order, that my son Joseph shall yearly and every year give to my said wife one load of good hay and one load of corn fodder, for feeding her cattle is she may need it, and the remainder of the hay and corn fodder that she may need shall be furnished her by my said son Henry and my said son Henry shall feed her cows and pasture them the same as his own.
ITEM. It is my will and I do order and direct that each of my three daughters shall have of my estate share and share alike that I have charged each of them with the advancements made them in my family Book, that in the first payment to be made by my sons, my said daughters shall be made equal in their shares and out of the yearly payment each of my said daughters to wit: Catharine, the wife of Joseph LIGHT, Elizabeth, the wife of Philip FERNSLER, and Polly, the wife of Abraham REIST, [Transcriber's note: Polly is usually a nickname for Mary] each to receive an equal share. The thousand dollars to be put at interest for the use of my said wife, being now at interest, shall after my said wife's decease be equally divided between my said three daughters share & share alike. The remainder of my property that shall not be taken by my said wife shall be sold, and the proceeds applied towards equalizing my said two sons in the advancements charged in my said Book, with my said daughters advancements and should anything be left after the advancements are made equal; the same to be divided in equal shares between all my children, but the money I give my daughters is not to be considered in making this equalization with my sons but only the other charges.
ITEM. I direct that the apple mill and cider press shall be and remain where they are, for the use of my two sons to be kept in repair by them at equal expense.
ITEM. It is my will, that in case my wife should not be well treated and attended to by my said two sons, and that she should complain of their conduct to her, they shall provide such residence for her as she may desire, at the joint expense of my said two sons.
And lastly, I do nominate and appoint my son-in-law Joseph Light, and my son Joseph Bomberger to be the Executors of this my last will, hereby revoking all other wills, legacies and bequests, by me heretofore made, and declaring this and no other to be my last will and Testament.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hands and seal the fourth day of November A.D. one thousand eight hundred & forty-two.
Signed, sealed and declared by the said Joseph Bomberger LS Testator as his last will & testament, in the presence of us John Fitterer Adam Grittinger Recorded November 17th 1842 Henry? Smith, Register