Clara Phillips Majors, last will and testament, sep 1975


Last Will and Testament
of
Clara P Majors, Roane County, Tennessee





l to r: charles calvin giles, mack majors, clara (phillips) majors, & [private]

gravesite of genevieve (majors) giles

knoxville national cemetery

knoxville, knox co, tn

date: abt 1967




If you've read the photo caption, you'll see that this is not Clara's grave but that of her daughter Genevieve. I chose this photo because Clara is all dressed up and because she was an avid cemetery visitor who would love that this is the picture I selected for this page. Her own marker at Willard Park Cemetery can be viewed here




Some preliminary information:


Clara PHILLIPS

born: 7 Feb 1900 in (?) AL

died: 13 Jan 1977 in Rockwood, Roane Co, TN

buried: Willard Park Cemetery, Harriman, Roane Co, TN


Sep 1975 - Clara made a will in Rockwood, Roane Co, TN. J. Polk Cooley was her attorney. Clara's sister, Lossie Elliott (nee PHILLIPS) was named as her executrix. Clara followed a long-time practice of using her birth surname for her middle name or initial. ]




Last Will and Testament of Clara P. Majors


I, Clara P. Majors, of Roane County, Tennessee, being of sound mind and disposing memory, and desiring to make certain the disposition of my estate upon my decease, do hereby make, publish and declare this my Last Will and Testament, hereby canceling and revoking any and all wills and/or Codicils thereto by me at any time heretofore made.


First: I desire that all just obligations of my estate, including a reasonable expense for my burial, be paid by the representative of my estate as early as practicable after my decease.


Second: I will, devise and bequeath all properties of my estate, including real and personal property, and wheresoever situated to my daughter and grandchildren in the following proportions:


One-third (1/3) to my daughter Geraldine M. Forrester. [Note: None of Geraldine's four children were mentioned by name in the will.]


One-third (1/3) to the four children of my late daughter Evlynn M. Delozier, whose names are:


[names followed but are withheld here - all living as of May 2004]


One-third to the five children of my late daughter Genevieae [sic] M. [sic] Giles, whose names are:



Bilimac G. Jordan

Sherry G. Rogers

[all named but three are withheld here - living as of May 2004]



Third: I hereby nominate and appoint my sister Lossie Elliott as Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament. I expressly authorize her to sell so much of the personal property and/or real

[continued p. 2] estate as becomes necessary in her discretion to properly carry out the terms of my will. She is authorized to make such sales in her capacity as Executrix and to sign and Bills of Sale or Deeds incidental thereto, which shall serve to pass full and complete title to any property, real or personal, in my estate and any purchaser thereof is relieved from looking to the application of the proceeds of the sale.


I expressly releive my said Executrix from the need of furnishing Bond.


In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature before witnesses to this my Last Will and Testament on this ______ [illegible or nonexistent] day of September, 1975.


[signature] Clara P. Majors


Signed by the said Clara P. Majors, as and for her Last Will and Testament, in the presence of us, the undersigned, who, at her request and in her sight and presence, and in the presence of each other, have subscribed our names as attesting witnesses, the day and date above written.


[two signatures too faint to read]

Attesting Witnesses



[Copyright 2004 by D Loiselle]





Estate and Personal Property Sale.

1977 - Apr 16 - TN, Roane Co, Rockwood.


Clara's sister Lossie Elliott published a Notice of Sale to be held at 10 A.M. Saturday, 16 April 1977.

The sale netted $1,152.31:


Will Administration -

Estate Settlement document:


Assets:

Household furniture (Actual Sale price) $520.50

Real Estate (Sale Price $5,100.00)

Less mtg. owing Rockwood Federal

Savings and Loan Assoc. of $2,463.78)= 2,636.22

Balance of insurance - after payment

of funeral bill 85.00

TOTAL ASSETS $3,241.72



Claims paid:

Dr. T.A. Fuller $65.64

George's Pharmacy 336.90

Walker's Auto. and Home 116.03

Rockwood Elec.Util. 71.06

Hickey's Store 73.81

Wilson's Drug Store 39.12

J.P. Cooley's, Public.Exp. 22.60

Lossie Elliott, Exp. of

sale 59.00


784.16


Costs paid:

J. Polk Cooley, Attny fee 750.00

Lossie Elliott, Extrx.

fee- 500.00

Court costs 55.25


1,305.25


TOTAL PAID: 2,089.41



BALANCE FOR DISTRIBUTION TO BENEFICIARIES: $1,152.31



Geraldine M. Forrester - 1/3 384.10


LIVING 96.02

LIVING 96.02

LIVING 96.02

LIVING 96.03


LIVING 76.82

Bilimac G. Jordan - 1/15 76.82

Sherry G. Rogers - 1/15 76.82

LIVING 76.82

LIVING 76.83


$1,152.31





Comments:


What this version of the papers, modified to protect the privacy of known living individuals, doesn't really show is that the daughters of Clara's daughters Genevieve and Evelyn each received the same amount of the one-third portion of the estate alloted to their families. The youngest children of these two daughters of Clara, sons in both cases, each received the penny left over after the money for their families was divided. Some of the girls have had fun pondering the small puzzle of whether or not the boys got the "remainder" because of their birth order or their gender - and who made the decision in the first place.


Those who knew Clara know that she would just love the idea that her Last Will and Testament was kept to be passed on. Did she hope, maybe, that it and its accompanying "estate" papers would soon become the real inheritance involved in the transaction and among the family's most treasured heirlooms?


[Transcriptions, arrangements, comments, and notes on this page Copyright 2004 by D Loiselle]




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