Tidbits

I happened upon two things in probate files that I thought was interesting and thought you might find interesting as well.

The first was a will written by a woman who died in about 1916.  In her bequeaths one caught my attention. She wrote, "To the Rector of the Church of Immaculate Conception, the sum or one hundred dollars, for masses for my soul."  I was surprised that she would need to pay for someone to have a mass for her soul. Glad to know we don't need to pay someone to pray for us.

The other gem I found was in an obituary that I found in one of the probate files.  It caught my attention because the gentleman died of "Brights Disease" which my dad's brother had died of when he was about 15 years old.  What I loved was what was written at the end of the obituary.  It said, "Mr. Cleaves was one of earth's toilers.  He was honest, sincere, upright, substantial, and faithful."  Can you think of a greater compliment to be paid to someone at the end of their life?  I can't!