The next document in the probate file after the will is the “Petition for Probate of Will”. This document was filed by Clara on September 15, 1920, three months after P.W.’s passing.
This document gives just a rough outline of his assets (real estate plus $3,500 in personal estate) and identifies the heirs:
At the time of P.W.’s passing, the family was living on their farm in Richland Precinct which they had purchased in 1908 (the farm is still in the family, by the way). It is located one mile north of Ceresco in Section 20. Here’s how the land ownership in that vicinity looked in 1916 (map from www.historicmapworks.com):
I love looking at maps from this era. Seems like I am related to half the names that I see! Notice here that P.W. and Clara are living within a mile of several of Clara’s family members (brothers Carl and John and father A.G.). The 1916 atlas also has a directory listing for the family:
The note about “Poland China Hogs” is interesting and pertinent to P.W.’s probate as we shall see – next time we’ll take a closer look at the family’s hog operations.
