Cumru Township, Berks County, PA
In the Name of the Trinity of God.
I George Burkhard living in Cumru Township Berks County Province Penn being now old and weak and the grave and the eternity nigh. So I am making now herewith my last will and testament known on this day as th sixth Sept. in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty three. So I bequeath and give over my body to the earth and of my soul I command to my God who hath given it. So is this my last of ernest will by good understandin to my kind leaving children and heirs that when the Lord called me out of hell to eternity so shall my children and heirs bury me honest and Christly in the earth and pay the cost of my leaving behind and pay all debts so I am rightly indebted and also demand all debts so I have in right to demand.
So is this my last of ernest will that after my death all my estate plantation personal goods and all which I leave behind after my death shall be divided in equal shares to my behind leaving children and heirs namely CATHERINE and SEBASTIAN, ANDREAS, GEORGE and BARBARA five in number. All those shall go equal of all I leave behind after my death. Should I now die before the bargain is out so I made for five years with my son in law JACOB STICKLER so shall my son in law give yearly eight pounds rent good lawful money of Penna till the five years are ended and this shall JACOB STICKLER as son in law be behind in his legacy in eternity of my daughter as his wife further is this my will that after my death and the said years with my plantation are ended so shall my children and heirs sell or rent away the plantation as they find good and divide the same rightlyand in peace among them all I leave behind. If I should die by the will of God before the rent with my son in law are out so shall he JACOB STICKLER my son in law pay yearly eight pounds as is mentioned till the lease years are out and of this said rent shall my son in law JACOB STICKLER also again go in share in his legacy.
Now for the performing of the righting of this my last will and testament and for good after my death I put as executor my good son ANDREAS BURKHART and HENRY ZIMMER. Those two executors shall bring all to right after my death agreeable to the written will now that this my last will and testament made by good understanding and of good thinking this I acknowledge and witness with my own hand and seal by witnesses the sixth day of September one thousand seven hundred and eighty three.
signed:
JORG BURGHART
witnesses:
HENRY ZIEMMER
HENRY HERTZEL
On December 15, 1784 Henry Zimmer signed a paper to renounce and refuse to take on the burden of being the executor and gave the responsibility to Andrew Burkhart.
The estate papers mentioned the following people to whom debts were paid or collected:
Jacob Stickler
Andreas Borgert
Christian Zigler
Samuel Kachel (Kunkel?)
Charles Hornberger
Peter Geyer
George Frostle
Ursula Rapin -Wilto deceased (?)
John Rihm
Henry Christ
Christian Bixler
Joseph Warner
Erhart Rose
Henry Hertzel
Henry Weber
Catherine Hart
Conrad Hornburger
Marks Fair
John Mosser (?)
Henry Sohl
Peter Sweitzer
Henry Barr
John Barr
Collinson Read
Lewis Young
John Capp
Andrew Lythe
David Punzius (?)
Philip Remp
Interesting Estate items:
3 bee hives
1 keg
1 bag of hemp seed
3 bottles and a jug
SUBMITTER'S NOTE: This guy knew how to party!!! I wonder if Jacob Stickler even got done paying his rent.
File contributed by: Mike.
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