Meriwether County GaArchives Wills.....Ward, Obediah April 17, 1865
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Judy Kilgore JodieK444@aol.com November 23, 2008, 1:23 am

Source: Meriwether County Will Book B, Pp. 244 & 245
Written: April 17, 1865
Recorded: September 1876

WILL AND ESTATE SETTLEMENT OF OBEDIAH WARD
OF MERIWETHER COUNTY

Will written 17 April 1865; Recorded Sept. Term, Ordinary Court, 1876
Meriwether County Will Book B, p. 244 & 245
Hand copied from original will book in the Meriwether Courthouse

In the name of God Amen ~~ The last Will & Testament of Obediah Ward
I Obediah Ward being of sound disposing mind and memory do make and ordain the
following as my last Will and Testament of concerning my Worldly goods, property
and effects.

First ~ It is my will and desire that all my Just debts be paid including the
expenses of my last sickness out of any money that I may have on Hand at the
time of my death.

Second  ~ It is my Will and desire that my property both real & personal be kept
together during the lifetime of my wife or during her widowhood for her support
& maintenance & education of her five children. And as each child shall arrive
at the age of twenty one years, then my property to be equally divided and each
child draw his or her share as they respectively arrive at the age of twenty one
years of age, the balance to be kept together for the support of my wife & the
rest of the children until the youngest child shall arrive at the age of twenty
one years.

It is my will and intention that my property shall be equally divided between my
wife and her five children share and share alike but in the event my wife shall
think proper to marry again then it is my will & desire that an equal division
of my property take place between my wife and her five children share and share
alike and that Guardians be appointed for my children & their property, but so
long as she shall remain a widow the property is to be kept together as above
directed ~~ The share which I gave to my wife is Expressly given in lieu of
Dower to her in any portion of my land.

Third ~ It is my will and desire that my property be kept together and managed
for the best interest of my wife and children according to the intention
expressed in this my will.

Lastly ~ I nominate & appoint my wife, Malinda H. Ward Executrix of this my last
will and Testament --4 In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & seal
this 17th April 1865.
Obediah Ward (Seal) 
Signed sealed and
Published in presence of
Hiram Warner
A.F. Hill
Benjamin Rosser
Joseph W. Anthony

(Page 245)
Georgia}
Meriwether County}
Ordinary's Office September Term 1876
The within last will and Testament of Obediah Ward dec'd having been offered for
Probate in Common form and Satisfactorily Proven upon the Testimony of A.F. Hill
one of the subscribing witnesses who testified to all the facts necessary to
prove the same.

Ordered

That the said Instrument be admitted to Record as the last Will of said Dec'd
and that the nominated Extrx ~ Malinda H. Ward have leave to qualify and that
letters Test'y Do Issue to Her as said Extrx.

Given under my Hand & Official Signature
Sept. Term 1876 ~~~
Jas. M. Banning O.M.C.

Other supporting documents for this estate in probate records:

Ordinary Court Minutes Book 4, page 591:
September Term 1876. Last Will & Testament of Obediah Ward admitted to record.
Letters testamentary issued to Malinda H. Ward. Also on the same page is a place
where the appraisers' names were supposed to be inserted but were not …, i.e.

"Ordered that (next two lines blank)
be and they are hereby appointed Appraisers to appraise the estate of Obediah
Ward dec'd and that a Warrant of Appt. do issue accordingly."

Inventory & Appraisal, Book B, page 52:
Appraisers appointed and signed certificate of appraisal: W.H. Keller, Robt. H.
Sutherlin, Jesse Partridge, A.F. Hill, & E.H. Blount. 14 Oct. 1876

Inventory & Appraisal, Book B, page 53 (next page): 
Inventory:
250 acres of land … $625.00
1 mare & colt … $50.00
1 stallion named Nix … $25.00
1 Cream horse Tom … $75.00
1 Colt Famus (?) … $50.00
1 Lot (20) hd Stocks Hogs … $60.00
1 Two horse wagon … $30.00
16 hd cattle … $130.00
30 " sheep … $30.00
1 Bedstead & Bedding … $30.00
1 Bestead & Bedding … $20.00
1 Bedstead & Bedding … $30.00
1 Bedstead & Bedding … $5.00
3 Coverlids … $12.00
6 Counterpanes … $25.00
6 Quilts … $12.00
1 Clock … $2.50
1 Safe … $5.00
1 Folding Table & cover … $3.00
1 Small dressing table … $1.00
1 Sett 12 chairs … $6.00
1 Chest … $1.00
1 Old trunk … $1.00
1 Cooking Stove & Kitchen furniture … $25.00
1 loom … $1.00
Total … $1,254.50
Signed by Appraisers as above, 14 Oct. 1876

There were no further references to the estate of Obediah Ward in Probate
records in Meriwether County.


Additional Comments:
Obediah Ward moved to Meriwether from Newton County, Ga. He was married first to
Susan Fambrough (D.A.R. records show the marriage in Clarke County, Ga. Georgia
D.A.R., Historical Collections, Volume 1, Clarke County, page 24 [Marriages,
Book A, 1805-1814]) sometime before 1815. Susan died sometime before 1850 and
Obediah married second to Malinda Godfrey on 21 Jan. 1854 in Mereiwether County.
Bible records copied from her grandmother's Bible by Mrs. Frances Hanson Arnold
of Fayetteville, Ga., descendant of Susan Hester Ward Pritchard, show the
following information:

OBEDIAH WARD b. 28 Jan 1792
SUSAN FAMBROUGH b. 23 May 1792

Scotch- Irish descent, settled in Newton County, Ga.

Children:
1.William Ward b.19 July 1815
2. Eliza Ann Ward b. 29 Mar 1817
3. Nancy Ward b. 29 Oct 1819
4. Elizabeth Ward b. 19 Nov 1821
5. James B. Ward b. 20 Jan 1824
6. Susan Hester Ward b.15 Mar 1827 Our descendant
7. Wyatt Ward b. 20 Feb 1829
8. Powell Ward b. 9 Mar 1831
9. Thomas T. Ward b. 13 May 1833
SECOND SET OF CHILDREN mother unknown
10. Davis C. Ward b.17 Oct 1854
11. Hiram Ward b. 11 Jan 1857
12. Obediah Ward, Jr. b. 19 Jan 1859
13. Emma Ward b. 21 May 1861
14. Lin Ella Ward b. 23 Sept 1863

WARD-PRITCHARD union

Marion Jasper Pritchard b. 22 Jan 1835, d. 22 Aug 1864
Susan Hester Ward Pritchard b.15 Mar 1827, d. 13 May 1900
Children:
1.William T. Pritchard b.1 Jan 1852
Twins: 
2. Mary Frances Pritchard b. 19 June 1855, d. 3 April 1927, m. 13 Mar 1880 Henry
Martin “Mart” Hanson, b. 11 July 1856, d. 3 April 1940, in Carroll County, Ga.
3. Sarah Elizabeth Pritchard b. 19 June 1855 m. J. W. “Bud” Mobley 9 July 1876
4. James Robert “Bob” Pritchard b. 6 Aug 1857-m. Jane (?) Choctaw Indian, one
child, Jesse Bob Pritchard, step daughter, La Zonia
5. Joseph “Joe” Marion Pritchard b. 20 Aug 1860
6. Marion Jasper Pritchard b. 17 Sept 1864

Census records also show the following:
1850 Meriwether County, GA census, #1229/1229, 30 Oct. 1860, G. Bell Blount
enumerator
...Ward, Obadiah, 55, m, farmer, $2000 (place of birth not given for anyone on
this page unless they were born outside the state of Georgia. It is assumed,
then, that Obediah was born in Georgia.)
...Ward, Elizabeth, 22, f, [b. GA]
...Ward, Powell, 20, m, farmer, [b. GA]
...Ward, Thomas, 17, m, farmer, [b. GA]
...Ward, Henry, 2, m, [b. GA]

1860 Meriwether County, GA census, Greenville P.O., 13 June 1860, #105/105
...Ward, Obidia, 66, m, farmer, $1000/$4300, b. GA
...Ward, Malinda, 33, f, b. GA (Malinda Godphrey, m. 21 Jan 1854, Mw Co, B-135)
...Ward, Davis C., 5 m, b. GA
...Ward, J. Hiram ?, 3, m, b. GA
...Ward, Obidiah, 1, m, b. GA

A short biographical sketch on Obediah Ward may also be found in "Pioneers of
Meriwether County, Georgia as Reported in the Meriwether Vindicator," compiled
by Claire Isanhour, 300 Kale Drive, Smyrna, GA 30082, 1991.

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