MILLS COUNTY IOWA WILL (Very difficult to read)
Not my relative

Know all men to whom these presents shall come that I Rufus Pack of Mills County Iowa being of sound mind and memory have made and by these presents do make and declare the following to be my last will and testament.

1st I will the payment of my funeal expenses and all just debts.

2nd After the payment of said funeral expenses and all just debts I will and bequeath to each of my sons namely George Pack, William Ennis Pack and Rufus Pack Jr. the sum of six hundred dollars, which amount of six hundred dollars has already been given and delivered by me to said George Pack and to said William Ennis Pack and received by each of them respectively in poperty leaving nothing more of the above bequest going to either the said George or the said William Ennis.

3rd I will and bequeath unto each of my daughters to wit Madorah Davenport, Olive Norton, Betsy Eleanor Harrington, Mary Shaw, Philota Pack, Amanda Jane Pack, Candace Ann Pack and Rosetta Pack the sum of three hundred dollars, and to my daughter Mahala Pack I will and bequeath the sum of six hundred dollars of which said bequest Madorah has received already the whole three hundred dollars in property. And Olive Norton has also received the whole of said bequest of three hundred dollars in propery, but none of the other daughters has as yet received anything of the above bequest nor has Rufus Jr.

4th I will and bequeath unto Emily Ackerly the daughter of my present wife, the sum of three hundred dollars, the whole of which bequest has been paid to her by me and received by her from me in property.

5th If it shall appear that any of my heirs above mentioned shall after this date have received from me any money or property that it was intended by me and understood by them to be given and received as a portion of or all of his or her share of my estate, it is my will and wish that the same shall be applied as an advancement to him or her on their portion he or she is to be entitled to under this will at a _____or____
amount agreed upon at the time the same has been received by him or her and that the balance only, after deducting such advancement or advancements of each of said bequests, be paid to such heir.

6th It is my will and wish that any of my said heirs to whom the whole or any portion of the above bequests may be and remain unpaid at the date of my death shall be allowed to take and retain any specific article of property belonging to my estate that he or she may choose, providing all the rest of the heirs then living including my wife should she survive me shall assent to it and agree upon the price at which it may be so taken.

7th Should any child be hereafter born an heir to me, whether before or after my death, it is my will and wish that any and every such child, shall have and receive, if a male six hundred dollars and if a female three hundred dollars and that all the conditions and general provisions made in reference to any of the heirs above provided for shall apply to such heirs the same as though he or she had been named and mentioned.

8th It is my will and wish that my wife Jane Pack, should she survive me, shall have and receive, and I do hereby bequeath unto her all of the balance of my property that then may be left after discharging all of the above bequests of whatsoever kind, quality or amount it may be and that in making sale of property, should the sale be required therefor for the purpose of satisfying the said above bequests to my children, my said wife shall be allowed to select and point out such articles of property as she may desire to have so sold, and that she be allowed to select and retain all and any article of property as she may desire to keep for herself and that no more shall be sold than is necessary(to)pay off the above bequests to my children and expenses of administration unless she desires it. All of said property so herein bequeathed to her my said wife Jane Pack, to be and remain hers to use occupy and enjoy the same during her natural life time, with the power of conversion by sale into money or other property that will suit her better and at her pleasure by her during her life but at her death to descend equally share and share alike, and in addition to the above bequest to each of my heirs above specified and of ___ ___ and in case conversions shall have been made by ___by sale, that the proceeds of such sale shall _____after her death in the manner above provided for the descent of my property herein bequeathed to her and so sold by her, and as such property would have descended under this my will had it not been sold by her.

Given under my hand this 6th day of February 1866......Signed Rufus Pack

In presence of
D. H. Solomon
F. M. Speer

Admitted to Probate September 7, 1868