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Rufus Dodge, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
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I Rufus Dodge of the City of Beaver Dam in the State of Wisconsin, being of sound disposing mind memory and understanding do make publish and declare this my last will and testament in manner and form following ? viz: I give and bequeath to Mrs. Eliza Barnes of the City of Beaver Dam the sum of one thousand dollars to be paid to her within one year after my decease. I give and bequeath to Mrs. Catherine Catlin of the City of Beaver Dam the sum of one thousand dollars to be paid as above mentioned. I give and bequeath to Mrs. Sarah Burgess of Herkimer County New York the sum of one thousand dollars to be paid as above mentioned. I give and bequeath to Mrs. Ann Tillson of Oneida County New York the sum of one thousand dollars to be paid as above mentioned. I give and bequeath to Mrs. Hannah Plumb of Oneida County New York the sum of one thousand dollars to be paid as above mentioned. All the rest residue and remainder of my estate real and personal I hereby give devise and bequeath to George H Steward, John J Williams and A Scott Sloan of the City of Beaver Dam Wisconsin to have and to hold the same to them and the survivors of them and the executors administrators and assigns of such survivors In Trust however for the following uses and purposes namely to hold manage invest and improve the same at their discretion for and during five years after my decease, and each and every year out of the proceeds and income of said residue to pay to the Trustees of the Wisconsin Female College at Fox Lake, Ripon College at Ripon and Beloit College at Beloit each, the interest on the sum of Five Thousand dollars, and the remainder of the proceeds of said residue to reinvest to the best advantage in the discretion of the said persons above named and at the end of five years from after my decease to pay and deliver to the Trustees of the said institutions above named, to each and every of them the full sum of Five Thousand dollars to have and to hold the same to the said institutions and their respective successors and assigns but in Trust however to and for the following uses or purposes namely to hold manage and invest the same and the annual income thereof to apply & use for the education & tuition of worthy indigent females, excepting however & I hereby direct that the sum to be paid to Beloit College above named, may, until said College shall provide for the education of Females , be used and applied for the education, tuition and support of worthy indigent young men studying & attending at said Beloit College for the ministry ? and this provision and exception shall apply & govern as well the interest to be paid to said institutions by my said Trustees as the interest of the sum to be paid to the Trustees of said Institutions at the end of Five years after my decease. It being my will and intention that all sums so given & paid to said institutions of learning, shall never go into the general fund or be applied for the general purposes of said institutions respectively but shall forever be sacredly held used and applied for the education and tuition of worthy indigent females with the exception & qualification as above provided as to Beloit College. And if said Beloit College shall ever provide for the education of females in any of its departments then the sum and sums given & paid to said Beloit College shall in like manner be held for & applied to the education of worthy indigent females and for no other purposes. And as to the rest & residue of my said estate which may be in the hands of my said Trustees at the expiration of five years from my decease, the same shall be upon the following trusts viz: If at the end & expiration of said five years there shall be organized in the City of Beaver Dam an institution of learning for the education and training of females, of a character & organization commonly called and known as a female Seminary and to be devoted exclusively to the education tradition and training of females in such branches arts and departments as are usually taught in female academies & seminaries, and such institution shall have at the end of said five years, bona fide, subscriptions, pledges, bequests, or cash to the amount of Twenty Thousand dollars, paid subscribed donated or pledged to the maintenance and support of such a Female school in the City of Beaver Dam, (my said Trustees to be the sole judges whether said Twenty Thousand dollars is so paid pledged subscribed or donated) then my said Trustees shall pay and deliver to the Trustees of said Female school all the rest and residue of my said estate to be by said Trustees of said school held & applied and the annual income of said residue to be used for the education and training of worthy indigent females in said Female school. And if at the end of said five years such school shall not be organized or shall not have the said sum of Twenty Thousand dollars as above provided for then my said trustees shall pay & deliver all the rest residue & remainder of my said estate to the Trustees of said Wisconsin Female College, Ripon College & Beloit College in equal parts shall share & share alike to be by the Trustees of said Institutions respectively held used & applied, as herein above directed and provided, and for no other purposes whatever. And I hereby direct that my said Trustees, hereinafter appointed Executors of this my last will, shall purchase a suitable lot in Oakwood Cemetery near the City of Beaver Dam, and shall improve and beautify the same and build & maintain a suitable & proper vault & fixtures thereon at their discretion at a cost not to exceed one thousand dollars. And I hereby nominate and appoint George H Stewart, John J Williams and A Scott Sloan of the City of Beaver Dam Executors of this my last will & testament, and authorize & empower them to sell and convey any and all real estate to me belonging & to execute conveyances thereof at their discretion, and to compound settle and compromise any debt due me as they shall think best, and I hereby direct that my said Executors shall not be held liable or responsible for any loss of my said estate or any past thing not occurring through their fault or negligence. Witness my hand and seal this 26th day of August 1871 Rufus Dodge, [Seal] The foregoing instrument consisting of 2 sheets of paper was now here signed & sealed by the said Rufus Dodge in our presence, and he at the same time published and declared the same to be his last will & testament in our presence and requested us to sign the same as witnesses & we at the same time & in his presence & in the presence of each other hereto sign our names as witnesses. James J. Dick, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin S. M. Gilman, Beaver Dam Wisconsin |