Will of G. W. Tatum - Dated 1 Jan 1909

Know all men by these present, that I, G. W. TATUM, of the County of Crockett, and State of Tennessee, do hereby declare this to be my last Will and Testament making void all former Wills by me at any time heretofore made.

FIRST: I, order and direct my Executor which is my wife, to pay off all of the just debts that may exist against me at the time of my decease.

SECOND: I, give and bequeath unto my wife E. F. TATUM, all of my estate both Personal and real, to have and to hold her life time.

THIRD: At my wifes death it is my will and request that ALICE MORTON JENKINS and her bodily heirs shall heir this Estate.

FOURTH: I, hereby nominate my wife, E. F. TATUM, to execute this Will, without giving any Bond or the Court having any thing to do with it only to record this Will, in witness I hereunto subscribe my name.

This Jan. the 1st 1909
G. W. TATUM

ATTEST: Signed but not read in the presence of the following:
W. E. PITTNER
R. E. CASEY

Continued:

I, feel that I am due my relatives and friends some explanation regarding this Will, we all know that ALICE MORTON JENKINS, is not a legal heir by birth, but I have made her so by promise to her father, her mother died when she was a baby, she died very sudden her father sent for us but she was dead when we got there, I and him was seting out to ourselves he was telling me his troubles she was the 4th one he has lost and said that she had left him in a worse fix than any of the others with 5 little children he told her that her time was about out if there was any things she wanted to say or wanted him to do to let him hear it she told him that she wanted him to keep the children together and raise them the best he could and the last word she said she want me and my wife to take her baby and raise it he then ask me if I was willing to take it I told him that if he was going to let us take it and raise it that I was was willing but if he wanted me take her and keep her until we became attened to her then take her that I did not want her. But I was perfectly willing to take her and raise her and would treat her just like she was our own child we have raised her and she feels as near to us and us to her as if she was our own by birth while I think as much of my people as any body does their people I feel honor bound and also duty bound to make ALICE my legal heir and I hope that none of my relatives will censur me for doing so far I have not got a thing against any relatives my conscious is clear in all that I have done.

G. W. TATUM