Sally Moorman Lee was my 4th great-grandmother. It’s a short little blurb compared with the other obit I found on her earlier, but I love finding every little piece of info that I can get my hands on. 🙂
Staunton Spectator, Staunton, VA, 23 Jan 1883
Mrs. Lee, mother of Mr. S.E. Lee, of Roanoke county and sister of Dr. J.J. Moorman, of Salem, died at her home near Alleghany Springs, in Montgomery county, week before last. She was upwards of 90 years of age.
Brittania Elizabeth Campbell McLeister was doubly reltaed to my husband’s line. Her father, Rev. Joseph Campbell, was a brother to my husband’s  3rd great-grandmother, Rebecca White Campbell Baker, and her mother, Catheirna Baker, was a sister to my husband’s 3rd great-grandfather, James Baker.
8 Nov 1905, Indiana Weekly Messenger, Indiana, PA
Mrs. B. ELIZABETH M’LEISTER.
Mrs. Brittania Elizabeth, wife of James McLeister, of near Taylorsville, died Saturday night, November 4, aged 63 years. Mrs. McLeister had been ill for several months, a consistent and faithful member of the Wesleyan Methodist church she was ready for the call to a higher service. She was a daughter of the late Rev. Joseph Campbell and wife, nee Catherine Baker, of Marion Center, granddaughter of the late William Campbell, of Marion Center. She is survived by her husband and the following children: Mary, W. J., Effie, Luther, Bertha, wife of Robert Buterbach, Ford, and Elsie. Two of the sons are studying for the ministry. She is also survived by two brothers, Rev. P.B. Campbell, of Sandy Lake, Mercer county, and Cassius, of near Witchita, Kansas. Funeral services were held Monday and interment made at Dixonville.
Last month, on a drive from Kansas to Georgia, I managed to talk my husband into taking the long way home and stopping in Moniteau County, Missouri for an hour or two while I stopped in at the courthouse.  He’s such a good sport – especially since he had to sit in the car with our 5 kids.  The courthouse is located in the small town of California – just down the road from Tipton, where my ancestors lived.  The staff there were very helpful and I was able to locate some of the probate records I was looking for.  The records were not in books (which I’ve usually seen on my many courthouse excursions) but they were in files, which were in alphabetical order in file boxes in a back room of the courthouse.  Everyone in the car was happy that I was in and out of the courthouse fairly quickly.  Of course, I would have liked to stay longer and search through the land records also, but I wanted to keep my family happy. 🙂
Conrad Becker was my 4th great-grandfather.  He was  born in Germany in about 1805 and traveled to America with his wife and children on the ship “Crown” from Liverpool in July of 1852.  I’m not exactly sure where they lived in Germany, but their son (my 3rd great-grandfather), John Henry Becker, was born in Winterschied (according to his obituary and death certificate).  Here is his will, which I found in the Moniteau County Courthouse.
December 13th A.D. 1862
I Conrad Becker of the County of Moniteau and State of Missouri being of sound Mind and Memory and believing in the uncertainty of human life Do there fore Make ordain publish and declare this to be my last Will and Testament First I will by body to her Mother dust and my soul to God who gave me birth Second I Will that my oldest Son John H. Becker Shall have the following Lands to wit the North West qr of North West qr and the North East qr of the South West qr and the South East qr of North West qr all in section Nine Township forty four (44) range Seventeen and Twenty acres out of the senter of the East half of North East qr of Section eight Township forty four rang seventeen so ast to tak ten acres off of Each forty this above Land is the share of my two sons J. H. Becker and F.C. Baker, J. H. Becker is to take F.C. Bekers part of said Land and pays Lonard Hoehon the sum of $155 dollars and Joseph Weiand the sum of $50 dollars and H.C. Finche the sum of $45 dollars for F.C. Baker and J. H.Becker is to pay F. C. Becker the sum of $100 dollars these payments are in lue of his F.C. Bakers interest in the above lands Third I further will that my daughter Catharine Steimel shall have the following Lands to wit. The North East qr of the South West qr of section nine Township forty four range seventeen and twenty nine acres off of the North end of the East half of the North East qr of Section Eight all in Township forty four range Seventeen and the said Catharine pays F.C. Becker the sum of $100 dollars Third and I further will that my son Peter J Becker shall have the following Lands to wit the South East qr of the North West qr of section nine and thirty acres off of the South end of East half of the North East qr of Section Eight all in Township forty four range Seventeen and Peter J. Becker is to Pay F. C. Becker the sum of $100 dollars
Fourth I further will the Possession of Said Land to the said named heirs with the understanding that John H. Becker is to take care of his Father and Mother during ther Life by Catharine and Peter J. Becker. Each one being bound to pay to Conrad Becker or Wiff during there life $30 dollars per year Each and after the death of me and my now living wife the balance of my personal Estate to be devided as follows J. H. Becker to have the portion that belongs to him and F. C. Becker and Catharine and Peter J. Becker to have the forth part Each as thare potion.
In witnice wher of I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal the day and year first written
Konrad Becker {Seal}
The written instrument was subscribed by the said Conrad Becker in our presants duly acknowledged by him to Each on of us and he at the same time published and declared the above instrument so subscribed to be his last will and we at the testators request and in his presents have signed our names as witnesses hereto and write ___ aposet our names our usessel plases of abode
Ferdinand Beeten, Moniteau Co, Mo
Andrew Wolf, Moniteau Co., Mo
State of Missouri
County of Moniteau}
In Vacation of the Probate Court Be it remembered that on this 9th day of February 1863, personally appeared before me the undersigned clerk of the Probate Court within and for the County and State aforesaid Ferdinand Beeten and Andrew Wolf the subscribing witnesses to the above and annexed will of Konrad Becker and being by me first duly sworn depose and say that the said Konrad Becker the testator subscribed the same in their presence, and published the same will or instrument of writing as his last will that he the said Testator was at the time of publishing his said will of sound mind and more than twenty one years of age, and that they the said deponents attested the said will as witnesses thereto by subscribing their names to the same in the presence of said testator.
Ferdinand Beeten
Andrew Wolf
In witness whereof I Wm G Howard clerk as aforesaid have herein to set my name and affixed the seal of said Court at office this 9th day of February 1863
Wm G Howard clerk
County of Moniteau
I R. L. Roache, Judge of the Probate Court of Moniteau County, having Examined the foregoing instrument of writing, purporting to be the last will of and signed by Conrad Becker, and the testimony of Ferdinand Beeten and Andrew Wolf the witnesses above named, do adjudge and declare the said instrument of writing to be the last will and testament of Conrad Becker, deceased.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Probate Court of Moniteau County… this 25th day of February 1863
R. L. Roache
Judge of Probate
24 Dec 1904, Alton Evening Telegraph, Alton, IllinoisPATRICK WARD.
For Thirty Years an Alton Official Passes Away.
Patrick Ward died Friday evening at his home on Belle street after a severe and prolonged illness. He has been confined to his bed since August and welcomed death as an end of suffering. He was 76 years of age and spent more than 50 of these in Alton. About 30 of these years he filled some official position either that of collector, assessor, clerk of the city court, city clerk, or township clerk. He was a native of Ireland a most congenial, wholesouled, charitable man. A few years ago he became totally blind and refused to stand for re-election to office. His wife and children preceded him to the grave many years ago and he has made his home with his grand-daughters, Mrs. John Ehret and Miss Annie Thornton. He suffered intensely during the past year from a complication of maladies but bore his afflictions with characteristic resignation and good humor. He was a full-faced, smooth-shaven man, it being doubtful whether any one ever saw him when he wore a beard. For that reason many will fail to recognize him at first glance when they call to see him now. During his illness he permitted his beard and mustache to grow and it grew vigorously so that the face all were accustomed to see smooth shaven is now full-bearded and will be left that way as he did not wish it shaved. His grand-daughters are all here – one of them having arrived from her Indiana home several days ago.
The funeral will be Monday morning at 9 o’clock from the Cathedral.
This obituary was published in the 8 Jan 1937 issue of the Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL).
John W. Ehret Dies in St. Louis
John Ward Ehret of 1011 Eliot avenue died this afternoon at 1:25 o’clock, at Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, where he had been a patient for more than three weeks.
He is survived by his widow, Edna, one son, John Roy, and a daughter, Nancy. He also leaves his father, John Ehret, and a sister, Mrs. Samuel Franklin Womack of Alton.
Ehret, who was born and reared in Alton, was a watchmaker by trade, and for many years was associated with the J.H. Booth Jewelry Co.
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