Source: Greene County, Tennessee Wills, v. 3-5; 1897-1931
SLC/FHL Film # 0944410
[County Court: Wills, v. 3; Oct 1897 – Sep 1911]
Pages 462-463

I M.E. Bible of Greene County Tennessee do make and publish this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills by me at any time made.

(1) I direct that all my just debts including funeral expenses and expenses of administration be paid by my executor.

(2) I give and devise unto my sister Laura G. Hawkins during her natural life my farm, situated in the 4th Civil Dist of Greene County, Tenn, adjoining the lands of A.J. Bible and Venus Bible, Dove Jones and Hol Herring and perhaps others containing 180 acres more or less. At the death of the said Laura G. Hawkins, said land is to go to her children. They are to keep the graveyard where my husband N.W. [see footnote] Bible and son Conway Bible are buried in good repair and fenced, also to keep it cleaned off, and the fence to be kept painted.

(3) I give and devise unto my brother G.J. Courtney all my real estate containing a number of town lots and a house situated in the town of Moore Oklahoma to him and his heirs forever.

(4) I give and devise unto my niece Ollie D. Walker during her natural life my house and lot located in the town of White Pine Jefferson County Tenn it being my residence property. At the death of the said Ollie D. Walker, said house and lot is to go to her children.

(5) I will and devise unto N.B. Hawkins my real estate situated near the town of White Pine Tenn, southeast thereof adjoining the lands of James Williams containing approximately thirty four acres. But the said N.B. Hawkins is to pay to my sister Florence Myers the sum of twelve hundred ($1200.00) the agreed value thereof. The twelve hundred dollars is to be paid cash in hand at the date of my death and I hereby charge the land with the payment of this amount.

(6) I hereby give, will and devise unto the trustees of the Baptist Church at Warrensburg Greene County Tenn and their successors in trust, a certain tract or parcel of land lying in Greene County Tenn adjoining the land of Thomas Cobble and perhaps others and situated in the 4th Civil Dist of [page 463] Greene Co Tenn. But Sallie Scruggs who now lives on this land is to continue to live there so long as she should live provided she will pay unto the said trustees twenty five dollars per annum as rent and keep the taxes paid and if the said Sallie Scruggs shall fail to pay the rent stipulated above and the taxes or either of them then the said lands shall at once go the [sic] trustees of said Church. I further declare that said lands shall at the death of said Sallie Scruggs be sold by the said trustees and the proceeds of same loaned out and the interest applied to the payment of the pastors salary and if no pastor, then for the benefit of the Church.

(7) I hereby bequeath unto the trustees of Carson and Newman College, located in Jefferson City Jefferson County Tenn and their successors in trust the sum of one thousand dollars ($1000.00). This amount to be part of the endowment fund of said college and same is to be loaned out and the interest above to be used.

(8) I hereby nominate and appoint N.B. Hawkins as my sole executor of this my last will and testament. I witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this Jany [sic] 30 1911

M. E. Bible

Signed by the said M.E. Bible as and for her last will and testament in the presence of us, the undersigned, who at her request and in her sight and presence have subscribed our names hereto as attesting witnesses the day and date above written.

D.M. Alexander
C.S. Doak

FOOTNOTE: The character on the original does not appear to be the letter N. It moreso resembles the left half of the letter N. However, I know her husband to be Noah W. Bible and have therefore concluded that although I can’t visually attest to the initials being N.W., I have supplanted the letter N based on other documentary evidence.

Submitted by:
Morgan Courtney