Eliza C. (Fuller) Meek's Estate - 1909-1911

When, great-great grandmother, Eliza C. (Fuller) Meek died on July 2, 1909, she left no will.  Of her seven children, five were living and named in the letters of administration as heirs, and son, David, was named as administrator. Two sons, William Oscar and Solomon predeceased their mother.  Also given were the addresses of the heirs, which was a good clue to further research.

From the estate papers,  quite a bit of information can be gleaned about her financial and personal life.  She still had a farm, or at least some interest in one, because somewhat less than half of the worth of the estate was due to the sale of oats, wheat, corn, hay and clover seed.  She also had money to loan - to her son, John Meek, $500 to finance his mortgage, and to E. E. Root and C.D. Hitt, $200, and to John Brown, $130.

Eliza must have been sickly at the end because a nurse was hired to care for her.  Mrs. Florence Conner was paid $8.50 for her services, and Mrs. Sherman Meek was also compensated $50 for care of the deceased during her last illness.

An interesting mystery to solve was indicated by one line in the debits of the estate.  A telegram was sent to Attica, Indiana concerning the death of Eliza.  Did she have a sibling or other relative who lived there?  Who was informed of Eliza's passing?

By 1911, the estate was settled with each heir receiving $200, with an additional $31.67 later and when a CD was cashed it, they also acquired another $18.91.  Not a huge amount, but a nice sum for 1911, considering her funeral cost much less than that.