Fred K. Gerner's Will Filed For Probate, 1926 News Article

Fredrick K. Gerner, my father's maternal grandfather, died on March 25, 1926, in Bruin, Butler County, Pennsylvania, where he lived most of his life.  I have never found a newspaper obituary for him but while searching for an obituary in The Butler Eagle I found the article below, published on Friday, April 2, 1926 (on page 17, column 1).  I find it unusual that the contents of his will were considered worthy of publication by a local newspaper.

Bruin Man's Will Filed For Probate
   Personal property of $5,000 and a
house and lot in Bruin borough of the
approximate value of $500 is listed in
the will of Fred K. Gerner of Bruin,
who died March 26.  The will was ad-
mitted to probate in the register and
recorder's office today.
   To the widow, Elmira [sic] Gerner is be-
queathed the house she now lives in,
bonds and mortgages and all other
property above what is bequeathed to
the children.
   To each of the following children is
bequeathed $500:  Mrs. Della Fletcher,
Bruin; Alma Kitch, Bruin; Mrs. Lottie
Riss, Berlin Center, O.; Mrs. Brendis [sic]
Davis, Louisville, O.; John Gerner,
New Middleton, O., and Warren Gerner,
Bessemer, Pa.
   To Mabel Double and Paul V. Gerner
is bequeathed $600 each.  The will pro-
vides that the oil leases of the decedent
shall be sold and the money turned into
the estate.

Observations & Comments

• Fred and Elvira had 16 children.  At the time of Fred's death, 11 were still alive.  Not mentioned in this article are his three oldest living children, Lana, Alfonzo, and Alonzo.  In the will itself, both Lana and Alfonzo are named but Alonzo is not.  I have no history or background suggesting why Alonzo was excluded from the will. 
• Both the will and this article mention oil leases.  Butler County was rich in oil wells and it seems that Fred and several of his sons were involved in the extraction of oil either directly or indirectly.  The mention of oil leases suggests that Fred's property may have had one or more oil wells which were leased to a company or companies for pumping. 
• The value of Fred's $500.00 in 1926, would be about $7,600.00 today and $5,000.00 in 1926 about $76,000 today.  By today's standards, Fred was not a particularly wealthy man.
• I used inter-library loan to have a microfilm of the newspaper sent to my local library from the Pennsylvania State Library a dozen years ago.  I viewed the film and found this article the day after the Columbus Metropolitan Library called to tell me the microfilm had arrived.  When I returned it to the desk after using it, I asked how how much longer it could stay.  They told me it should have been returned a week ago!  I was unable to locate an obituary in any of the issues from March 26 through April 2, 1926. 

-–Nancy.

Copyright ©2021 by Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.