Simmons

Fannin County TXGenWeb
William Henry Simmons

My grandfather, William Henry Simmons, came to Fannin County in 1873 with his father from Bells, Tennessee. He and his first wife were married in 1892. He soon began purchasing land in and around Honey Grove. ..... a type written copy of his Will where he bequeaths almost 300 acres and seven different homes to his children in 1944 when he died. One tract of land he refers to as “the Sandy Land Farm” in the will.    I happen to know this land was located at Michigan Prairie because this is where my parents lived when I was a very young child.

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
OF
WILLIAM HENRY SIMMONS
(REPLICA OF ORIGINAL – REPRODUCED AS WRITTEN)
To whom it may concern I W H Simmons of Fannin County State of Texas do hereby make my will to my children as follows To Herbert A. Simmons son 45 ½ acres on the West side of my sandy land farm 7 miles N.E. of Honey Grove consisting 135 ½ acres* his on the West side of the farm his to run from the north line to the south line on the west side of the farm. All so one half interest in a house jointly owne by me and J.H. Simmons son in the city of Honey Grove being the north lot on the East side faceing 12 St one ½ of lot on that side & house    All so one cow
To G M Simmons son 45 acres on the south side of same farm faceing the east side with houses and all out buildings running north then west
To H A Simmons south line on same farm       G M Simmons 45 acres          All so my team here at home   one wagon cultivator     plows hoes & tools    traylor and rake disk planter & stalk cutter and car being a Ford A and one cow one dresser & stove a fiew other things in the house as they want to devide them.
To Maudie E. Blair daughter 45 acres on the north side joining G M Simmons running to the north corner then west to H A Simmons line    All so one cow                   To be devided like this
W H Simmons Father
This 4 day of January 1941
My timber land I bequeith to J D Simmons     GM Simmons & Jno. H. Simmons sons and Mattie Lee Cunningham daughter   They to keep this land consting of 36 acres more or less intact each to pay there part of taxes and get wood when ever they need it and if they should sell it each one to receive his part equally.
       W H Simmons father
and what cows and yearlings I have to be sold and put on my funeral expenses and what I have to go on my funeral expenses until payed for the rest of the money left to be devided among them after Jno H Simmons receives a fee for his trouble.
       W H Simmons
This 4 day Jan. 1941
To John H Simmons and J. D. Simmons sons my equity in my farm 2 miles east of town being 100 acres. This farm   this farm to stay intact until paid out by them then then to be eqaly divided between them    All so to J D Simmons one team 1 wagon 1 dick, 1 buster 1 plow 1 cultivator all hoes and   oct(?) uses on the place I all so want you all to keep this farm in the Simmons name which I believe you can. I hereby want J. H. and J. A. Simmons adminitrator to straten out every thing.
   4 day of January 1941
                                                                      W H Simmons Father
To Jess A Simmons son and Lora Swain daughter I bequeith my house and lot of Hickery st. in Honey Grove to be divided equal between them on can buy the other out which suits them All so Jess A Simmons one team of mules and one cow Also Lora Swain one ½ interest in my and Jno H. Simmons being on Eleven St. on North lot on the West Side of the Block.
To Lizzie Hayes daughter one half interest in the 8 ½ acres in the west part of town helt by me & Jno. H. Simmons on the south side of our property faceing on 11 st. running back to 12 st.
                                                                               W H Simmons Father
                                                                                       This is the way I want this
                                                                                        Property divided Jan. 4 1941
To my daughter Mattie L. Cunningham my home here in south east part of town being 16 ½ acres in the King survey    all so one piano sewing machine and what other fixtures they want to divide
       W H Simmons
                                                                                     This 4 day of January 1941

SUMMARY (by granddaughter Norma Nichols)
1. HOUSE ON HICKORY STREET
½ interest to Lora Swain; ½ interest to Jess Simmons
2. HOUSE ON 11TH STREET (owned by W. H. & John Simmons)
On north lot on the west side of the block
WH’s interest (½) to Lora Swain
3. HOUSE AND LOT ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF PROPERTY FACING 11TH (owned by W.H. and John Simmons)
WH’s ½ interest to Lizzie Hayes
4. HOUSE ON 12TH STREET (owned by W.H. & John Simmons)
WH’s interest (½) to H. A. Simmons
5. HOUSE AND ALL OUT BUILDINGS ON SANDY LAND FARM *
George M. Simmons
6. HOME IN SOUTHEAST PART OF TOWN
to Mattie Lee Cunningham
100 ACRES 2 miles east of Honey Grove (½ to John, ½ to DeWitt)
36 ACRES Timberland (to Dewitt, George, John & Mattie Lee)
45.5 ACRES West side of Sandy Land Farm 7 miles NE of HG to Chokum Simmons*
45 ACRES South side of Sandy Land Farm 7 miles NE of HG to GM Simmons*
45 ACRES North side of Sandy Land Farm 7 miles NE of HG to Maudie Blair*
16.5 ACRES to Mattie Lee
8.5 ACRES in West Part of town (½ already owned by John; ½ to Lizzie Hayes)
296.5 ACRES TOTAL
3 teams of mules4 cows2 wagons2 disks1 buster2 plows 2 cultivators 1 planter 1 stalk cutter 1 Model A Ford1 TrailerMisc hoes, tools & rakes1 dresser1 stove1 piano1 sewing machine Misc fixtures & furniture
Cows and yearlings on hand to be sold to pay funeral expense. Any remaining monies to go to John Simmons for his trouble.

* Sandy Land Farm (aka Michigan Prairie)

Norma (Simmons) Nichols

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