In the name of God, Amen, as I Stephen Lengel of Heidelberg Township, Berks County and State of Pennsylvania, former, taking into consideration the frailty of my mortal body, whose strength is beginning to exhaust, also know that, possession of full understanding and reason, I ordain this to be my last will and testament and shall be considered such and has been verified by named executors and shall thus be carried out.
First - I commend my spirit and soul into the hands of the Almighty God from whom I have received it. My body I order to be buried by my descendants according to Christian custom near my Christian relatives n[sic] the hope that my Lord will resurrect it.
Second - It is my will and my command that my earthly goods with which the Lord has blessed me during life to be divided and confirmed as follows: First, I bequeath to my beloved wife Susanna during her life the room in the house occupied at present, and that she shall have the right to use, kitchen, cellar and spring-house, as much as she deems necessary, one-third of the garden, and she also shall choose a cow for her own use which after my death the tenant of my plantation shall keep same cow in the meadow during the summer and feed her during the winter same as he does his own, and when said cow is too old or is no longer of use shall sell her and buy a good young cow and this is to be done as often as necessary. I also bequeath her the kitchen cupboard with dishes, the eight-day clock, two beds with bedding, all my flax, hemp, linen, and she shall also have the right to keep as many kitchen utensils as she cares to have. The chest, the drawers, a table, the parlor stove, on tub, two chairs, a spinning wheel, reel, corn-chopper, a shovel, and the copper kettle. The owner of my plantation must give my wife annually as she needs it, six bushels of wheat, ten bushels of corn, eight bushels of potatoes, the grain to be taken to the mill and after being ground to be brought home again. A fat hog that weighs 150 pounds, a quarter of beef weighing 100 pounds all this to be delivered during slaughtering season. Yearly a quarter of flax to be sown, she is to receive six pounds of wool, allowed to take as many apples out of the orchard as she thinks necessary for her use. Wood chopped ready for use to cook her meals in the kitchen and it also must be brought into the house for her and should she become sick or bedfast he must see that she is properly cared for. He also must give her one and a half bushels of salt, six pounds of coffee, ten pounds of sugar, and annually the interest on one hundred and fifty (150) pounds, said money to be taken from the money on hand, by my executors as soon as possible after my death. All the above mentioned bequests are to be given to my wife Susanna as long as she remains my widow, but as soon as she does not, all the above are no longer valid.
Second - It is my will that the plantation which I occupy at present, containing two hundred acres, more or less, as it is at present in my possession, bordering on the land of John Wenrich, Hans Zerbe and others is to be sold by my three sons, Mathias, George and Michael among themselves, and he who bids most for it is to have it obtain full possession of same, subject to following conditions of payment - namely on hundred pounds interest to be paid on April 1st but this interest is not to be paid before one year has expired. This amount to be paid annually until the amount paid reaches the entire cost of the plantation. In return for this, I bequeath him the above plantation or his heirs or to whom he may bequeath it, forever.
Further it is my will and I so command it that my plantation, situated partly in Bethel Township and partly in Tulpehocken Township is to be sold by my children if they can agree, if not it is to be sold at public auction, to be sold to the highest bidder.
Thirdly - It is my will that my beloved son, David Lingel, is to have a tract of land 35 acres 133 rods which I have had leveled of the plantation of Bethel and Tulpehocken and on which he at present resides. Said David Lingel is to have and hold same and his heirs or to whom he may sell or bequeath it. In accord with this last will, he is to pay the sum of three hundred and fifty pounds gold or silver, lawful currency of the State of Pennsylvania. This sum is to be paid from the time he occupies this land until he receives his inheritance without interest, but from his share of the sale of my properties there shall be deducted such amounts until he has equal shares with my other children.
Fourthly - It is my will all my estate not otherwise bequeathed shall be sold at public sale after my death and that my ten named children shall receive the money in equal shares after the one hundred and fifty pounds for my widow have been deducted and put on interest; also it is my will and command that everything I have given my children during my life, a record of which I have kept, is to be deducted from their share of the estate in order that my children shall receive equal shares. Further it is my will that the money obtained from my land, as I have herein mentioned shall be divided among my children, as follows - To say - my sons John Adam, John, Philip, Mathias and George shall receive the first interest the first year. The second year my sons David, Michael, John Jacob, Daniel and my daughter Elizabeth shall receive the income in equal shares. This to be continued until everything is paid and all have equal shares.
Of my ready money on hand it is my will that my sons George, Michael, Jacob, Daniel and my daughter Elizabeth each shall receive fifty dollars in advance for their dowry because the other children received the same amount and then the remainder is to be divided equally among my children.
Lastly - I name and give full authority as Executors of my last will and testament my sons George and Mathias and revoke all former wills and bequests, and declare this and no other as my last will and testament. In witness thereof I have set my hand and seal the third day of January A.D. one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.
Written and declared as his last will and testament in presence of
his
John Kirst Stephen X Lengel
Valentine Himmelberger mark
Will probated January 3, 1825
Will Book C -- page 344
From After the Indians: Whom and Whence the Lengels, by Russell G. Lengel, 1985 [Original will is in German]
Registers office Reading Berks County January the 5, 1925
There appeared Valentine Himmelberger and John Kirst witnesses to the afore written will who were duly qualifyed according to Law did declare and say that they were present and did see and hear Stephen Lengel the Testator sign publish pronounce and declare this writing as and for his last will and testament and at the time of the [illegible] thereof he the said Testator was of sound mind memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge and as they verily believe and further that the names Valentine Himmelburger and John Kirst are of the deponants own handwriting thereto subscribed as witnesses in the presents of each other and in the present sand at the request of the Testator.
D? Rhoades [signature] Regr.