Person Page - 15

     Abraham Stauffer was born in December 1734 in Philadelphia County, now Berks County, Pennsylvania.^3,4 Conflicting evidence states that Abraham Stauffer was born the record being wrong, in 1733 in Philadelphia County, now Berks County, Pennsylvania.⁵ He married Elizabeth Hiestand, daughter of Jacob Hiestand and Anna (?). Abraham Stauffer was a farmer.⁵ He and Elizabeth lived in Boyertown, Colebrookdale Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.^5,6 Abraham Stauffer and Elizabeth were Mennonites.⁵ Abraham Stauffer left a will on 24 March 1806.⁷ The transcript of the Will read:
Be it Remembered that I, Abraham Stowver of Colebrookdale Township Berks County and State of Pennsylvania Yeoman being by old age feeble and weak in Body But thanks be to God of Sound disposing mind and memory But calling to mind the mortality of my Body and that it is appointed for all men once to die Do think fit this twenty fourth Day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight Hundred and Six to make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament the which I do in the manner and form following that is to say
so firstly it is my will and I do order that all my Just Debts and funeral Expenses shall be fully Paid and discharged out of my Personal Estate by my hereafter named Executors.
2nd I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Elizabeth so much of my movable Property as She may or will choose to keep for her use and the Interest of one thousand Pounds to be paid her by my Executors yearly and every year during her natural life.
3rd I Give and devise unto my Son Jacob and to his Heirs and Assigns forever all that my Plantation Tracts or Phrals of land whereon I now live and other land which I now Possess with all and Singular the Buildings and improvements thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining under and Subject to Payment of Seven hundred Pounds in good Current money of the State of Pennsylvania to be paid in fourteen annual Payments yearly without Interest the first thereof to be paid in one year after he takes Possession of the Place and so on till the hole is paid and it is further my will that my Son Jacob Shall give out of the Produce of the Place yearly and every year to me and my wife Elizabeth the following articles and Privildges here mentioned firstly the room where we now weave in and the loom above that or the other Story and also much room in the Kitchen Seller & Springhouse as to accomdate our goods and for me and my wife Elizabeth and my daughter Barbara to live in During our natural life time with free in grap and Regrep in to or from one to the other without any Hinderance or Molesstation and he is further to give to me and my wife Elizabeth yearly and Every year as long as we Both live together twenty Burkes of rye ten Bushels of wheat three hundred weight of good Pork and one hundred and fifty weight of good Beef twoo Cows and one Horse to be kept and Pastured by my Son Jacob as he feeds and keeps his own for the use of me and my wife Elizabeth firewood Sufficent for our use ready cut and Halled to the door one third part of the garden with Dung Halled in it Sufficient to minure it Potatoes Sufficient for our use apples Sufficient for our use for Drying and green if there be any a halp Barrel of Cyder if there be apples to make it the flax one quarter of one acre Ready Pulled one third of the foods and Eggs kept on the Place to be for the use of me and my wife these articles & Priviledges herein mentioned to be given by my Son Jacob out of the place to me and my wife are to be given yearly and every year during the time we both live together but if my wife Elizabeth should Survive me in such case It is my Will that my Son Jacob shall give her the same Priviledge in the House as before mentioned and one Cow for her use and give her one hundred and fifty Pound of good Pork & Seventy five Pounds of good buck and one half of all the things which he was to give us Both Except the Horse he is not to keep for her but he is to give her firewood Ready Cut and Halled to the Door Sufficient for her use this all to be given her yearly and every year During her natural life and all this to be given to my said wife Elizabeth in Lew of her Dower.
4th I Give and Bequeath to my two Sons John and Jacob the sum of three hundred Pounds in good money as before mentioned to be put out on interest by them During my Daughter Susannah's Natural life During which time my Sons John and Jacob or their heirs Executors or Administrators Shall Pay to my Daughter Susannah the annual Interest of Six per cent Every year so long as She keeps from her husband wherewith She was Married against my will but if She Should go to live with him then and in Such case they Shall not pay her anything at all from thence forward. And it is further my will that what I have already advanced my Daughter Susannah Shall be in Lieu of her wages for the time she worked for me after she was of age the Interest here mentioned to be given my Daughter Susannah & what I have heretofore advanced her is to be in full of her portion or Legatee of my Estate Both Real and Personal.
5th I give and Bequeath unto my four daughters Mary Barbara Hester and Sarah all my household furniture which is not all ready given to my wife to be divided amongest them four Share and Share alike over and above what is hereafter to be divided.
6th I give and Bequeath all the rest and residue of my Estate which is the principal Sum so left to raise my wife's dower out of and three hundred Pounds bequeathed to my two John and Jacob and all the remainder of my Estate not yet bequeathed or given to be Equally Divided amongst my Son John and his four Sisters, Mary Barbara Hester & Sarah ading each his opr their Share what I have already advanced to Some of the Name of my Children to be charged any interest onwhat I have advanced them.
7th I do hereby nominate Constitute and appoint my two belovd Sons John & Jacob to be the Executors of this my Last Will and Testament.
8th And lastly I do utterly Disallow revoke and disannuall all and Every other and former Wills Legasur and Testament by me hereto fore made Rattifying and Confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament.
In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal the day and year first above written and do hereby make known and acknoweldge that it my will and does not Concern any other Right.
Abraham Stauffer (SEAL)

Signed, Sealed, Published, Pronounced and declared by the Testator for and as his last Will and Testament in the Presence of us the Subscribers.
Jacob Finck
Henry Pennebecker

Register's Office Reading Berks County the14th January AD 1814 appeared Jacob Finck and Henry Pennebecker, witnesses to the within writing who after duly affirmed according to law did declare and say that they were present and did see and hear Abraham Stauffer the Testator Sign, seal, publish, pronounce and declare that the said writing and as for his last will & testament and at the doing thereof he the said Testator was of Sound mind and understanding to the best of their knoweldge and belief. And Further the names Jacob Finck and Henry Pennebecker were of the affirmants own hand thereto Subscribed in the Presence of each other and in te Presence of the Testator and at his request.
John Seule Reg.⁷ He died on 10 December 1813 at age 79 years.⁵ Abraham's will was probated in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania, on 14 January 1814.⁸
     Abraham Stauffer appeared on the census enumerated on 1790 in Colebrookdale Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. He was the head of a household consisting of two free white males 16 years old or older, of one free white male under the age of 16, and of five free white females.⁶

     Elizabeth Hiestand was born in April 1741.^2,3 Conflicting evidence states that Elizabeth was born on 25 September 1742 in Berks County, Pennsylvania.^4,5 She married Abraham Stauffer, son of Jacob Stauffer and Barbara Sauter. Her married name was Stauffer. Elizabeth Hiestand and Abraham lived in Boyertown, Colebrookdale Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.^6,7 Elizabeth Hiestand and Abraham were Mennonites.⁶ Elizabeth Hiestand died in 1817 in Boyertown, Colebrookdale Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, at age 75 years.^4,5