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Wills, like post-1850 census records, give the type of information that helps link individuals to families. Generally, a will names a spouse, children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, and some extended family members, like cousins and in-laws. |
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A person writes a will to leave specific instructions about how their property is to be distributed after death. |
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Prior to this century, most people left "holographic" wills, which are wills written in the testator's own handwriting, generally before two or more witnesses. |
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Others, especially those who were facing a premature death and hadn't prepared a will, left a "nuncupative" will, an oral will dictated from one's deathbed to a scribe. |
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Today, most people leave an "attested" will, which is a will written by someone else on behalf of the testator (person leaving the estate), like an attorney. |
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All wills must be signed by witnesses.
Wills contain the name of the person writing the document, the names of the heirs and beneficiaries, a description of the property being willed, names of witnesses, and names of the executor(s). |
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Sometimes it takes years to settle an estate, especially when surviving heirs include minor children. Each step through the probate process causes the creation of other documents you can check for information about the deceased, the heirs, and the estate. |
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Wills are filed with a local civil court, sometimes called the county court, in which they were created and can be obtained from the court clerk. |
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Genealogists have abstracted and indexed wills
for many locations. Copies of those publications
and thousands of microfilmed will books can be
found at the LDS Family History Library, its local
Family History Centers, and in the genealogy
collections of private, local, state, and university
libraries throughout the country.
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