| On July 11, 1922, Amanda Ellen Fulkerson passed away in Richmond California. She had filed a will on May 26, 1917 in Santa Rosa. She was 77 years old. | ||
...was of sound and disposing mind... The said document was left by said deceased in the possession of William A. Cockrill of Santa Rosa, California... I give, bequeath and devise unto my grandson, Clarence Fulkerson, the sum of FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. I give, devise and bequeath unto my four grandsons, Stephen Wendt, Claude Wendt, Milton Wendt and Douglas Wendt, each a sum of ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. All the rest and residue of my estate of whatsoever nature, and wheresoever located, I give, devise and bequeath unto my six children, Mrs. Clara Grider, Mrs. Laura Badger, Mrs. Nora Leggett, Richard Fulkerson, Bruce Fulkerson, and Mrs. Helen Cummings, share and share alike. |
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She was unable to sign her name by then and "...has made her mark..." to her will. The witnesses are E. C. Thompson and B. T. Cockrill both of Santa Rosa the document claims, however, Dr., Bruce T. Cockrill, her cousin, was living in Bloomfield. In the will she also appoints her youngest daughter, Helen Cummins (commonly misspelled as Cummings in the will), as sole Executrix of the estate. She requests that all her just debts, expenses of administration and last illness be first paid. The estate is appraised by Donald Geary, W. S. Coulter (William Sterling Price Coulter, Amanda's second cousin and Sterling T. Coulter's son), and Fred B. Wendt (uncle to her Wendt grandchildren). There was a lien upon Amanda Fulkerson's estate for $4.20 by the Hahman Drug Co. The family had been attempting to sell the Chinatown property ever since taking over Amanda's estate: |
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| ...devisees and legatees are eleven in number... cannot partition among the heirs, devisees, and legatees to any advantage to the estate or those interested therein; and that the buildings upon said lands are very old and that repairs of the same would necessarily be continuous and that the tenants of said buildings are Chinese; and that any prospect of obtaining a higher or a better price for said lands are entirely speculative and uncertain and that the income from the entire property is $60.00 per month... | ||
The appraised rental value of the property was $720 per year. That the buildings were in constant need of repair and rented to "Chinamen" was probably a factor in charging the low rents (if these are low for that time). It appears that this property was used only for residential purpose and not for commercial shops. But why the property was never fixed up and developed, or why it was never sold earlier before it became such a nuisance, is not entirely obvious. Whether it was being kept as an investment, or as a sentimental keepsake of a better time, or because of some argument between the various heirs about what to do with it, or even out of a conceern for the people who needed some place to rent -- whatever the reason, it appears that it was something that Trib and Amanda Fulkerson may at one time believed in but not particularly their children. Helen Cummins, executrix, hired Margaret Dimmick, "a bona fide real estate agent", and made an arrangement for her to sell the Chinatown properties. Dimmick would receive any amount of money above $10,000 that the family wanted for the property. The six lots are sold to a George W. Dutton and E. H. Crawford for $12,500. Bruce Fulkerson had been married to Viola Dimmick who had passed away November 15, 1908, and more than likely this Margaret Dimmick was also related (a M. Margaret Dimmick is buried in the Dimmick family plot). Amanda's grandson, Clarence (son of Bruce Fulkerson and Viola Dimmick) was given the sum of five hundred dollars. In 1922 he was 20, and living in Chico, Butte County, California (P.O. Box 131). To her four grandsons Stephen, Claude, Milton, and Douglas Wendt, each are given one hundred dollars. Milton is listed in care of Stephen Wendt at 2425 Grove Street, Oakland. Though by that time my grandfather was living in Napa with my Grandmother, and no one could remember him ever living in Oakland. Claude is listed as living in Soledad (where Amanda's mother had spent her final years in the late 1880's), and Doug at Santa Rosa (No. 420, Bosley Street, where he lived with his wife, Sally (who was also my grandmother's sister). The probate record lists the whereabouts of the other heirs: Nora Carroll (formerly Nora Leggett) residing at 1215 Roosevelt Ave., Richmond, Contra Costa, CA; Richard Fulkerson, Santa Rosa; Bruce Fulkerson, Point Richmond, Contra Costa County; Helen Cummins, P.O. Box 131, Chico, Butte County, CA; Clara Grider, Porterville; Laura Badger, Santa Rosa. In the final account of the estate filed by Helen Cummins on September 8, 1923, it states that all the conditions of the will had been met: the debts had been paid and the grandchildren given their inheritance. The residue of the estate, $9,585.83 was then to be divided in equal shares among Amanda's six surviving children. |
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This page created on 05/06/01 12:52. Updated 10/19/02 21:21.