Note: Gory was 63 years old, and Eliza was 57. They were farming in Guyan township. They had four of their children at home: Eura 26, Amos 23, and Herbert 22 plus daughter Betha Willcoxen, a widow, and her daughter Dora, one year old.
I, G.W. Sheets, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, do hereby make, publish and declare this to be my last will and testament, hereby revoking all former wills heretofore by me made. Item One. I will, give and devise unto my son Herbert Sheets and my grandson, Garrett Sheets, share and share alike, the real estate owned by me in Guyan Township, Gallia County, Ohio, being sixty-five acres more or less. Item Two. I will, give and bequeath to Herbert Sheets a can mill, an old mowing machine and all other personal property situate and located on the farm of Eura O. Sheets, which may belong to me at the time of my decease. Item Three. I nominated and appoint Herbert Sheets executor of this my last will and testament. Item Four. I hereby declare that I am satisfied with the contract that I have made with my son Eura O. sheets, and with the deed I have made him for certain real estate, declaring further that Eura O. Sheets has faithfully performed all the conditions imposed upon him by said contract. Should the said deed to Eura O. Sheets be set aside before or after my decease, it is my will that said farm, so deeded by me to Eura O. Sheets, being sixty-five acres more or less, in Guyan Township, Gallia County, Ohio, shall pass to and vest in the said Eura O. Sheets. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of February, 1919. signed G.W. Sheets Signed, published and declared by G.W. Sheets as and for his last will and testament in our presence, sight and hearing and by us subscribed as attesting witnesses thereto in his presence sight and hearing and in the presence of each other, and at the request of the said testator at Gallipolis, Ohio, this 11th day of February, 1919. S.W. Cherrington John Chambers Jr.
Note: When Grandma Sheets died, Eurey got everything--all of Pap's--he lived with them. This caused a falling out between Black Jim, his brother, and Eurey. Black Jim locked the Bethesda Chapel, and Urey told him he would go to hell. Black Him said, "Well, when I get there, I won't have Grandma's feather bed on my back."
Memories
Note: Gory Sheets was fair with blue eyes. Eliza Ann had dark hair and eyes. Their children: Hulda-dark; America-light; Bill-light;Black Jim-dark; Eura-light; Amos-light; Herbert-dark. Gory was said to have a wart on his tongue, which undoubtedly fascinated his grandchildren.
Note: Gory was grouchy and onery and lazy. He had a wart on his tongue. He was a farmer, but he didn't work very well. He liked to come and stay with you. He was blondish, blue eyes, some kind of whiskers, always had a hat on.
He was a farmer. Had a nice house next to Bethlehem Church in Guyan Township.
Note: Gory went around pretty well-dressed most of the time. He had long whiskers.
Mom (Welth Burnett Stevers) never said anything about Gory being lazy. They had one of the nicer homes of that era. It had a front porch where you could sit and watch the world go by.
Note: Gory Sheets' name was always a mystery to me. Was it short for something? Was it related to an originally 'foreign' name? In the end I have discovered that it is short for George (Georg in German). On his marriage register [although it could have been assumed by the registrar that no-one would go by Gory!], it used "George W. Sheets". Also, on the birth certificate for Amos he registered as George W. Sheets. Mystery solved!? For the birth of Gora (Gorey) Murwood, their last child, the father is listed as "Gora".
In Carolyn Valance's book about the Sheets, Gory's name is Gory Waugh Alexander Sheets. The Sheets family was apparently close to George/Gory Waugh. I don't know to whom the Alexander refers. In the 1819 Tax Duplicate of Gallia Co., both George and Gory Waugh are in Ohio Township.
Death has again invaded our community & took from among us another one of our substantial citizens. Gory W. Sheets died at the home of his son, Eura O. Sheets, on Rocky Fork, Tuesday night, Dec. 07, 1920, after a three days' illness of pneumonia. Mr. Sheets was born in Gallia Co., Ohio, January 18, 1838, & was at the time of his death 82 yrs., 10 mos. & 19 days old. He was a son of John Sheets, one of the early settlers of Guyan Twp., who endured all the privations incident to pioneer life. He moved to this township in 1806 & died in 1862.
The subject of this sketch was first married to Becca Wilcox, who died in less than a year after their marriage. On Sept. 28, 1861, Mr. Sheets was married to Eliza a. Martt, & to this union were born eleven children. In this remarkable large family of cyhildren, only one death has occurred, a son, Jerry, who died Nov. 06, 1874, ag the age of four yrs. The living children are five sons, Amos, Herbert, William, Eura, & James, all of this county, & five daughters, mrs. J.S. Cofer of Gallipolis, Mrs. American Burnett of Crown City, Mrs. Susan Saunders of Marion, Ohio, Mrs. J. H. Garlic of Miller, Ohio & Mrs. Bertha McComas of Guyandotte, W.Va. Mr. Sheets was a farmer by occupation, though at various times he served his township in an official capacity, & otherwise made himself a useful citizen. Funeral services were held from the Bethlehem, Church, Saturday evening, conducted by Rev. McCoy, the pastor. Mr. Sheets was a faithful member of this church for many yeas. Interment was made in the church cemetery by Undertaker Tope.
Bethlehem is about 30 ft. wide by 45 ft. deep with a huge oak tree right in front of it. There are two paths down the hill. A hickory tree stands behind and to the side of the cemetery. Also buried there are Gory Sheets' parents.