1858-1865 Pendleton Co, KY. According to deed records, he owned landthere between those years.
9/5/1859 Nimrod served as administrator of his father's estate.Brother James took him to court, details unknown.
6/27/1860 Dist 1, Brooksville, Bracken Co, KY. Nimrod was a 30 yearold farmer at census time. He had property recorded of $1000/1400.His occupation was farmer. Wife Elizabeth was 21 and they had 2 smalldaughters, Sophia, 4, and Juliett, 2. Next door was brother, Joseph,their aged mother, Juliet, was next to him.
7/25/1870 Still at Brooksville, probably the same residence as 1860.At that time Nimrod was 42, still farming, but his property had grownto $ 3500/500. Elizabeth was 42 and children living with them were:Sophia, 14; Mary, 12; Robert, 6; Laura, 3; and Dora A, 1. They livedbetween Levi Boone and Peter ? (looks like Maries).
1/1872 Bracken Co, KY. Still there, the deed book lists Sarah AWorkman, widow of Andrew; Samuel Jacobs and Mary E, his wife of MaconCo, IL ; and Nimrod Neaves of Bracken Co, KY.
1873-5 Macon Co, IL. They were there before daughter Stella was born.The date of the move is unknown.
12/11/1880 Milam Twp, Macon Co, IL. The census taker found thefamily there that year. Living in the house were: Nimrod, 55, farmer;Elizabet h, 41; Robert T, 14; Laura, 12; Dora A, 10; Estella, 5; andWilliam, 2. Next door neighbors were John Rice and Charles Harnham.
1890s Moultrie Co, IL
A Sullivan IL mayor remembered Nimrod:
"(I) greatly admired the intrepid Nimrod Neaves, who showed up inSullivan during the 1890s.
When he blew into town, you would have taken him for a tramp. Buth e was as sharp as a steel trap. His wife was a very bright womanand had all the marks of refinement.
The first I knew of Neaves he had bought a good farm a few mileswest of town and paid all cash. I was in the abstract business thenand I b ecame acquainted with him very soon after his arrival. Inever became intimately acquainted with him, so as to know many of hischaracteristics, but he told me once of his system in buying land, andit shows not only good sense but also his foxy disposition.
He told me that when he was in the market as a buyer of land, heput on his old clothes and appeared to be not only a man of no means,but of little sense as well. He hiked all around the country until hefound the farm he wanted, then approached the owner and asked hisprice on the farm. He let him know that he had but a small amount ofmoney in the bank--say $1,000 to buy a $20,000 farm--but he wasexpecting enough shortly to pay for it in full. If the owner wouldsell it to him for his price, he would pay him that $1,000 then andget him the rest in a short time. The owner believed he could getthat $1,000 and keep his land, too, for he thought Neaves would neverget the rest of the purchase price within the time specified, orwithin any time. Neaves was a man of considerable means."
1/25/1893 Nimrod and Elizabeth transferred property at E 1/2 SE S21T1 4 R5 to daughter, Laura Van Gundy, for $1 by warranty deed,probably in preparation for moving farther west. They may havemigrated with daughter Dora and Samuel Houston.
1894 Jewell Co, KS, was their place of residence when Elizabeth died.
3/1900 Formoso, Jewell Co, KS, was where he wrote his will.
Nimrod was a wealthy farmer and landowner by the time of his death,bequeathing land in 3 counties of 2 states.
His will, dated 3/31/1900, was entered into probate in Jewell Co, KS,on 6/1/1900. It stated:
"I, Nimrod Neaves, being of sound mind do make and declare this myLast Will and Testament,
(1) It is my Will and I direct that all expenses of may lastsickness, all funeral and incidental expenses shall be paid from anyof the available funds of my Estate,
(2) It is my desire that my Estate shall be as evenly divided amongmy seven Children as may be possible, To this end I have executedDeeds, one to Robert T Neaves, one to W.C. Neaves, one to SophiaHamilton, one to Mary Huff, each conveying 160 acres of Land in JewellCounty Kansaas, which Deeds I direct shall be given and good titlemade, Also a Deed with like conditions to my Grand Daughter ElizabethHouston, conveying a part of the old Homestead in Sullivan Twp,Moultrie County Illinois,
(3) In addition to the above I do give devise and bequeath asfollows, T o my eldest Daughter Sophia Hamilton, formerly Neaves, TheSouth half of the South East quarter of Section 25, in Town 15, Range2 East, Macon County, Illinois, containing 80 acres more or less, Alsothe sum of Four Hundred Dollars,
(4) To my Daughter Mary Huff, formerly Neaves, I do give and bequeaththe East Twenty five acres of the old Homestead in Sullivan Township,Moultrie County Ill, described as a part of Section No 3, Township No13 North, Range 5, east of the 3rd principle Meredian, in the Countyof Moultrie and State of Illinois, and the further sum of FourThousand and Four Hundred Dollars,
(5) To my Son Robert T. Neaves, I give the West half of the Southhalf of the North East quarter of Section 16, Township 12 North, Range7 East , of the 3rd principle Meredian, in the County of Coles andState of Illinois, Also the sum of Three Thousand and Two HundredDollars,
(6) To my Daughter Laura Van Gundy, formerly Neaves, I give Eightyacres of the old Homestead in Sullivan Twp, Moultrie Co, Ills, Said 80acres lying next west and in the same tract as described above inbequest to Mrs Huff, Also the sum of Four Thousand and Four HundredDollars,
(7) To my Daughter Stella Wiley, formerly Neaves, I give the Easthalf of the South half of the North East quarter of section 16,Township 12, Range 7 East of the 3rd principle Meredian, in the Countyof Coles and State of Illinois, Also the sum of Six Thousand and Eighthundred Dollars,
(8) To my son W.C. Neaves, I do give the west Eighty five acres ofthe old Homestead in Sullivan Township, Moultrie County Ills, being apart of the tract above described in the bequest to Mrs. Huff,
(9) To my Daughter Dora Houston, formerly Neaves, I do give the WestOne Hundred acres of the fractional North West Quarter of Section 7,in Township 14, Range 3 in Macon County and State of Illinois,
It is my will that all of the above mentioned sums of Money shall bepaid in Money or securities of which I may die possessed, anydeficiency in the amount to make up the whole to be shared by all, andthat any surplus or residue of my Estate after all expenses are paidshall be equal ly divided among my Seven Children above named,
(10) I further direct that so far as may be practible said bequestsshall be paid as follows,
Notes and securities of Walter Wilson, A. Forsythe, or so much aswill pay the same shall be given in payment of bequest to Mrs.Hamilton,
To Mary Huff, the H. Love securities and the M. Hofweimersecurities, or so much of same as shall be necessary to pay herbequests, any balance due her to be paid in Money now in M & F StateBank at Sullivan Ills,
To Robert T Neaves $1500 from above named bank, Mtgs of JosephineGuthrie, A. Forsythe, John Drew, and Jos. Fry, or so much of same asmay be necessary,
To Laura Van Gundy and Stella Wiley, Notes of A.B. Patterson andresidue of Money or securities to pay bequests to them,
(12) I name M.H. Burnham, of Formoso Kansas as my executor withoutbond, and enjoin him to carry out the terms and stipulations of thisWill as speedily and accurately as possible.
Withes my hand at Formoso Kansas, this 31st day of March, 1900.
his
Nimrod X Neaves
mark
Acknowledged and signed in our presence
W.E. Livingood
J.Barnhart Witnesses at requesto f Testator
