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Source 109 – Official Letter by Lorene E. Lodge, Estate of Viola Thomas

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08 September 1920

State of Michigan – The Probate Court for the County of Kent

In the Matter of the Estate of Viola Thomas, Minor.
First Annual Account.
To the Probate Court of said County:
The Grand Rapids Trust Company, a Michigan Corporation, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, respectfully represents unto this Honorable Court that it was on the 5th day of September, A.D. 1919, duly appointed Guardian of the estate of said Minor, and submits the following as its First Annual Account as such Guardian, covering the period from the date of its appointment to September 5th, 1920.

It charges itself as follows: Debits
Property as per Inventory on file:
Draft for $479.70
Check 690.87
1170.57
Total Property as per inventory on file 1,170.57
[missing a portion of this page]
01 April 1920 Public service of Northern Illinois paid six months interest to April 1, 1920, at 5% on $1000. bond …

It credits itself as follows: Credits
Disbursements:
17 Sept 1919 Paid Charles R. Thomas in full of services re care of Minor as allowed by order of Court, dated Sept 5, 1919… $250.00
11 Feb 1920 Paid Ralph A. Mosher, County Treasurer, tax of one-half of 1% on 1-$1000. Public Service of Northern Illinois bond… $5.00
19 Feb 1920 Paid Charles R. Thomas to apply on account of care, clothing, etc. of minor… $50.00
26 April 1920 Paid Charles R. Thomas to apply on account of care of minor… $50.00
Sept 1920 Paid Grand Rapids Trust Co., fees as Guardian for year ending Sept. 5, 1920… $10.00

21 Sept 1919 To purchase of 1-$1000.00 Public Service of Northern Illinois First and Refunding 5% bond, due Oct. 1, 1956, No. 22952, at 87… $870.00

It further represents that the foregoing account contains a correct statement of all the good, chattels, rights, credits and estate which have come into its knowledge or possession, and also of all expenditures and disbursements by it made for or on account of said estate.

It, therefore, prays that the foregoing account be allowed as its First Annual Account as Guardian of the estate of said Minor, and for the allowance of its fees as such Guardian for the period covered by the foregoing account in the sum of Ten Dollars ($10.00), and that due notice on the hearing of this account and petition be given as required by law.

Grand Rapids Trust Company as Guardian of the Estate of Viola Thomas, Minor,
by Robert D. Graham, President

On this 8th day of September, A.D. 1920, before me, a Notary Public in and for said County, personally appeared Robert D. Graham, President of the Grand Rapids Trust Company as Guardian of the Estate of Viola Thomas, Minor, who being duly sworn says, that he has read the foregoing account and petition by him signed in behalf of said Trust Company and knows the contents thereof, and that the same is true to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief.

Signed: Lorene E. Lodge, Notary Public, Kent County, Michigan
Commission expires: March 27, 1922

Source 108 – Official Letter: Discharge of Administrator, Estate of Alta Thomas

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Author: Judge of Probate, State of Michigan – Probate Court for the County of Kent
Title: Letter to Charles R. Thomas regarding Estate of Alta A. [Brown] Thomas
Date: 19 June 1915
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note:

State of Michigan – Probate Court for the County of Kent
Discharge
In the matter of the estate of Alta Thomas, deceased, to Charles R. Thomas greeting.

Whereas, it appears by the records and proceedings of said court that you have in all things fully and justly performed and discharged all and singular the duties and obligations which by law and the orders of said court were required and enjoined upon you as administrator of said estate, and that you have duly and fully accounted for and administered all of said estate which has come into your possession, in the manner provided by law:

Now, therefore, you are hereby discharged, exonerated and acquitted from any and all liabilities concerning your said trust, and your doings and proceedings are forever quieted, your official bond cancelled, and your letters of administration heretofore granted are hereby revoked and annulled. Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said court, at the City of Grand Rapids in said county, this 19th day of June 1915.
…. – Judge of Probate

Source 015 – Official Letter: George E. Nichols, Estate of Alta Thomas

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Author: George E. Nichols of Ionia, MI
Title: Letter to Mrs. Charles R. Thomas [Iva M. (Cooper) Thomas] of Ellsworth, MI
Date: 24 March 1915
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note:

March 24, 1915
Mrs. Charles R. Thomas
Ellsworth, Michigan

Dear Mrs. Thomas:
Yours of the 2nd at hand. Charlie ought not to attempt by any means to come to Grand Rapids until he gets well so that he can do so in safety. If he should come down here he is liable to get badly hurt and laid up all summer. You tell him I say for him to keep quiet. Spring is now opening up and in the course of the next four weeks he will want to be in a position to get busy. I will look after the master of the settlement of the estate of the child [Viola Thomas], but have him send me down the administrator’s account signed by him so that notice can be given ahead for say three or four weeks and he can come down then and we will fix it up and get the whole thing arranged, but by no means should he attempt to come now, because we couldn’t clean it up if he did. I have the money in the bank here and I will look after it so there will be no trouble.
With best regards, Yours truly,
George E. Nichols, Attorney at Law, National Bank Annex, Ionia, Michigan

Source 014 – Official Letter: George E. Nichols, Estate of Alta Thomas

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Author: George E. Nichols of Ionia, MI
Title: Letter to Mrs. Charles R. Thomas [Iva M. (Cooper) Thomas] of East Jordan, MI
Date: 15 March 1915
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note:

March 15, 1915
Mrs. Charles R. Thomas
East Jordan, Mich

My dear Mrs. Thomas:
Yours of the 11th at hand. I note what you say in relation to Charlie’s condition and tell him not to worry about the statement that I sent him, or the application to the probate court for the allowance of his final account, but just let that matter stand as it is until he has entirely recovered his nerve. The thing is all right anyway and I told the Judge of Probate that Charlie was sick and it might be some time before he got around with the account and he said, all right, to take our time for it, so there is no use worrying about that.

I hope that the indication of pus doesn’t mean that he will be laid up very much longer. I know you are having a very unfortunate time but things will clear away. I have been through the same proposition in different ways when I could see nothing but a dark cloud in front of me and yet in time it has cleared itself up and everything was all right. Now you tell Charlie, in relation to the estate, that I will look into that some day when I am in Grand Rapids and find out what is being done and will report to you so he will know about it.

I hope that he will come along fast now and that you will be able to pass on your worries in a little while. I remain,
Yours truly, George E. Nichols, Lawyer, Ionia, Michigan

Source 013 – Official Letter: George E. Nichols

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Author: George E. Nichols of Ionia, MI
Title: Letter to Mrs. Charles R. Thomas [Iva M. (Cooper) Thomas] of East Jordan, MI
Date: 12 March 1915
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note:

March 12, 1915
Mrs. Charles R. Thomas
Commercial Hotel, East Jordan, Michigan

Dear Mrs. Thomas:
I have your letter of the 10th. I do hope that Charlie will come on rapidly now and I do not want to have you get discouraged. I sent you a check as requested, which I presume you have received before this, and I sent a statement of the township matter to Charlie at Ellsworth, which perhaps will reach you before you leave East Jordan.

If there is anything you want me to do about looking after the estate or getting money out of your brother, or anything of that kind, I will look after it.
Yours truly,
George E. Nichols, Lawyer, Ionia, Michigan

Source 079 – Official Letter: George E. Nichols, Estate of Alta Thomas

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Author: George E. Nichols of Ionia, MI
Title: Letter to Charles R. Thomas of Ellsworth, MI
Date: 08 March 1915
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note:

March 8, 1915
Charles R. Thomas
Ellsworth, Mich.

My dear Charlie:
I went to Grand Rapids Friday and collected from the township of Byron $5260.81. There is still due $103.70 for interest that they hadn’t figured and the treasurer didn’t have enough money to pay the whole amount with him but agreed to come in within a week and pay the $103.70. I didn’t release the judgment and shall not until the $103.70 is forthcoming, but there will be no trouble about that, I apprehend.

I am sending your account as administrator. You will notice that I set up the fact that your wife [Alta A. Brown] had no estate except the claim against the township of Byron, and the further fact that you entered into a contract with us to prosecute the case, agreeing to give us one-half of any judgment recovered and collected and our disbursements and expenses, which amount to $546.23. I have received from you $100 on Sept 7, 1910, when we were going to take the case to the supreme court. You brought in $100 to take up the bond of $100 as security for costs signed by your father and that was placed in our hands to be paid on the costs provided we did not win in the supreme court, and that $100 you are to be credited with. I also collected $216.80 costs in the supreme court and then I have collected $369 costs in this last settlement, making the total moneys I have received outside of the judgment $685.80, thus leaving in my hands a balance of $139.57 of which you are entitled to one half as I understand the contract. So the account stands like this. I will be entitled to one half of the judgment and costs, $4981.81, or $2490.90, and you would be entitled to one-half of the balance less your fees, $1170.45, and $150 commission and one-half of the proceeds now in my hands, $139.57, or $69.78, or you should be credited upon your account with me $1390.23.

If the probate court should require me to pay the money to the trust company as guardian of your daughter, I will have to do so. By making this turn and charging the statutory fees for carrying on this law suit, you will have $1390.23 to your credit in my hands.

If the court would permit the guardian to leave the money in my hands to be applied upon the contract, the $1170.45, I would be glad of it, but I don’t think the judge will do it. As soon as you can get around to it, get a justice in or a notary public and swear to your account and send it back here and I will file it and have it allowed. I shall make no entries upon my books or upon our contract until I get it all straightened up, so the figures I give you in this letter may be changed.

I hope you are improving rapidly. When I spoke of you father’s estate I didn’t mean to make you any costs or charges by having Mr. Shaw look after it. I would make no charge in the matter unless there should be some law suit or something. I only did that as a means of seeing that things moved along all right and that your interests were protected.

With best regards to yourself, your wife and the kid [Robert Thomas], I am,
Yours truly, George E. Nichols, Lawyer, Ionia, Michigan