Hi Sharon, The Hiram W. Branson info you refer to was from the probate papers, he died "intestate" and in 1927 when the probate was filed with the Superior Court, the younger Hiram would have been 19 years. I don't know why the delay in filing,but I suspect that the widow Josephine wanted tosell the property, the only remaining asset and discovered that only probate would resolve the title. She moved to SoCal where she lived until death in 1937(?memory), her body was returned and interred at Mariposa Cem. I checked my copies, they are typewritten and readable throughout. The county death index book also uses the 1922 and the probate refers to the 1922 death, that probate finally closed in 1928. I have seen probates filed in 1917 for an 1897 death, again I think more out of ignorance than an attempt to de-fraud. Steve At 02:55 AM 09/19/2001 -0400, you wrote: Steve, This is way after the fact, but I have a question about the death date of Hiram Branson......... According to the will you posted, he died 30 Apr 1922 and his son Hiram W. Branson was listed as 19 years of age. The CA Birth Index lists Hiram's year of birth as 1908. This doesn't fit. He would have only been 14 years of age. Since the will was probated in Dec of 1927, is it possible that Hiram died in April 1927? That would fit with the son Hiram's age as stated in the will. I"m just wondering how clear (easy to read) the date is for his date of death..... Sharon Mariposa, CA listmom