If there is no will, the person who settles the estate is a court-appointed administrator. If there is a will, the person who settles the estate is the executor (male) or executrix (female). He or she is carrying out (executing) the will of the deceased. I can't guarantee that every estate settlement used those terms properly but that's how Black's Law Dictionary defines those terms. Barbara Brixey Wylie [email protected] John Wylie Consulting, Professional Genealogists www.johnwylie.com -----Original Message----- From: Velda Moore [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, October 08, 2004 11:08 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [ILVERMIL] Obituaries - Cotton I got the probate for William K. Cotton, but it contained no will that I can see. It does state that Isaac S. Cotton was his administrator. There is an Isaac Cotton that lived in Saline County, IL where my Cotton family lived. I am going to work on that end. It did not say that Isaac was his son or even hint at it. I have read and re-read this, but not much to go on. Maybe we should write back and ask about a WILL. Can you do that? Velda Wittenbrink Moore [email protected] [email protected] http://www.larrett.com/velda/ http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilrcgs/ -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 1:26 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ILVERMIL] Obituaries - Cotton From what I understand, Velda, there is a will filed for William K. Cotton in Vermilion Co., I have not written for a copy, I don't think obituaries were printed in that era, I could be wrong. Lois W. ==== ILVERMIL Mailing List ==== "The Past, and Present, Building a Future for Our Children." Kristie Setser- List Admin. http://www.gentrails.com/vermil.shtml http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilvermil ============================== You can manage your RootsWeb-Review subscription from http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ ==== ILVERMIL Mailing List ==== "The Past, and Present, Building a Future for Our Children." Kristie Setser- List Admin. http://www.gentrails.com/vermil.shtml http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilvermil ============================== Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237