On this 23rd day of March, A.D. 1899, before me a Notary Public , in and for the aforesaid County, duly authorized to administer oaths, personally appeared William H McAuley aged 74 years, a resident of Kewanee, in the County of Henry, and State of Illinois, whose post office address in Kewanee, well known to me to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who being duly sworn, declares in relation to aforesaid case as follows:

I am a half brother of the late Joseph R. Hills husband of the above name Charity J. Hills.  That said Joseph R. Hills was never married previous to his marriage to said Charity J. Hills and that he continued to live with said Charity J. Hills as her husband to the time of his death.  I know the above facts by reason of being a member of the family and having always lived near said Joseph R. Hills all his life.

I knew Charity J. Hills above named, whose maiden name was Charity J. Eckley and know that she was a single woman at the time of his marriage to said Joseph R. Hills and that she had never been previously married.  I know  these facts from intimate acquaintance with the family of said Charity J. Hills

We further declare that we have no interest either direct or indirect, in the prosecution of said claim.
 

                  William Lawson                                                                                                                               His

On this 24th  day of March, A.D. 1899, before me a Notary Public , in and for the aforesaid County, duly authorized t administer oaths, personally appeared Lavina A. Kernes, aged 56 years, a resident of Kewanee, in the County of Henry, and State of Illinois, whose post office address in Kewanee, well known tome to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who being duly sworn, declares in relation to aforesaid case as follows:

That she is the niece of Joseph R. Hills late husband of Charity J. Hills above named.  I knew Joseph R, Hills from childhood and know that he was not married previous to his marriage to said Charity J. Hills.  I know that said Joseph R. Hills and Charity H. Hills continued to live together as husband and wife up the the time of his death.

I further state that I knew Charity j. Hills formerly Charity J. Eckley shortly before her marriage to said Joseph R. Hills and know that she was at that time a single woman and had not been previously married.  I know these facts from intimate acquaintance with the family and from my relationship to said Joseph R. Hills.

We further declare that we have no interest either direct or indirect, in the prosecution of said claim.
 

In the pension claim of Charity H. Hills, widow of Joseph R. Hills, Co. A.124th Regiment Illinois Volunteers,

Personally came before me a Notary Public in and for the County and State aforesaid, Charity J. Hills, whose residence and post office address is Storm Lake, Buena Vista County Iowa, well known to me to be reputable and entitled to credit, and who being duly sworn, declares in relation to aforesaid case as follows:

that in the assessment just made by the Township Assessor there is assessed to Joseph R Hills, her late husband, the following described property: the West Fifteen acres of the South East quarter of the South East quarter, south of the Illinois Central Railroad, and the East nine acres of the South West quarter of the South East quarter, both pieces being in section Two (2), Township ninety (90) north, range thirty seven (37) west of the fifth principal meridian, the actual value of which is returned by said assessor as being Thirteen Hundred Ninety Eight Dollars; there is also assessed to said Joseph R. Hills, one cow, the actual value of which the assessor returns as being Twenty Eight Dollars; that there is on the nine - acre - piece above described, a mortgage of two hundred seventy five dollars, that there is no other property except farming utensils and household furniture exempt from taxation under the Iowa State Statutes; that as his widow, she has her undivided one - third interest in said real estate and all interest in the personal property; that she has no one liable for her ....except their undivided interest in the property above described; Also, that neither she, nor the said Joseph R Hills had been previously married.