Mrs. Rachel Eckley of Long Branch died on Sunday, September 15th leaving four daughters. They are Mrs. Gilbert Anderson, Mrs. John B. White, Mrs. Benjamin S. VanHuel and Rachel Applegate, all of whom live at Long Branch. Mrs. Eckley left a will which was made February 25th, 1899. She left two single houses on Fifth avenue at Long Branch and a double house on Fourth avenue at Long Branch. To her daughter Susan, wife of John B. White, and to her daughter Ruth, wife of Benjamin S. VanHuel, she left the two single houses and lots, the first subject to an encumbrance of $200 and the second subject to an encumbrance of $350. The south half of the double property on Fourth avenue Mrs. Eckley left to her daughter Hannah, wife of Gilbert Anderson, and the north half of the property she left to her daughter, Rachel Applegate. At Rachel Applegate's death or her refusal to accept the bequest within one year of the date of Mrs. Eckley's death, the property is to go to Mrs. Eckley's granddaughter, Amy Wait , wife of Samuel Wait. Should Mrs. Eckley not have enough money or personal effects to pay her debts at the time of her death she ordered that the four properties above mentioned bear their equal one-fourth part. Mrs. Eckley's son-in-law, John B. White, was made executor of the will, and the will was witnessed by Matthias Woolley and A. Taylor Truax.

Source: Red Bank Register, Wednesday, Oct 16, 1901

Some additional excellent resources for your research are:

• New Jersey Census, 1772-1890 - Ancestry.com

• Calendar of New Jersey Wills, 1670-1760 - Ancestry.com

• Interment.net - NJ ~ New Jersey Cemetery Transcriptions on the net.

  ---