10 of the Strangest Will and Testaments

by Rishika Jain2 years ago

6 Mark Gruenwald, who was Marvel’s editor, provided a huge contribution to Captain America and Iron Man comic books. He admired his work to the extent that in his will he wrote that his ashes should be mixed with the ink during the printing process for the first collected edition of the comic book.

Mark Gruenwald
Mark Gruenwald at a comics convention in the early 1990s video still (Image to the left). Image credits: Alexey Lozupone via Wikimedia.org, goodreads.com

Mark Gruenwald was Marvel comic books editor and writer during the ’80s and ’90s who died on 12 August 1996. He had made a huge contribution to Captain America and Iron Man comic books. He created the characters such as Red Guardian, U.S Agent, Crossbones, and brought back Red Skull.

He admired his own work in the 12 issue Squadron Supreme maxi-series. He loved his work to the extent that in his will he wrote that his ashes should be mixed in the ink during the printing process of the first collected edition of the comic book which was printed in 1997.

The introduction by Catherine Gruenwald says that the page you are about to turn contains real ash particles of Mark Gruenwald who literally threw himself into his work. (1, 2)

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7 John Bowman, a rich personality from Vermont, was a strong believer in life after death. He lost his daughters and wife during his lifetime and wished to rejoin them after death. In his last will, he created a $50,000 trust fund to maintain his 21-room mansion and make sure to serve food every night just in case his family shows up and feels hungry.

John Bowman
John bowman statue (Image to the left), Bowman mansion. Image credits: vermonter.com, hauntedhouses.com

John Peter Bowman, who was a wealthy person from Vermont, created his fortune by selling leather goods during the Civil War to the US government. He endured many tragic events during his lifetime. His four-month-old daughter died in 1854, and his second daughter, who grew to young adulthood, died in 1879. His grief-stricken wife died in 1880. 

Bowman was a strong believer in life after death. When he died on September 18, 1891, he created a $50,000 trust fund to keep his 21-room mansion maintained and make sure that every night fresh food is to be served just in case his family showed up and felt hungry. However, his will was carried out until 1950 but then was stopped after the fund amount ran out. (1, 2)

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8 Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, died in 1991. He was the inventor of the well-known quote “…to boldly go where no man has gone before,” which turned out to be true after his death. When in his last will and testament, he wished for his ashes to be scattered from a space satellite orbiting Earth. His wish was carried out in 1997.

Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry (Image to the left), Star Trek poster. Image credits: NASA via Wikimedia.org, Paramount Television

The Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry, left this world in 1991. He was so fascinated by space that in his last will and testament, he instructed that his ashes be scattered in space. He stated a quote “…to boldly go where no man has gone before,” and after his death, he took his last journey into space.

His wife, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, who was also an actress in every season of Star Trek, wanted her ashes to be scattered in space too. Both of their ashes were shot into space on a rocket flight in 1997. The flight was sent into Earth’s orbit and launched the ashes of both of the Roddenberrys into deep space. (1, 2)

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9 Hannah Beswick gave her fortune to the doctor who embalmed her body when she died in 1758. She was terrified of being buried alive, so she instructed in her will that her doctor must ensure that she is dead. He didn’t bury her and mummified her body. Her body was checked by a doctor once a year for the next 90 years to confirm that she was still dead. She was finally buried in 1868. 

Hannah Beswick
The wax figure of Hannah Beswick at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not in Amsterdam. Image credit: Marc Hartzman via weirdhistorian.com

 A wealthy woman named Hannah Beswick died in 1758. She gave her fortune to the doctor who embalmed her body when she died. However, during the 17tth and 18th centuries, people had fear of being buried alive, and Hannah had the same fear. She instructed in her will that Dr. Charles White must ensure that she was dead before burying her. 

So, he didn’t bury her at all. He mummified her body and wrapped her in tar-infused bandages, and also left her face uncovered. He formally checked Hannah once a year to ensure that she was still dead.

Dr. White left the mummy to his friend and also a doctor to check her once a year. Hannah Beswick was checked once a year for the next 90 years until it was agreed beyond certainty that she was dead. She was buried properly in 1868. (1, 2)

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10 Charles Millar was a lawyer and businessman from Toronto who died in 1926. He left his sizable assets to any married local woman who could give birth to most of the children in the decade after his death. Many women took the chance to claim the prize. At last four women tied for it who had nine children each. 

Charles Millar
Image credit: factrepublic.com

Charles Millar was a lawyer, businessman, and all-time prankster from Toronto. He died in 1926. When his will was read, it stated that all of his estates will be converted into a cash sum and given to any married woman from Toronto who can give birth to most children over the decade following his death. Several women from Toronto tried their best to claim the prize.

In the end, there was a tie between four women who had nine children each, all four received $125,000, and two runners-up were given a small chunk of money because of their efforts. (1, 2)

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