By accident I have found the newspaper article about the death and the last will of John A. Schafer. John A. Schafer was born as Johann Adam Schäfer, who emigrated to the U.S. from the citiy of Wankheim.
Here is the article found in the “The Atlanta Journal” dated Dec. 11, 1890:
The late John A. Schafer, who died at his plantation in Bryan county, December 8 and was buried at Bonaventure the Saturday following, was possessed of considerable property. His will, which was in German, was interpreted and transcribed by Clerk Keilbach, of the ordinary’s court yesterday.
The will is interesting because of the peculiarity of some of the bequests. It was made December 1, 1882, and begins as follows: This is my last will and testament in Gods name.
1. I appoint William Scheihing and J. F. Ruckert, of Savannah, my executors.
2. I desire to be buried in Bonaventure cemetery, and that a tombstone be erected over my grave to cost $2,000.”
The third and fourth clauses bequeath $500 to each of the executors, and the fifth bequeaths $500 to G. Beutter, Tuebingen, Wurtemburg, Germany.
The sixth clause bequeaths $1,000 to the village of Wankheim, his native town, $1,000 to be Invested by the council of village government and the income thereof to be annually distributed to the poor children of the village on his birthday, March 30. Mr. Schafer desired that the remainder of his property be divided into two equal parts, to go to his nephew and niece, Sigmund Schafer and Anna Mary Kemmler.
John A. Schafer was 74 years old at the time of his death. He came to Savannah in 1839 and lived here, carrying on the manufacture of cotton gin machinery until 1872 or 1873, when he removed to Belfast plantation in Bryan county. He left property amounting to about 20,000.
Savannah News
John A. Schafer was buried on the Bonaventure cemetery und his tombstone is really something special.
I’m trying to get access to some great deatailed pictures I have found on the website. https://compassionatememorialist.com/sharing-stories-from-the-grave-surprising-cemetery-symbolism-exposed/ verweisen.
The tombstone was made by John Walz, a well known sculpture artist in Savannah.
John Walz born as Johannes Walz in Kleinengstingen in the former Kingdom of Wuerttemberg was an emigrant as well. He first worked in Philadelphia as stone cutter to earn for the studies in scultpure he planned to do in Vienna and Paris.
After his studies he returned to the U.S. and settled in Savannah.
He is responsible for quite a no. of grave monuments established on the Bonaventure cemetery. I assume that John A. Schafer and John Walz knew each other quite well.
After I have found his will I can confirm that the majority of his property was bequeathed to his great-nephew Sigmund Schaefer und its sister Anna Maria Schaefer Kemmler, children of Georg Friedrich Schaefer and Anna Margarethe Rauscher