What was Joel and Margaret Call's cause of death?

Question

Joel and Margaret Call were last documented in the 1870 census in Hamilton County, Illinois.  Their children were raised as orphans in the surrounding area.   Next door to Joel in 1870 was his younger brother John Call.  Their father, John Call Sr died in 1870, but I found a copy of his will dated in 1873.  Joel was in the will in 1873, so I assume he was alive until then.  Why would a will be created and executed after a death?  Was that even legal?

Comments

I believe this is the census you cited.

 

Joel Call

 in the 1870 United States Federal Census

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Name:	Joel Call [Joel Call , Senr.]
Age in 1870:	42
Birth Year:	abt 1828
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1870:	Township 7 Range 6, Hamilton, Illinois
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Post Office:	Walpole
Value of real estate:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age Joel Call 42 Margaret Call 32 Louisa Call 9 Sarah Call 8 Margaret Call 6 John Call 4 Charles Call 1 Johnson Call 70

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Answer 1

I don't know your particular situation, but often it took a while for a will to be probated, especially when there was real estate which needed to be sold to fulfill the bequests in the will, and perhaps the will in question was finally probated and this date was the final date when the file was complete.  Another possibility I know of in the case of my 2ggrandfather was that he died in Franklin County, Ohio but owned property in Licking County Ohio.  So a copy of his will was sent to the court house in Licking County, Ohio.  I'd have to look at it to see if the date of this copy was much later than his death.