Continental Illinois National Bank & Trust Co. v. Sever

65 N.E.2d 385, 393 Ill. 81, 1946 Ill. LEXIS 287
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 23, 1946
DocketNo. 28811. Affirmed and remanded.
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 65 N.E.2d 385 (Continental Illinois National Bank & Trust Co. v. Sever) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Continental Illinois National Bank & Trust Co. v. Sever, 65 N.E.2d 385, 393 Ill. 81, 1946 Ill. LEXIS 287 (Ill. 1946).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Murphy

delivered the opinion of the court:

The Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago, as executor and trustee of the estate of Henry Edward Sever, deceased, started this action in the superior court of Cook county to obtain a construction of certain paragraphs of the will of said decedent and for directions in reference to certain trust funds. All persons and institutions who appeared on the face of the will to have any interest in the bequests involved were made parties defendant. The public’s interest in certain charitable bequests was represented by the Attorneys General of Illinois and Missouri, respectively. Lewis C. Murtaugh was appointed trustee of the interests that persons not in being might possibly acquire in the future. Answers were filed on behalf of some of the defendants, a hearing had, and a decree entered July 7, 1943. There was no appeal from such decree. It contained a reservation of jurisdiction and thereafter further proceedings were had which resulted in another decree being entered June 14, 1944. The appeal to the Appellate Court was from the latter decree. That court reversed such decree and we granted leave to appeal.

The questions raised necessitate a general statement as to the provisions of the will, the changes made in it by two codicils, the issues upon which the first decree was based, and the matters determined by that decree. The claim is made that the decree of July 7, 1943, is res judicata of" all questions determined by the decree of June 14, 1944.

Testator was born in Missouri but at the time of his death was a resident of Chicago. He died April 8, 1941. He had no lineal descendants and his wife predeceased him by about twenty days. His will, dated June 5, 1925, and two codicils, dated November 9, 1937, and March 28, 1941, respectively, were admitted to probate May 22, 1941.

The will and codicils are long and somewhat involved but since the contest is as to the disposition of a residue, it will not be necessary to set forth the details and conditions upon which many of the bequests were to become effective. A few general statements will suffice to show testator’s general plan of disposition of his property.

By the will testator’s wife was to receive a bequest of $25,000 which was in the nature of an award. ' In addition, she was bequeathed $100,000 outright. A brother was to receive $20,000. The residuum of the estate was to be held in trust by testator’s wife and the income was payable to her for life. The trust was to terminate upon her death and the fund be distributed. About $63,000 was bequeathed to two of testator’s wife’s sisters and his collateral kindred. The sum of $5000 was to be set aside and used in the establishment of a trust fund, the income of which was to go to the maintenance and upkeep of Rock Creek cemetery located near Hurdland, Missouri, the place where testator’s father, mother and other relatives were buried. The sum of $110,000 was to go for the establishment of a library at Kahoka, Missouri, such library to be known as the H. E. Sever Memorial Library. The residuum of the trust fund was to be divided into five parts: one fifth, but not to exceed $50,000, was for a nephew who was the only one of the family remaining to bear the name of Sever; one fifth, also limited to $50,000, was to be divided equally between four nephews and a niece; one fifth, with a limitation of $100,000, was to establish a trust fund for reforestation purposes in Knox county, Missouri, the county in which testator was born; one fifth, but not to exceed $100,000, was to go to the Board of Park Commissioners of Chicago for the erection of a fountain in Jackson Park, to be known as the H. E. Sever Memorial Fountain. The entire remainder of the estate was for the establishment of a trust fund for the erection and maintenance of a Christian Science benevolent home in Chicago.

The codicil of November 9, 1937, increased certain bequests and reduced others. By it testator’s wife was to receive a total of $225,000, the brother named in the original will was to receive an increase of $5000. Other bequests in favor of nieces and nephews were added, totaling $20,000. The provision in the will which created a trust of the residuum, with the testator’s wife as trustee, was not amended but its distribution after her death was materially changed by the codicil of November 9, 1937. Testator’s brother, nephews, nieces and his wife’s sister were to receive from such fund a total of $85,000; one bequest of $3000 was reduced to $500; three personal bequests, none of which were mentioned in the original will, were added, totaling $5000. The First Church of Christ Scientist of Chicago was bequeathed $2000. The bequest in the will of a one-fifth of the residue to the nephew who bore the name of Sever, was reduced to $25,000 and a similar reduction was made in the bequests to the other nephews and nieces named in the original will. The principal of the trust to be used for reforestation was extended to include a game refuge, but the amount as stated in the original will to be used for such purpose remained unchanged. The bequest of not to exceed $100,000 for a fountain in Jackson Park was changed to $25,000 to be used for the purpose of erecting a carillon in Grant Park, to be known as the Sever Carillon. The trust created by the will for the erection of a Christian Science benevolent home in Chicago was withdrawn and $25,000 was given to the Board of Trustees of the Mother Church, the First Church of Christ Scientist of Boston. It will be noted that the gift of $25,000 for the erection of a carillon and the bequest of $25,000 to the Trustees of the Mother Church were renounced by the recipients.

Paragraph F of article 11 of the codicil of November 9, 192,7, disposes of the remainder of the estate, and is as follows:

“The Residuary of My Estate, shall be used dor the purpose of establishing an Educational Institution in my native state, the state of Missouri, this Institution to bear my name. -It is my thought that a Corporation shall be formed and Board of Directors named and this Fund be turned over to them to administer but not until the location has been selected and the building erected and equipped, ready for use. This location in the state is left to the discretion of my Trustee, to be determined by the inducements that may be offered and as the need may appear. This Educational Institution should be along the lines of Technology with the view of better equipping young men and women for performing the world’s work. The Boston “Tech” of Boston or Rice Institute of Houston, Texas, will exemplify the sort of Institution I have in mind. The town of Kirlcsville, Missouri may be considered, this being the town in which myself and other members of my family received our early educational training. Should the State of Missouri see fit to táke over and operate such Institution, my Trustees are authorized to turn over the same to the State, if in their judgment this will further the purpose for. which the Institution is established. Much of my early life was spent in educational work. I have always felt a deep interest in education and I am hopeful of making my estate of sufficient size that after the various bequests have been distributed, a worth while Memorial Educational Institution may be established.

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Bluebook (online)
65 N.E.2d 385, 393 Ill. 81, 1946 Ill. LEXIS 287, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/continental-illinois-national-bank-trust-co-v-sever-ill-1946.