Linn v. Davis

223 Ill. App. 503, 1922 Ill. App. LEXIS 314
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJanuary 4, 1922
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 223 Ill. App. 503 (Linn v. Davis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Linn v. Davis, 223 Ill. App. 503, 1922 Ill. App. LEXIS 314 (Ill. Ct. App. 1922).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Heard

delivered the opinion of the court.

Henry Davis, a resident of Ford county, died testate, November 4, 1907, leaving him surviving, appellant Elizabeth Davis, his widow, and Eugene Davis, Leroy Davis and Zora Bell Peterson, his children, and. Henry J. Davis, his grandson, as his only heirs at law, and in and by his last will and testament he provided:

‘ ‘ First: I direct that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid by my executors hereinafter named as soon after my decease as reasonably may be, same to be paid from any money which may be on hand at time of my decease, or from any notes or accounts belonging to my-estate as soon as same shall be collected or paid.

“Second: I give and bequeath to my wife, Elizabeth Davis all household furniture and personal effects of which I may die seized or possessed for her sole use and benefit.

“Third: I give and bequeath to my wife Elizabeth Davis my residence property located in the Village of Boberts, Illinois, to have and to hold the same to the said, my wife, Elizabeth Davis, her heirs and assigns forever.

“Fourth: I direct that my wife Elizabeth Davis shall receive the sum of Three Dollars per acre for all of my farm lands belonging to my estate, same to be paid to her annually during her lifetime, from which income, I direct that she pay annually, one hundred dollars1 to my sister Mary Jane Waugh during the lifetime of my said sister, and furthermore direct that my grandson Henry Davis, the son of my deceased son William Davis, shall receive the sum of One Thousand Dollars, which amount shall be paid to him from the income from my farms when the said Henry Davis shall have reached his majority.

“Fifth: I give and devise to my son Eugene Davis the following described real estate * * * during his lifetime, and then to revert to his children in equal portions, conditioned that he shall pay an annual rental of three dollars per acre to my wife Elizabeth Davis, during her lifetime, and to pay all taxes and to maintain all repairs and improvements on said premises, to have and to hold the same and the several tracts and parcels thereof, to the said Eugene Davis, his heirs and assigns forever.

“Sixth: I give and devise to my daughter Zora Belle Peterson * * * during her lifetime, and then to revert to her children in equal portions, conditioned that she shall pay an annual rental of three dollars per acre to my wife Elizabeth Davis, for the said land, and to pay all taxes and to maintain all repairs and improvements necessary on said farm.

“To have and to hold the same and the several tracts and parcels thereof, to the said Zora Belle Peterson, her heirs and assigns forever.

“Seventh: I give and devise to my son, Leroy Davis * * * during his lifetime and then to revert to his legal heirs in equal portions, conditioned that he shall pay three dollars, annually per acre to my wife, Elizabeth Davis, for the said land for her support, during her lifetime, and also that he shall pay all taxes and maintain all necessary repairs and improvements on the said land.

“To have and to hold the same and the several tracts and parcels thereof to the said Leroy Davis, his heirs and assigns forever.

“Eighth: I give and bequeath to my grandson Henry Davis the son of my deceased son William Davis the sum of one thousand dollars to be paid to him as hereinbefore provided when he shall have reached his majority.

“Ninth: I give and bequeath to my sister Mary Jane Waugh, the sum of one Hundred dollars per year during her lifetime, the same to be payable as herein before provided.”

The grandson, Henry J. Davis, attained his majority, but died before the estate of Henry Davis was settled. Appellant Elizabeth Davis paid to his administratrix, appellee, $1,050 by check containing these words, “For Henry Davis bequest in full,” which check was indorsed and qashed by appellee.

The executor of the will of Henry Davis, deceased, filed his final report in the county court of Ford county showing that he had on hand for distribution $2,537.77. Appellee filed her bill to construe the will of Henry Davis, contending that the second clause of the will upon being given proper construction did not cover said sum of money, but that said sum descended as intestate property to the heirs of Henry Davis, deceased, and also contending that these two bequests of $1,000 each were made by the will of Henry Davis to Henry James Davis, viz.: One bequest of $1,000 in and by the terms of the fourth clause of said will and a second bequest of $1,000 by the terms of the eighth clause of said will.

Appellants answered the bill denying that said sum of $2,537.77 descended to heirs at law of Henry Davis, deceased, but averring that Henry Davis, deceased, disposed of all his property, both real and personal,'by the térms of his said will and that said sum of $2,537.77 passed to Elizabeth Davis under the terms of the second clause of said will, and denying that' two bequests of $1,000 each were made to Henry James Davis by the terms of the said will of Henry Davis, deceased, viz.: One bequest of $1,000 by the terms of the fourth clause and a bequest of $1,000 by the terms of the eighth clause. The answer avers that' a true and correct construction of the said will of Henry Davis requires that the same be so construed as to read the provisions in the fourth and eighth clauses of said will together, in and by which but one bequest was made to Henry James Davis, and that heqnest was for $1,000, payment of which had already been made to the complainant.

The' cause was heard and the court entered a decree finding that the proper construction to be placed on the second clause of the will of Henry Davis was as contended by appellee and that said clause did not cover the money remaining in the hands of the executor of the estate of Henry Davis, deceased, and that said moneys descended under the laws of descent of the State of Illinois to his heirs at law.

The decree further found that the proper construction to be placed on the fourth and eighth clauses of the will of Henry Davis, deceased, is as contended by appellee and that in addition to the $1,000 bequeathed in the fourth clause of said will, which $1,000 had been paid theretofore, appellee is entitled to a further sum of $1,000 with interest thereon at 5 per cent from November 25,1915.

From the rendition of this decree appellant's have appealed to this court.

In Nixon v. Nixon, 268 Ill. 524, it is said: “The paramount rule in construing wills is to ascertain from the language of the will the intent of the testator and give effect to such intent if it can be done without violating some rule of law. (Smith v. Dellitt, 249 Ill. 113; Armstrong v. Barber, 239 Ill. 389.) Another funamental rule in the construction of wills is to consider the whole scope and plan of the testator and to compare the various provisions with one another, construing them, if possible, so that all can stand. (Leary v. Kerber, 255 Ill. 433; Bennett v. Bennett, 217 Ill. 434; Young v. Harkleroad, 166 Ill. 318.) The intention is not to be gathered from one clause of the will alone but from the whole will and all its parts. (Mosier v. Bowser, 226 Ill. 46.) All the provisions of the will must be taken into consideration. (Wimbush v.

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Bluebook (online)
223 Ill. App. 503, 1922 Ill. App. LEXIS 314, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/linn-v-davis-illappct-1922.