Miller v. Flyr

447 S.W.2d 195, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 2392
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 27, 1969
Docket7978
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 447 S.W.2d 195 (Miller v. Flyr) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miller v. Flyr, 447 S.W.2d 195, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 2392 (Tex. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

NORTHCUTT, Justice.

This is a will contest between Goldie Olean Flyr, joined pro forma by her husband, and Dora Pearl Miller, joined pro forma by her husband, concerning the property of their deceased mother, Mrs. Dora L. Kenney. There were two wills involved. One will was dated July 19, 1966 and the other one dated August 29, 1967. The County Court admitted to probate the will dated July 19, 1966 and denied the probate of the will dated August 29, 1967. On appeal to the District Court the case was tried to a jury upon two issues. In answer to the two issues the jury found that the deceased, Dora L. Kenney, did not have testamentary capacity to make the will dated August 29, 1967 and that said will was the product of undue influence. Upon the verdict of the jury the District Court *196 denied probate of the will dated August 29, 1967 and ordered the will dated July 19, 1966 be probated. From that judgment Dora Pearl Miller, joined by her husband, perfected this appeal.

Dora L. Kenney was the sole owner of the property here involved. Mrs. Kenney had three children, namely Dora Pearl Miller, Goldie Olean Flyr and a son that is deceased. The son had two daughters, namely Dorothy Gertrude Keller and Geraldine Bayless. According to this record Mrs. Kenney had made two wills prior to the two wills here involved. On August 10, 1938, she executed her will and after making three gifts of $5.00 each she willed all the rest of her property to Dora Pearl Miller. After the 1938 will was executed two of the parties mentioned in the will that were given $5.00 each died and Mrs. Ken-ney executed another will dated November 5, 1951, in which she gave ⅜ Goldie Olean Flyr $5.00 and $5.00 to each of her two granddaughters and the rest real, personal or mixed, to Dora Pearl Miller.

In the will dated July 19, 1966, Mrs. Kenney willed all of her rings to Goldie Olean Flyr; $10.00 in cash to each of her granddaughters, Dorothy Gertrude Keller and Geraldine Bayless, and all of the rest of her property of every nature to Goldie Olean Flyr and Dora Pearl Miller, share and share alike. Then in her final will, revoking all other wills, dated August 29, 1967, she willed to her daughter, Goldie Olean Flyr, the sum of $10.00 and each of the granddaughters the sum of $10.00 and willed all the rest of her property real, personal or mixed which she might own at her death to her daughter, Dora Pearl Miller, in fee simple. Hereinafter, Dora Pearl Miller and husband will be referred to as appellants and Goldie Olean Flyr and husband as appellees.

The real issue here involved is whether there is any evidence of probative value to sustain the findings of the jury that testatrix did not have testamentary capacity on August 29, 1967 or that the will dated on that date was procured by undue influence. If Dora L. Kenney was of sound mind and possessed sufficient capacity to make a will and said will was not procured by undue influence, the will dated August 29, 1967, being her last will and revoking all other wills, should be the will probated. The appellees in contesting this will because Mrs. Kenney lacked necessary testamentary capacity to make a will and because of undue influence pleaded as follows, to wit:

“A. On the 29th day of August, 1967, the alleged day of execution of the writing, DORA L. KENNEY lacked the necessary testamentary capacity to sign the writing because she was not of sound mind and did not possess sufficient capacity to make a Will.
B. The writing was originally executed while the decedent, DORA L. KENNEY, was in a state of ill health and persons whose names are unknown to this applicant at the time exercised over the decedent and over her mind and will, such influences or dominion as to prevent the Will from being DORA L. KENNEY’S own free will, but instead constituted the will of the unnamed person or persons who exercised such undue influence.”

It is to be noticed in this case that appel-lees do not plead that Mrs. Miller exerted such influence over Mrs. Kenney as to cause her to execute the will as she did, but pled appelles do not know who exerted such influence upon Mrs. Kenney. We are familiar with the rule that where a testator leaves a will that is unnatural in its terms and makes a difference between those who according to natural law ought to stand equal as to his bounty, may be considered as circumstances along with other circumstances in determining whether or not the will was a product of undue influence.

It was a Mr. Emmert, an old friend of Mrs. Kenney, that recommended Mr. *197 Broughton to Mrs. Kenney. Mrs. Kenney and Mrs. Miller went to Childress to have the will drawn. Mr. Broughton was the attorney drawing the August 1967 will and he testified in part as follows:

“Q. Would you state your name, please ?
A. C. C. Broughton.
Q. And how old a man are you, Mr. Broughton ?
A. Sixty-five.
Q. What is your occupation or profession, please?
A. Attorney.
Q. Where do you live?
A. Childress.
Q. Where do you practice ?
A. Childress, and in that area.
Q. How long have you been a member of the Bar?
A. Forty-one years.
Q. Are you a member of the Texas Bar Association?
A. That is correct.
Q. Any other legal associations?
A. American Bar and District Bar and so forth.
Q. All right. Are you associated with a firm there, please?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What is the name of your firm ?
A. Williams, Broughton and Forbis.
Q. What is the full name of the senior member there, please?
A. C. A. Williams.
Q. And then the third lawyer?
A. John T. Forbis.
Q. Has Mr. Forbis ever held any public job down in your area?
A. He has been District Attorney there.
Q. Did I ask you how long you have practiced in Childress?
A. I believe you did. Yes, sir.
Q. What was your answer?
A. Forty-one years.
Q. Forty-one years?
A. Since 1927.
Q. Mr. Broughton, did you ever meet Dora Kenney?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. When did you meet her?
A. August of 1927, I believe the latter part of August.
Q. ■ Okay.

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Bluebook (online)
447 S.W.2d 195, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 2392, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-flyr-texapp-1969.