Orr v. St. Louis Union Trust Co.

236 S.W. 642, 291 Mo. 383, 1922 Mo. LEXIS 238
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedJanuary 11, 1922
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 236 S.W. 642 (Orr v. St. Louis Union Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Orr v. St. Louis Union Trust Co., 236 S.W. 642, 291 Mo. 383, 1922 Mo. LEXIS 238 (Mo. 1922).

Opinions

DAVID E. BLAIR, J.

This is an action seeking the construction of the will of James 0. Ghio, deceased, and the establishment of a trust as to a portion of his estate.

In the amended petition on which the cause was tried below Rebecca M. Ghio was named as plaintiff and all the other parties to the case were named as defendants. The trial court found .for the defendants on both counts of the petition and dismissed the bill, and Mrs.- Ghio appealed. Since the appeal was taken the death of Mrs. Ghio on December 11, 1920, has been suggested, and the cause was revived in the name of her executor, Isaac H. Orr, Said executor has duly entered his appearance herein and has been substituted as appellant. On January 24, 1921, the parties hereto filed their stipulation -showing a state of facts upon which they have agreed that Icertain original defendants and heretofore respondents ^may be permitted to withdraw as respondents in this court and be made co-appellants with said Issac H. Orr, •executor. Such substitution is ordered made in accordance with that stipulation.

The parties to the case are now arrayed as follows: Isaac IT. Orr, executor of the estate of Rebecca M. Ghio, deceased, Elizabeth McMenamy, John B. Ghio, Olivia M. Dunn and J. C. Martin Ghio (children of Mrs. Ghio) are appellants, and St. Louis Union Trust Company (hereinafter referred to as Trust Company) and Joseph A. McMenamy, Freeland J. Dunn, Elsie K. Ghio and Mathil-da C. Ghio (the husbands and wives of the respective children) and Evelyn Garth McMenamy, Adrian Mc-Menamy, Walter Bowles McMenamy, Mary Renee Ghio, Rodes Garth Dunn, Virginia Lee Dunn and Mary Louise Ghio (grandchildren of James C. and Rebecca Ghio) are respondents. James C. Ghio will be hereinafter referred to as testator.

*393 Testator and Rebecca M. Grhio were man and wife and lived for many years in St. Louis County at Tran-quilla,” their country home. Testator was a man of wealth and provided for his family accordingly and the country home was splendidly maintained and members of his family were permitted to travel extensively. Much of his wealth was inherited. The value of his estate does not appear. Two sons and two daughters were born of the marriage between testator and his wife, and survived testator.

Mrs. Grhio inherited large sums of money from the estates of her father and a half brother in Germany. The proceeds of these estates were remitted to her from time to time between 1892 and 1906 by one Bruhn, her attorney in Germany. It was contended by-Mrs Ghio that these remittances amounted to $104,500. The proof of the exact amount rested in letters from said Bruhn. These letters were not admitted in evidence by the trial judge. From proof of statements and admissions of testator it appears that a total sum of about $100,000 was so received. Testimony of the children of testator tends to show that as these remittances were received Mrs. Ghio turned them over to testator for investment on her account, and it was her contention, and is now the contention of her executor, that testator received these funds from her as trustee of an express trust.

Testator died February 2, 1914, and left a will by which he made certain specific bequests, and -devised and bequeathed the residue of his estate to the St. Louis Union Trust Company of the City of St. Louis in trust. The provisions of said will, so far as necessary to an understanding of the case, are as follows:

“Fourth. I hereby give, devise and bequeath all the rest and residue of my property, of every kind and character, and wheresoever situated, to the St. Louis Union Trust Company, as trustee, in trust, and upon, to and for the uses, purposes and trust hereinafter declared; and I hereby authorize and empower said trustee to invest, reinvest and make changes of investments of the principal *394 of the trust estate hereby created, and to make investments thereof in real and personal estate, as it shall deem for the best interests; of said trust estate, so as to derive income therefrom and thereon. In making sales, or. leases for longer periods than ten years, of real estate, I wish said trustee to consult my wife and son John B. Ohio, if both are living, or the survivor of them after the death of one, and to make such sales or leases with their written consent, which written consent may he by their joim ing in conveyance or lease, as the case may he, or in and by a separate instrument attached to and made part of 'such conveyance or lease, respectively. Said trustee shall pay to my beloved wife, Rebecca Margaritta Ohio, the whole of the net income from said trust estate, so long as she lives; after her death, in equal shares, to my children, so long as my children, or any of them, remain alive. If any of my children die during the continuance of this trust, leaving a child or children them surviving, his or her child or children, respectively, shall take the parent’s place and share in equal parts. This trust shall continue for the full term of the life of my said wife and of the last survivor of my children and pro tanto during the minority of any child or children of any of my children who shall die leaving a child or children them surviving.
“Upon the death of my wife and the last survivor of my children, leaving a child, children, or other descendants of any of my children them surviving, the property then composing the trust estate, principal as well as interest, shall go to and become the property of such child, children, or other descendants of my children, in equal shares, share and share alike,- per stirpes and not per capita; this trust -to cease pro tanto as to the shares of any who are of age, and the, property composing such shares, principal as well as interest, to he paid to them freed from trust; the shares of any who are minors to ■remain in trust until, and such trust to cease pro tanto ■when and as each' child, or other descendant, of my said children becomes of full age, as to his or her share, and his or her share, principal and any unexpended income, *395 to be paid over to him or her, freed from trust; the shares of any who are minors to remain in trust and be paid over to them, respectively, when and as they arrive at full age. During minority the trustee shall have the power to expend shares of income which any minor shall be entitled to as a beneficiary under this will, for the support and education of each minor. If such share of income for any minor is more than shall be necessary for the support and education of such minor, after supporting and edu-r eating him or her, the remainder of his or her share shall be accumulated for his or her benefit and paid over to him or her when and as he or she becomes of full age. Payments of income to every beneficiary hereunder of full age shall be made in equal monthly portions, so nearly as possible, and so’ nearly as practicable on the first day of each month.

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Bluebook (online)
236 S.W. 642, 291 Mo. 383, 1922 Mo. LEXIS 238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/orr-v-st-louis-union-trust-co-mo-1922.