State ex rel. Bize v. Young

237 N.W. 677, 121 Neb. 619, 1931 Neb. LEXIS 202
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 17, 1931
DocketNo. 27791
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 237 N.W. 677 (State ex rel. Bize v. Young) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Bize v. Young, 237 N.W. 677, 121 Neb. 619, 1931 Neb. LEXIS 202 (Neb. 1931).

Opinion

Eberly, J.

This is a habeas corpus proceeding; a controversy over the custody of a child, now ten years old, named Valentine Grivel. The relator prevailed, and respondents appeal.

The fair inference from the record before us is, that her parents, Joseph Grivel and Judith Grivel, migrated from France to America and settled in Nemaha county; that French thereafter continued to be the language of the home. They there acquired a 66-acre farm, and at the time of the father’s death had accumulated, in addition to the farm, more than $5,000 in personal property. To Joseph Grivel and Judith Grivel were born four children: Martin, Henry, Joseph, Jr., and Valentine, who were respectively, at the inception of the litigation out of which the present controversy arose, 16, 15, 9 and 8 years of age. Glen B. Young was the banker and family adviser of both the father and mother, and apparently possessed their confidence and esteem. The sole relation by blood this family possessed in America was Mrs. Marie Anville, an aunt or cousin of the minors. The father died and Judith Grivel on January 12, 1928, filed a petition in the county court for Nemaha county for her own appointment as guardian for her minor children. She was duly appointed and served until her death on February 3, 1929. Thereafter on February 5, 1929, Martin and Henry Grivel, then aged 16 and 15 years respectively, caused to be filed a petition setting forth the death of their mother and the facts establishing the necessity of the appointment of a successor to Judith Grivel, deceased, as guardian, and nominated Glen B. Young for appointment as their guardian, and [621]*621likewise prayed for his appointment as guardian for their minor brother Joseph, aged 9, and their sister Valentine, then aged 8. Seward v. Didier, 16 Neb. 58. No objections or answer were filed thereto. Due notice appears to have been given of this proceeding, and the county court for Nemaha county, by a decree dated February 7, 1929, found: “Since the commencement of this hearing there has been-filed in this court a petition for probate of the will of the mother of said minors, and for the appointment of Glen B. Young as administrator with the will annexed, and it is within the knowledge of the court that the mother of said minors, now deceased, was their guardian, and it will be necessary for the administrator to make settlement with the guardian, and that a conflict of interest might arise if Glen B. Young were appointed guardian of said minors. The court further finds that it is not for the best interest of said minors that Glen B. Young be appointed their guardian.” Their nomination of,- and prayer for the appointment of, Glen B. Young was accordingly disapproved and denied; and one Jules Bernard was thereupon appointed as guardian for all of the four children. However, Jules Bernard refused to accept the appointment thus made and failed to qualify. On March 2, 1929, the county court, so far as disclosed by the record before us, without further notice or any consultation or communication with the minors involved, and without any order of continuance, or order setting the time for hearing of the matter, appointed Paul Bize as their guardian, who> thereupon on March 4, 1929, qualified by taking the oathi and giving bond as required by law. On March 15, 1929, all of the minors involved, by their next friend and next of kin, Marie Anville, gave notice of and perfected an appeal from the order of March 2, 1929, making the appointment of Paul Bize as guardian. On April 24, 1929, this appeal proceeding was dismissed on behalf of the parties taking same. On May 3, 1929, Martin Grivel, aged 16, Henry Grivel, aged 15, and Marie Anville, an aunt or cousin of the minors, and “the only blood relative of all of said minors living in the United States,” filed their [622]*622petition in the county court for Nemaha county for the removal of Paul Bize as guardian, and the appointment of Jules Bernard in place thereof. This pleading alleged, among other things: That the minors and next of kin involved had no knowledge or notice of the failure of Jules Bernard to qualify as guardian under the appointment made February 7, 1929, nor of the hearing had on March 2, 1929, at which time Bize was appointed, nor did they have any knowledge of the county court’s intention to appoint Paul Bize as guardian; that his appointment is not agreeable to them; that the parents of said minors, who died within the last two years, lived in the same community with the said Paul Bize for many years, and did not have a favorable acquaintanceship with him, and that the minors likewise did not have a favorable acquaintance with him; that said minors and said Marie Anville have not in the past had any dealings with Paul Bize and prefer a guardian with whom they are acquainted, and that all of said minors refuse to be controlled or live with the said Paul Bize, and if compelled to submit to personal direction with reference to their person, it will be against their will; that Jules Bernard (who had theretofore, without suggestion from the minors, been appointed by the court, but who had once refused the appointment) was a competent and suitable person to act as guardian, and had now consented to act if appointed by the court; and prayed for the removal of Paul Bize. (It is to be remembered, in this connection, that “Jules” is the French form of the name “Julius.”) To this petition, answer was filed by Bize, and, on hearing of the issues thus joined, the county court found for the defendant and against all of the minors, and failed to remove its appointee, denying the prayer of the petition wholly. An appeal was prosecuted from this judgment to the district court for Nemaha county. It was there heard on June 26, 1930, taken under advisement, and later determined and judgment entered on July 1, 1930, reversing the order of the county judge appointing Paul Bize as guardian for Martin Grivel and Henry Grivel, but affirming it as to Joseph, Jr., and Valentine, the findings [623]*623of the district court as to Joseph and Valentine being limited to the following: “The court finds that the county court had jurisdiction to appoint Paul Bize guardian of Joseph Grivel and Valentine Grivel, minors under the age of fourteen years, and no cause has been shown why Paul Bize should be removed as their guardian.”

During the proceedings herein referred to, a petition for the unconditional adoption of Valentine Grivel by the Youngs was forwarded to Paul Bize for his consent as guardian. This he refused absolutely, and this without reason or justification in the record. Thereupon this habeas corpus proceeding was instituted, the determination of which by the district court is now presented by the respondents for review.

The proof in the record presented to the district court on this issue is practically without material conflict, and essentially undisputed, so far as evidential facts are concerned. It may be said to be solely a question of the ascertainment and proper application of the law to admitted, facts.

We, therefore, accept the appellee’s brief as. summarizing the testimony in behalf of the relator, which (in addition to the record evidence as to court proceedings) states it in the following language: “Mr. Bize testified that he had talked the matter over with his wife and was ready and willing to take the little girl into their home; that if he obtained her custody he would keep her for quite a while if it was agreeable to both parties; if not, that he would find a better place for her with the consent of the county court, and that he was ready, willing and able to give his ward all of the advantages of a home and of an education. Mrs.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

In re Interest of Jordon B.
Nebraska Supreme Court, 2026
Noland v. Yost
998 N.W.2d 57 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 2023)
Moreno v. Juvenile Officer
647 S.W.2d 852 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1983)
Haynes v. Haynes
286 N.W.2d 108 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1979)
T. v. H.
245 A.2d 221 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1968)
Application of Gray
150 N.W.2d 120 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1967)
State Ex Rel. Cochrane v. Blanco
128 N.W.2d 615 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1964)
Waldbaum v. Waldbaum
107 N.W.2d 407 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1961)
Stohlmann v. Stohlmann
96 N.W.2d 40 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1959)
State Ex Rel. Hamilton v. Boiler
67 N.W.2d 426 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1954)
Bath v. Bath
35 N.W.2d 509 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1949)
Hanson v. Hanson
34 N.W.2d 388 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1948)
State Ex Rel. Veach v. Veach
195 P.2d 697 (Montana Supreme Court, 1948)
Bodkin v. State
272 N.W. 547 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1937)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
237 N.W. 677, 121 Neb. 619, 1931 Neb. LEXIS 202, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-bize-v-young-neb-1931.