Estate of Venners

YORK, J.

This is an appeal from a judgment entered on a directed verdict in favor of proponents of the last will and testament of Carrie See Venners, deceased.

The contestants, who are the stepchildren of deceased, filed their application to revoke probate of the will of decedent, on the grounds of unsound mind and incapacity to make a valid will, and undue influence. Under the will, George Venners, who was the husband of decedent and who survived her just five days, was devised a life estate in certain property belonging to decedent, with remainder over to relatives of deceased.

There was evidence tending to show that the decedent was a woman of strong likes and dislikes; that she quarreled with and was not on good terms with the members of her family—the proponents—for some years prior to her demise; that she and her husband were devoted to each other, and that he served as her nurse and constant companion during the last weeks of her life; that she suffered from cancer and that this was the cause of her death; that she and her husband had apartments in the home of her sister for about two months prior to her death, and that the will here involved was drawn while she was living at the home of her sister, and that decedent’s husband was present at the time the will was executed.

[419]

On the other hand there no evidence that decedent did not possess the mental capacity to know and recollect those who had natural claims ci^on her bounty, the extent of her possessions, and the jyv Xng to whom she desired these possessions to be distrito led,' ah the time she executed the will here in question. Neither ¡ here any evidence that her mind was under the domination' x/sf- «oü’i -1; of any

ib'

wp¡\\ avimitted hy.M discussed person at the time the will was execute1 by the executor of the will that the dev. with him at various times the d" position ox her\\r ■ .; v, he being a business acquaintance of years’ standiuy « nutestants claim that it was unnatural for decedent to c. ,r)> to her devoted husband a life estate only in her prupdix'ly, instead of giving it to him

outright;

and further, that it wak? an unnatural act on the part of decedent to devise her property to her relatives toward whom she had shown such ardent dislike during her lifetime. The evidence shows that in giving her husband a life estate in her property, she sought to protect his interests and to provide care for his old age.