Title: In Re Estate of Whitmore

State: kansas

Issuer: Kansas Supreme Court

Document:

178 Kan. 491 (1955)
290 P.2d 105
In the Matter of the Estate of Effie C. Whitmore, Deceased.
(AMELIA E. SHOPE, et al., Proponents, Appellees,
v.
NELLIE F. REES, et al., Opponents, Appellants.)
No. 39,838

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed November 12, 1955.
Donald D. Williams, of Wamego, and Glee S. Smith, of Larned, argued the cause, and Maurice A. Wildgen, of Larned, was with them on the briefs for the appellants.
Arthur S. Humphrey, attorney for Adult Appellees and Guardian Ad Litem for Minor Appellees, of Junction City, argued the cause, and Morgan Wright, Guardian Ad Litem for Minor Appellees, of Larned, and James V. Humphrey, attorney for Adult Appellees, of Junction City, were with him on the briefs for the appellees.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
HARVEY, C.J.:
This was a proceeding to probate the will of Effie C. Whitmore, deceased. The appeal is from an order of the district court directing the probate judge to admit the will to probate. The opponents have appealed. Broadly speaking, two questions are raised: First, that the proponents' showing of the execution of the will was not sufficient to comply with our statutes, and, second, that the testatrix was mentally incompetent to make a will. The will, with its attestation clause, reads:
To establish the due execution of the will the proponents called Constance L. Brown, who testified she was an attorney engaged in general practice with her husband in Council Grove, and at that time was county attorney of Morris County; that she was not acquainted with Effie C. Whitmore prior to January 13, 1950, when she came to her office in the late morning accompanied by Amelia Shope and Ray McKimmey; that Miss Whitmore used a cane and was rather weak physically; that she said she was approximately 76 years old; that she (Mrs. Brown) took her into her private office and talked with her alone; and, that Mrs. Shope and Mr. McKimmey stayed in the reception room. Mrs. Brown further testified:
On redirect examination Mrs. Brown testified:
Mrs. Brown further testified on direct examination:
*494 On cross examination she testified:
At the conclusion of Mrs. Brown's testimony counsel for the proponents rested, stating, "believing that they have shown the prima facie case." Counsel for the opponents demurred to the evidence on the ground that the evidence was not sufficient to establish a prima facie case, relying upon G.S. 1949, 59-2224, the pertinent portion of which reads:
The court overruled the demurrer. We think the ruling was correct. It will be observed that the statute requires two witnesses to the testator's signature but it does not require (as counsel for opponents argue) two witnesses to the signature of a deceased witness to the will. Certainly the court should take such testimony as convinces it of the genuineness of the signature of the deceased witness. Mrs. Brown was a competent witness on that point  apparently it satisfied the court.
Opponents next argue that Effie C. Whitmore lacked testamentary capacity to make a will, and that she was unduly influenced in making the will in question. The trial court held the burden of proof concerning those matters was upon the opponents who had raised them by the pleadings. This branch of the case was largely a question of fact. It is the function of the trial court to pass upon the credibility of witnesses and the weight to be given *495 to their testimony, and to determine what the facts proved. Ordinarily, the trial court's ruling upon matters of that kind will not be disturbed where there is competent evidence to support it. See, Wilson v. Holm, 164 Kan. 229, 188 P.2d 899, and many other cases cited in Hatcher's Digest (Rev. Ed.), Vol. 1, Appeal & Error, § 507.
We examine briefly the testimony which sustained the court's ruling. The testimony of Mrs. Constance Brown has already been set out. We summarize, or quote, excerpts from witnesses called by the proponents.
R.H. McKimmey, who lived in Morris County, testified that on January 13, 1950, he went with Amelia Shope and Effie C. Whitmore to Council Grove; that they first went to Dwight, Kansas, to the house of George E. Brethour, an M.D., who took Miss Whitmore into his private office; that after leaving Dwight they went to the office of Brown and Brown, attorneys in Council Grove, reaching there about 11:00 o'clock; that the office had kind of an "L" shaped annex on it; that Effie Whitmore and Mrs. Brown occupied the large office where the typewriter was; and, that he and Amelia were in the little "L" shaped corridor.
George E. Brethour testified he is a doctor of medicine; that he lives at Dwight, Kansas, in Morris County; that he was graduated from medical college in 1909, and had practiced continuously in Dwight since that time; that he became acquainted with Effie C. Whitmore when her sister brought her to his house on two or three occasions; that Miss Whitmore was what you would say somewhat peculiar and perhaps a little slow in her thinking but nothing outside of that seemed unusual about her mentality. He said, "I didn't notice any derangement." He testified that Mrs. Vernon Shope and Mr. McKimmey brought Miss Whitmore to his office and asked him if he would look her over and visit with her and state whether he thought she was capable of making a will; that he took her in his office and visited with her alone quite awhile and asked her the day of the week and the month, which she answered correctly, and tried to find out from talking with her whether she knew what she wanted to do or whether she didn't know what she wanted to do. He stated, "because usually if they can tell you those two things, they kind of know what they are wanting to do."
There were other parts of that conversation. There were questions that one would ask to try to get an honest opinion of whether he thought Miss Whitmore knew what she wanted to do. Doctor *496 Brethour stated he had formed a professional opinion as to her mental condition at that time. He said:
He further stated:
James Bowers, an osteopathic physician, testified that he lived in Council Grove and practiced in White City; that he had practiced in Morris County since June, 1937; that during his studies he had courses in mental diseases; that he was licensed to practice Osteopathy in Kansas; that in his practice he had treated patients who had abnormal mental manifestations; that from his education and practical experience, he was able to form an opinion as to the mental capacity of persons whom he came in contact with professionally; and, that he became acquainted with Effie C. Whitmore and first attended her professionally on April 8, 1947, when she was brought to him by her sister, Mrs. Mamie Shope, for whose family he had been a physician prior to that time. He further testified:
The witness testified to having treated Miss Whitmore before that date, and later.
Mrs. John Eshelman testified that she lived at White City just across the road from the home formerly occupied by Vernon and Amelia Shope with whom Effie C. Whitmore lived for a little more than a year; that she became acquainted with Effie C. Whitmore and saw her every few days. She said,
She testified upon cross-examination:
H.L. Reed testified that he lived in Larned and was president of the First State Bank; that he had known Effie Whitmore for about 25 years; that she did business at his bank; that she had a small checking account, and would buy and sell government bonds; that she had a safety deposit box; that while she lived in Larned she transacted her own business at the bank; that she came in about once a year after she moved to Morris County; that on some date early in 1950, "she was in our bank, and she signed a release on the renting of the safety deposit box at that time." That the bank had remodeled and moved in the six months before that time, and she thought she was in the wrong place until she saw him, when she said, "No, this is the right place." That she recognized him and they visited and she wanted to know her balance and what the box payment was; that she said she was physically not well and wanted the account checked out and to take the contents of the box before she moved away, which they proceeded to do; that there was a balance of two or three hundred dollars in the checking account, and she said she would draw that out later. He was asked, "Now, in your talk with her, and in the course of the transaction, did you form an opinion in your own minds as to her competency to transact that business? That would be, yes, or, no? A. Yes. Q. What was that opinion? A. She was always the same for the twenty-five years I knew her...."
Stanley N. Moffett, of Larned, vice president of the First National Bank, testified he first became acquainted with Effie C. Whitmore when she was a customer of that bank 18 or 19 years ago; that she carried a checking account and had a safety deposit box there; that she signed the access register on February 1, 1950, and asked for the balance of her checking account. He further testified, "I have no reason to believe she didn't know where she was, because she asked for her box. I do not have much of an opinion as to whether *498 or not she was competent to transact the business for which she had come to the bank."
The testatrix died on January 1, 1953. The inventory and appraisement of her estate listed property of a total value of $76,119.15.
At the close of the evidence the court asked counsel whether or not they desired the court to make findings of fact and conclusions of law. The attorneys for each side announced they were not requesting the court to make findings of fact and conclusions of law. The court did state, "The burden was on the opponents of the will to prove either lack of testamentary capacity to make a will, or undue influence in making the will. The opponents failed to establish this burden of proof. Maddy v. Hock, 134 Kan. 15, 4 P.2d 408; In re Estate of Walker, 160 Kan. 461, 163 P.2d 359; In re Estate of Smith, 168 Kan. 210, 212 P.2d 322."
It was adjudged, ordered and decreed by the court that the document proposed by proponents as the last will of Effie C. Whitmore, should be admitted to probate in the probate court of Pawnee County, Kansas, and the proceedings were remanded to the probate court for further proceedings in accordance with the decision.
There is ample evidence to support the judgment of the trial court. We find no error in the record. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.