Opinion ID: 2118435
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Guardianship of the Testator.

Text: A petition was submitted to the Waukesha county court on March 24, 1959, seeking the appointment of a guardian for George Zink on the ground that he was mentally disturbed and unable to manage his property. On April 7, 1959, he was formally adjudged incompetent and a guardian was appointed. He remained under this guardianship until his death. The fact that George Zink was incompetent to manage his property does not mean that he lacked testamentary capacity. The general test for such capacity has been expressed by this court as follows: ... whether testator had sufficient active memory to comprehend, without prompting, the condition of his property, his relations to those who might be his beneficiaries, and to hold these things in mind long enough to perceive their relations to each other and to be able to form some rational judgment in relation to them. Will of Williams (1950), 256 Wis. 338, 346, 41 N. W. (2d) 191. The infirmities which may accompany old age do not necessarily incapacitate a person from making a valid will. A person who is under a guardianship may well have many rational intervals during which time he may be capable of executing a valid will. Estate of Dobrecevich (1961), 14 Wis. (2d) 82, 86, 109 N. W. (2d) 477; Will of Ganchoff (1961), 12 Wis. (2d) 503, 509, 107 N. W. (2d) 474; Estate of Schalla (1957), 2 Wis. (2d) 38, 44, 86 N. W. (2d) 5; Will of Slinger (1888), 72 Wis. 22, 26, 37 N. W. 236.