Sperry v. Sperry
Sperry v. Sperry
Opinion of the Court
John M. Sperry died testate in 1901, leaving, him surviving, a widow and six children. For each of these, provision was made in the will, and the widow designated as executrix. By the third clause she was given the use of certain lands during her life, and the fourth directed her to coixtrol the “ residue,” save that devised to the children, “ for the uses and purposes hereinafter expressed.”
All lands, lots and other property, if any remaining after filling all my bequests herein made, I give, devise and bequeath to my beloved wife, Imogene C. Sperry, to be retained or sold by her at the pleasure of my wife, Imogene C. Sperry, she to have the same, absolutely, to use or dispose of, as she may see fit during her natural life.
“ Continued lot, eighty (80) acres described in article eleven to my wife, tpontrolled as trustee for all the heirs; to sell or continue to/rent.”
The will was executed March 1, 1899, and on the 4th day of June, 1900, the deceased made a codicil, with clauses corresponding in number with those in the will, “ instructing and explaining more fully ” his wishes to the executor, in which words are defined, and he declares that $600 has been advanced on the bequest to J. E. Sperry, and remarks: “ All correct for Kosa A. McCullough.” Clause 13 was as follows: “ The words, all the heirs, does not mean tiróse having share ' in real estate.”
The only question to be determined is the ownership of the eighty acres. The district court decreed that the executrix held it for the sole benefit of plaintiffs. The authority of the executrix to rent or sell it is not questioned, but plaintiffs contend that, as they are the only heirs to whom real estate was not specifically devised, it was the
“ Continued lot, eighty acres described in article eleven to my wife, controlled as trustee for all the heirs not having share in the real estate; to sell or continue to rent.”
As land was specifically devised to each of the others, the plaintiffs, J. E. Sperry and Kosa A. McCullough, must have been intended. Though the gift is not expressed in explicit terms, it is necessarily to be implied from the language employed. The provision is not open to the criticism of being vague and ambiguous: Apparently all other property had been disposed of, and the devise of the eighty was to his wife, to be controlled for the benefit of plaintiffs. Clause 1 of the codicil had sole reference to the legacy, and for this reason is not inconsistent with the exclusion of those sharing real estate from participating in the devise of the eighty acres. But it is said that the eleventh clause of the will indicated a purpose that the executor make use of this tract to equalize the division among the heirs. This may be rejected, save as to P. W. Sperry, for whose benefit the last-sentence seems too specific to be ignored. No charge on this land is created in favor of any other. As to him the authority to equalize with Kate or B. M. Sperry is specific, and the source from which the amount to accomplish this is to be obtained is pointed out as being the rent or proceeds of the sale of this land. But for the codicil limiting the heirs who are to take the eighty acres, appellees do not question the correctness of this construction. They insist, however, that, in excluding. all heirs who share the real estate, P. W. Sperry was cut off both as one of the heirs and devisee entitled to enough therefrom to render his portion equal to that of Kate or B. M. Sperry. We do not con
Some claim is made that extrinsic evidence should have been received. The record fails to show that any was offered.
The order of the district court will be modified so as to include a direction to the executor to pay P. W. Sperry enough from the rents or proceeds of the eighty acres to render what he received under the will equal to that of Kate Costner or B. M. Sperry.
Modified and affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.