Dodge Testamentary Trust, Matter of
Decision Date | 16 February 1983 |
Docket Number | 55311,55290,54996,54973,Docket Nos. 55335,55337 and 55356 |
Parties | In the Matter of the John F. DODGE TESTAMENTARY TRUST. Fredericka Van Lennep CALDWELL, John F. Van Lennep, Manufacturers National Bank of Detroit, as Trustee under will of Frances Dodge Van Lennep, deceased, Appellants, v. The DETROIT BANK & TRUST CO., Trustee under will of John F. Dodge, deceased, Winifred Seyburn Cheston, Suzanne Seyburn Meyer, Edith Seyburn Quintana, Isabel Seyburn Harte, Judith Johnson McClung, Mary Ann Dodge Danaher, Individually and as Personal Representative of the Estate of John Duval Dodge, deceased, Richard S. Wilson, Barbara Wilson Eccles, Frederick L. Van Lennep, Matilda R. Wilson Fund, Joseph Freedman, Personal Representative of the Estate of Winifred Dodge Seyburn, deceased, Annie Laurine Dodge Van Etten and Frederick G. Buesser, Jr., Guardian Ad Litem, Appellees. Judith Johnson McCLUNG, Appellant, v. DETROIT BANK & TRUST CO., Trustee under will of John F. Dodge, deceased, et al., Appellees. Matilda R. Wilson FUND, Appellant, v. DETROIT BANK & TRUST CO., Trustee under will of John F. Dodge, deceased, et al., Appellees. Winifred Seyburn CHESTON, Suzanne Seyburn Meyer, Edith Seyburn Quintana and Isabel Seyburn Harte, Appellants, v. DETROIT BANK & TRUST CO., Trustee under will of John F. Dodge, deceased, et al., Appellees. Joseph FREEDMAN, Personal Representative of the Estate of Winifred Dodge Seyburn, deceased, Appellant, v. DETROIT BANK & TRUST CO., Trustee under will of John F. Dodge, deceased, et al., Appellees. Annie Laurine Dodge VAN ETTEN, Appellant, v. DETROIT BANK & TRUST CO., Trustee under will of John F. Dodge, deceased, et al., Appellees. Richard S. WILSON and Barbara Wilson Eccles, Appellants, v. DETROIT BANK & TRUST CO., Trustee under will of John F. Dodge, deceased, et al., Appellees. |
Court | Court of Appeal of Michigan — District of US |
Bodman, Longley & Dahling by Louis F. Dahling, George D. Miller, Jr., and Charles N. Raimi, Detroit, for Joseph Freedman.
Honigman, Miller, Schwartz & Cohn by Jason L. Honigman, David K. Page, Charles Nida, Phyllis G. Rozof, and Norman C. Ankers, Detroit, for Judith McClung.
Dykema, Gossett, Spencer, Goodnow & Trigg by Raymond T. Huetteman, Jr., John R. Dykema and Paul Owen Ashba, Detroit, for Fredericka Van Lennep Caldwell, John F. Ven Lennep & Manufacturers Nat. Bank of Detroit, Trustee under the will of Francis Dodge Van Lennep.
Tolleson, Mead, Welchli & Dahn by Roy M. Tolleson, Jr., and Robert D. Welchli, Detroit, for Frederick L. Van Lennep.
Fildew, Hinks, Gilbride, Miller & Todd by John H. Fildew, Alan C. Miller, Randall S. Wangen, Detroit, for Annie Laurine Dodge Van Etten.
Hill, Lewis, Adams, Goodrich & Tait by Thomas E. Coulter, John D. Mabley and Timothy W. Hefferon, Detroit, for Mary Ann Dodge Danaher and Estate of John Duval Dodge.
Butzel, Long, Gust, Klein & Van Zile by George E. Brand, Jr., Margaret E. Greene & Carl Rashid, Jr., Detroit, for Matilda R. Wilson Fund.
Clark, Klein & Beaumont by James E. Beall, Detroit, for Detroit Bank & Trust Co., Trustee under the will of John F. Dodge.
Dickinson, Wright, Moon, VanDusen & Freeman by Thomas E. Owen & Henry M. Grix, Detroit, for Winifred S. Chester, Suzanne S. Meyer, Edith S. Quintana & Isabel S. Harte.
Edwards & Edwards by Sharon-Lee Edwards and William J. Richards, Detroit, for Richard Wilson & Barbara Wilson Eccles.
Before BEASLEY, P.J., and RILEY and MARUTIAK, * JJ.
This appeal is taken by various interested parties from an order of the Wayne County Probate Court directing distribution of the trust corpus of a testamentary trust arising under the will of John F. Dodge, deceased. The order was entered pursuant to a thorough and carefully drawn opinion prepared by Judge Willis F. Ward of the Wayne County Probate Court, in which he made findings of fact, conclusions of law and determination of claims.
John F. Dodge, an early and highly successful automobile manufacturer, died testate on January 14, 1920. His will, which was dated April 4, 1918, was admitted to probate in the Wayne County Probate Court. In his will, John F. Dodge created a residuary trust which provided, among other things, as follows:
John F. Dodge left surviving him his widow, Matilda R. Dodge (Wilson), and six children, John Duval Dodge, Winifred Dodge Gray (Seyburn), Isabella Cleves Dodge (Sloane), Frances Matilda Dodge (Van Lennep), Daniel George Dodge, and Anna Margaret Dodge. The first three children were born of testator's marriage to Ivy Dodge, who died in 1900, and the second three were...
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