Gavian v. Steinert

This is an appeal from the decree in a declaratory judgment action brought by the executors to construe a will and codicil. A named beneficiary, to whom the decision was adverse, has appealed.

The trial court found the following facts. Elva M. Mac-Adams died May 8, 1952. Her husband, William B. Mac-Adams, survived her, as did her sister, Margaret I. Sanders, a mentally incompetent person. She left no children or other descendants. She executed a will in 1940 (at Seattle, Washington), and two holographic codicils to that will in 1948 and 1950, respectively (in California). All of these…