In re the Estate of Horton

Appeals from three orders of the Surrogate’s Court of Tompkins County (Barrett, S.), entered September 29, 1997, September 30, 1997 and October 7, 1997, which, inter alia, granted petitioner’s application for preliminary letters testamentary.

On March 27, 1997, Mary A. Horton (hereinafter decedent) died testate in the City of Ithaca, Tompkins County. Her *643surviving distributees include one brother, four sisters, and 11 nieces and nephews. An instrument purporting to be decedent’s last will and testament executed at a hospital on March 25, 1997 did not leave any bequests to the surviving…