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Judge admits 2023 holographic will and appoints co-executors in Fanny Rose estate
Summary
After testimony from multiple witnesses who said the decedent's handwriting and signature matched a December 13, 2023 draft, the court admitted the holographic will and appointed Terry Pewitt and Susan Valentine as co-executors.
A Chetm County judge admitted a holographic will dated Dec. 13, 2023, and appointed the petitioners Terry Pewitt and Susan Cooper Valentine as co-executors for the estate of the decedent (Fanny Rose) after testimony and documentary evidence were presented during a probate hearing.
Witnesses called by the petitioners testified they were familiar with the decedent's handwriting and signature and that the submitted document was in her handwriting and bore her signature. The court permitted testimony about the circumstances in which the document was written and considered competing evidence about an earlier 2025 instrument that had been found invalid. After weighing the live testimony and exhibits, the judge found the elements for a valid holographic will were met under the statute and allowed the petitioners to serve as co-executors.
The judge advised any interested party that a will contest for undue influence or other grounds remains an available remedy and that a party seeking to challenge the ruling should consult counsel to preserve rights.
