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Wacky Wills
Articles in this section highlight Wills that contain some interesting, and sometimes bizarre, bequests and stipulations.
Naunakhte’s ancient Egyptian Will shows how she used her property rights to disinherit three children, reward another, and discourage challenges to her wishes.
- Rania Combs
Leona Helmsley’s 2007 Will left $12 million in trust for her dog, Trouble, but a Will contest reduced the bequest to $2 million.
- Rania Combs
A brief historical anecdote about Reuben John Smith's unusual 1899 burial instructions, including a tomb furnished with a leather recliner.
- Rania Combs
Leslie Ann Mandel's Will provided $100,000 in trust for her 32 cockatiels, cat, and dog while highlighting how handwritten changes may affect a Will's validity under Texas law.
- Rania Combs
Harry Houdini left his wife a 10-word code to identify him in a posthumous séance after spending years debunking fraudulent psychics and mediums.
- Rania Combs
Rona Scoratow’s Will gave her 42-year-old philodendron to a trusted friend along with $5,000 for its care after her death.
- Rania Combs
Billy Standley’s wish to be buried riding his 1967 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide was fulfilled in a custom Plexiglas coffin at an Ohio cemetery.
- Rania Combs
Solomon Sanborn’s 1871 Will directed that his body go to science, his skin be made into drums, and his remains help grow an American elm.
- Rania Combs
Ray Fulk, an Illinois recluse with an estate worth about $1 million, left his property to actors Kevin Brophy and Peter Barton despite never meeting them.
- Rania Combs
This article recounts how James Doohan’s widow arranged for a portion of his cremated remains to be launched into orbit through Celestis in 2012, honoring his wish to travel into space.
- Rania Combs
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Topics
- Estate Planning122
- Wills62
- Probate and Estate Administration46
- Powers of Attorney46
- Intestacy34
- Gift and Estate Tax32
- Trusts28
- Newsworthy25
- Choosing a Guardian25
- Wacky Wills22
- Odds and Ends17
- The Risk of DIY Planning16
- Special Needs Trusts13
- Transfer on Death Deeds13
- Retirement and End of Life Planning13
- Incapacity11
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