Will Contest

LUEHRSMANN, SASSEN, KIRCHER, MAHONEY, FRANTZEN, NELSON, JOHNSON, GREGORY

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 3/29/2015 at 07:31:09

Dubuque Daily Times-Journal, January 10, 1907

PRIEST'S WILL IS CONTESTED

Action To Set Aside That of Father Luehrsmann

Late Priest at LaMotte Bequeathed All His Estate to His Housekeeper

Mother, Brother and Sisters Begin Action to Have the Will Declared Void

After the death of Rev. Father G. H. Luehrsmann at LaMotte on December 17, a will purporting to be that of the dead priest was filed for probate in the district court of Jackson county at Maquoketa. Action has been begun in that court to set aside the will and declare it null and void by the relatives of the deceased. The occasion of this action is the fact that the will on file bequeathed the priest's entire estate valued at $25,000 to his housekeeper, Miss Anna Sassen, who was also named in the will as executrix without bond.

Without the will the heir to the estate is the priest's mother, who is insane, and the exceptions to the will were filed by Dr. Luehrsmann of Dyersville. a brother of the deceased as guardian for his mother and for himself and three sisters. In these exceptions it is alleged that when the will was executed, which was on November 14, a month before the priest's death the decedent was mentally incapable of disposing of his property and that J. P. Kircher, one of the witnesses to the will and who is said to have drawn it, and Miss Sassen, the beneficiary, exercised undue influence over the deceased in the making of the will. The relatives asked the court to appoint a special administrator of the estate and Michael Mahoney, former county treasurer of Jackson county was named.

Rev. Father Luehrsmann was the assistant pastor of the Sacred Heart church in this city about ten years ago and has been pastor of the church at LaMotte about five years. He was about forty-five years of age at the time of his death and left an estate valued at $25,000, which was his share of the estate left by his father, a wealthy Dubuque county farmer. His estate consisted of 168 acres of farm land in Delaware county, worth $85 an acre and lots in Benton county. Mis Sassen has been his housekeeper for the past four years. Matthews and Frantzen and P. J. Nelson are counsel for the relatives of the deceased and G. L. Johnson and Gregory & Son of Maquoketa represent the beneficiary.

Rev. Luehrsmann grave
 

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