Jerry Donnell's collection

[edisonplayer]

As you know,Jerry Donnell passed away on December 17th.I found this out on Wednesday of last week.I contacted several people who knew Jerry and who I told about him to.Friday the 14th I called an antique dealer in Harpers Ferry,WV.To my dismay I discovered that Jerry did NOT have a will as far as I can tell.He has ONE surviving relative,a nephew who lives in Tennessee.The dealer didn't know the nephew's name or his phone number.If he did,I could contact him.Apparently,it looks like that Jerry's collection may be sold by the state of West Virginia since he probably did not have a will.I also heard from the antique dealer that young people who lived with Jerry were stealing things out of his house and selling them!Can ANYONE help me?

[Kirkwood]

While I can't contribute much to what you have already found out, poor old Jerry indeed passed away without leaving a will. Many times over the years, he'd stubbornly and bitterly fend off all efforts by his friends to get him to draft a will. This was very much part of his curmudgeonly approach to life.

There were several "boarders" that lived with him off and on over the years, at least one of them well acquainted with the criminal justice system in WV. While Jerry was still around, he had to call in the law---a number of his phonographs were located at a local antique dealer's shop, having been stolen and sold there by one of the "boarders".

There may be more surviving family around the US than the antique dealer knows about. Jerry had a step sister at one point, don't know if she is still living or not. Since Jerry spent time in and out of the hospital and nursing home system, at times as a ward of the state, it's no surprise that the state of WV will have a hand in any sale of the house and collections. How this gets accomplished, and when, will have to be worked out by the lawyers representing any of a number of concerned parties. I'm no lawyer, so I can't tell you how this will proceed. It might be worth keeping your eyes and ears open to auction activity listings in the area in the months to come, unless somebody decides to sell through a larger house like Stanton's. Suffice it to say there are other collectors around that knew Jerry, and they are as curious as you are about what happens with his collection.

By the by, over the years when I visited Jerry and admired something, he'd say: "Son, I'm going to will that to you!". This was Jerry's way of showing his admiration of my appreciating what he had, and I knew full well that there would never be any "will" to be found. This was one of those "in the moment" things I enjoyed about visiting Jerry: when two collectors can listen to a phonograph or piano roll and both understand the musical appeal of what we were enjoying.

[Joe_DS]

There may be more surviving family around the US than the antique dealer knows about. Jerry had a step sister at one point, don't know if she is still living or not.

Doing a little detective work, if this obituary was his mother's (from 1998), then there are quite a number of family members still alive --

"Mary Frances Donnell
A memorial service for Mary Frances Donnell, 94, of Nashville, who died Sunday, Dec. 13, at Bordeaux Nursing Home in Nashville after an extended illness, will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Villa Maria Manor, 32 White Bridge Road, Nashville with burial in Evergreen Cemetery. Buck Hazelwood will officiate.
She was the daughter of the late James Jackson Barbour and Johnie Elmus Cawthon Barbour and was preceded in death by a daughter, Peggy Donnell London.
She is survived by a son, Jerry Donnell of Harpers Ferry, W. Va.; four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
A native of Rutherford County, she was the owner of beauty salons and attended the Presbyterian Church.
Jennings & Ayers is in charge of arrangements.
Dated: Dec. 17, 1998 " FROM: http://www.genealogybuff.com/tn/rutherf ... es/read/69

Oddly enough, here's another obituary from 2000 also citing Jerry Donnell of Harpers Ferry, as one of the survivors:

"Lucie Gay Donnell, 84, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., widow of D. H. Donnell, died February 2, 2000 at the Middle Tennessee Medical Center. A native of Pisgah, Woodford County, Ky., she was the daughter of the late Newton and Sara Patton Gay. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church. Survivors are a daughter, Gay Donnell Goethert of Tullahoma, Tenn.; a stepson, Jerry Donnell of Harpers Ferry, W. Va., and two grandchildren, Kurt Donnell Goethert and Liesel Gay Goethert. A stepdaughter, Peggy Donnell London, and a brother, James Gay, are deceased. Burial was in Evergreen Cemetery, Murfreesboro." FROM: http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.n ... 62/mb.ashx

The second one, at least, provides some names to track down. If you're really committed, you might trying to locate some of them. A good place to start is "white pages":

http://www.whitepages.com/person

Joe

[celticguitar666]

I am sad to hear of his passing I didn't know him but you all did
Unfortunately if his state is like my state even if he has relatives he died " Intestate" which means the state gets everything along with the proceeds of sale unless someone has a legal will or the bucks to hire a lawyer to fight it in which the lawyer will get a chunk sadly it looks like the collection will be dissolved as the relatives probably won't want it intact anyway
Dwight

[Edisone]

In New York State, even remote relatives will inherit without a will, assuming they come forward or can be found. Still, one should have a will; I can't think of any relatives who'd appreciate my stuff.

Too many people are like me, though: of COURSE I'm gonna make it to at least 100, so a will can wait until I'm over 90 !

[FloridaClay]

When you die without a will the state does not take things (unless there are no legitimate heirs). There will be a state statute that establishes who gets the estate in a process supervised by the court that has jurisdiction over probate in the particular state. What makes it super stupid not to have a will (and yes this is a not too subtle hint to everybody on the Forum) is that, through this process, the state decides who gets your stuff, not you, and the probate process is expensive and eats up a lot of the value of the estate.

It appears here that the biggest immediate concern is theft and preserving things. The relatives need to be advised about what is going on and take steps to safeguard things before they are all gone.

Clay

[Hailey]

So...I suppose I need to get to work on a will??
I know Wayne...you want the Columbia...

[gramophone78]

So...I suppose I need to get to work on a will??
I know Wayne...you want the Columbia...

....something to remember you by...... . To avoid "legal" confusion.....I will PM you the correct spelling of my last name..... .

[edisonplayer]

I remember Jerry telling me that he was going to will me the "Greetings From The Bunch At Orange"Edison Diamond Disc".Also ,some mint wax cylinders.But,if I get them,good.If not,I'm thankful that I knew Jerry and for what he DID give me!edisonplayer

[celticguitar666]

[quote="Edisone"]In New York State, even remote relatives will inherit without a will, assuming they come forward or can be found. Still, one should have a will; I can't think of any relatives who'd appreciate my stuff.

Too many people are like me, though: of COURSE I'm gonna make it to at least 100, so a will can wait until I'm over 90 ![/quote
Well in RI intestate means the state gets it unless you have shrewd lawyer I went through that a few years ago with my ex wife we manged to squeak around it
Good luck to the family
dwight