RIP Huguette Clark, aged 104

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/25/nyreg ... ted=1&_r=1

She was almost certainly the last link to New York’s Gilded Age, reared in Beaux-Arts splendor in a 121-room Fifth Avenue mansion awash in Rembrandt, Donatello, Rubens and Degas. Her father, a copper baron who once bought himself a United States Senate seat as casually as another man might buy a pair of shoes, had been born before the Mexican War. Her six siblings died long before her, one in the 19th century.

By the late 1930s, Mrs. Clark had disappeared from the society pages. Most if not all of her siblings had died; she lived with her mother at 907 Fifth Avenue, painting and playing the harp. Her mother died there in 1963.

For the quarter-century that followed, Mrs. Clark lived in the apartment in near solitude, amid a profusion of dollhouses and their occupants. She ate austere lunches of crackers and sardines and watched television, most avidly “The Flintstones.” A housekeeper kept the dolls’ dresses impeccably ironed.

[ulysses5019]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/25/nyreg ... ted=1&_r=1

She was almost certainly the last link to New York’s Gilded Age, reared in Beaux-Arts splendor in a 121-room Fifth Avenue mansion awash in Rembrandt, Donatello, Rubens and Degas. Her father, a copper baron who once bought himself a United States Senate seat as casually as another man might buy a pair of shoes, had been born before the Mexican War. Her six siblings died long before her, one in the 19th century.

By the late 1930s, Mrs. Clark had disappeared from the society pages. Most if not all of her siblings had died; she lived with her mother at 907 Fifth Avenue, painting and playing the harp. Her mother died there in 1963.

For the quarter-century that followed, Mrs. Clark lived in the apartment in near solitude, amid a profusion of dollhouses and their occupants. She ate austere lunches of crackers and sardines and watched television, most avidly “The Flintstones.” A housekeeper kept the dolls’ dresses impeccably ironed.

I wonder if she watched Oprah too?

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

NEW YORK – A newly publicized will by an heiress to a Montana copper mining fortune leaves most of her $400 million estate to her family, while a will signed just weeks later left nothing to relatives.

The childless Huguette Clark died in May at age 104 -- a last breath of New York's Gilded Age that produced the Rockefellers, Astors and Vanderbilts.

Her relatives brought the new will to light on Monday: They filed court papers asking a Surrogate's Court judge to involve them in proceedings about how her money was spent -- and by whom -- while she was alive.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/28/ne ... z1f6QC1mFt

[silverscreenselect]

NEW YORK – A newly publicized will by an heiress to a Montana copper mining fortune leaves most of her $400 million estate to her family, while a will signed just weeks later left nothing to relatives.

A probate dispute!!!!

Sounds like like a job for the Michigan court system. By the time they get through with it, instead of $400 million, there will be about $40 to distribute to the lucky winners.

[Spock]

>>>Her father, a copper baron who once bought himself a United States Senate seat as casually as another man might buy a pair of shoes, had been born before the Mexican War. Her six siblings died long before her, one in the 19th century. <<<

I am 45 and my paternal line great-grandfather was born in 1849 or 1850 in Wisconsin. I am too lazy to look and see if the Mexican War was still going on-I think it was. I have always thought it kind of neat that the generations to get to him are a lot more stretched out than normal to reach a Great-Grandparent. He was 53 or so when my Grandpa was born (1902) and Grandpa was 39 when Dad was born (1942). Dad was 24 when I was born(1966).

[Cleopatra]

This is where Clark County, Nevada gets its name. Quite the interesting family!

[TheMichiganBarAssociation]

NEW YORK – A newly publicized will by an heiress to a Montana copper mining fortune leaves most of her $400 million estate to her family, while a will signed just weeks later left nothing to relatives.

A probate dispute!!!!

Sounds like like a job for the Michigan court system. By the time they get through with it, instead of $400 million, there will be about $40 to distribute to the lucky winners.

That's a little optimistic, don't you think? After all, it's office holiday party season!

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/06/17/co ... latestnews

Let the litigation begin

[smilergrogan]

Her father, a copper baron who once bought himself a United States Senate seat

Well, Huguette what you pay for.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

More Litigation

A lawsuit filed Thursday by New York City's public administrator's office on behalf of her estate seeks $100 million from Beth Israel Medical Center and Dr. Henry Singman. It contends that they allowed Clark to live at the hospital for 20 years until she died there, even though there was no medical need for hospitalization most of that time, in order to obtain millions of dollars in rent payments, fees and gifts, reports the Associated Press.

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ ... =daily_rss