ÿWPCå …# VUNa %¯ 0(µU<Ýw@ 4Y m | 0J„ 0TÎ 0^" 0h€ 0rè 0|Z 0†Ö 0\ 1uì U,a 0d U,ñ U>B)[DC„ AMÇ BU*1![v~|vÓú D3Í 0@ AO@Æ 0DU D/™ BȘHP LaserJet 4Si/4SiMX PS 600dpiPSCRIPTÀÌÀääÀÀÌ0 (ÈhH  Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡-šBu Z‹$Arrus BT Roman 4U5D6U7D89U:;î<Ó€FGav 3|xF2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)< Œ 9p`(ModernP ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(Monaco< Œ 9p`(&Times New Roman% Line 7 d""""7Border 1dd€-#Cþÿ << Gÿÿ d< Œ 9p`(Arial Ý ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€ÔÔ€!ÔÝ  ÝÔ€&ÔÔ€&ÔÓ  Óò òÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€&XÔÌÌMay€24,€1996ÌÌCecil€W.€CrowsonÌAppellate€Court€ClerkÔ  Ôó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'@Styl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑMonacoÑÑ ÑÒ  BA Op Monaco ÒÒ  BA Op Monaco Ò%%%%'ÿÿdxd("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò€-‚ƒCþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó„„'÷ÿ dxdüÿP PdÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ÔÓ&€  X„d&ÓÑ#€  Xd#ÑÔ€!ÔÝ  ÝÑ7€õoXXdìdÈ7ÑÑ  ÑÔ€ÔÓ  ÓÑ  ÑÑ\R AØ'\ÑÒ  ÒÒ „ Òà@ àIN€THE€COURT€OF€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àWESTERN€SECTION€AT€NASHVILLEÌà àà à€€Ï________________________________________________ÌÌò òCORA€H.€BAXTER,€et€al,€ó óÌÌà àPlaintiffs„Appellees,Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àRutherford€Chancery€No.€94MI„285ÌVs.à àà àà àà àà àà àC.A.€No.€01A01„9511„CH„00500ÌÙ€€ÙßL€$'#;+'h|¢€` ç `€€LßÌò òCARL€L.€BEKOFSKE,€Administrator,€Ìet€al,ó óÌÌà àDefendants„Appellants.Ì___________________________________________________________________________ÌÌà@ àFROM€THE€RUTHERFORD€COUNTY€CHANCERY€COURTÌÌà@ àTHE€HONORABLE€ROBERT€E.€CORLEW,€III,€CHANCELLORÌÌÌÌà@ àLucy€D.€Strickland€of€MurfreesboroÌà@ àFor€AppelleesÌÌà@ àThomas€F.€Bloom€of€NashvilleÌà@ àFor€AppellantsÌÌÌÌÌà@ àò òòòAFFIRMED€AND€REMANDEDó óÌÌà@ àóóOpinion€filed:ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àò òW.€FRANK€CRAWFORD,Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPRESIDING€JUDGE,€W.S.ÌÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌALAN€E.€HIGHERS,€JUDGEÌÌDAVID€R.€FARMER,€JUDGEÌó óÌ›Ñ7€õoXXdìXXdì7ÑÑ  ÑÓÓà àDefendants,€various€cousins€œof€L.›€R.€Henry,€œdeceased,€appeal›€fromÏthe€judgment€of€the€trial€court€declaring€that€plaintiffs€are€L.€R.ÏHenryððs€nieces€and€nephews€and€are€his€heirs€at€law.Ìà àThe€crux€of€this€case€revolves€around€the€relationship€betweenÏtwo€men,€L.R.€Henry€and€John€Willie€Henry,€œborn€John›€William€Henderson.€ÏJohn€Willie€Henry€died€in€1989,€and€L.R.€Henry€died€intestate€in€1990,Ïleaving€no€spouse€or€children.€€It€is€undisputed€that€L.R.€Henry€was€theÏson€of€John€and€Cornelia€Henry.€€The€question€presented€at€trial€wasÏwhether€John€Willie€Henry€was€also€the€son€of€John€Henry,€andÏtherefore€the€half„brother€of€L.R.€Henry.€€According€to€the€plaintiffs,Ïdaughter€and€sons€of€John€Willie€Henry,€L.R.€and€John€Willie€were€bothÍsons€of€John€Henry;€thus,€plaintiffs€are€the€nieces€and€nephews€of€L.R.Ïand€take€prior€to€defendants,€L.R.ððs€first€cousins,€under€TennesseeððsÏlaws€of€intestate€succession.€Ô€&Ô€Ô€ÔT.C.A.€Ô€&Ô€œÔ€Ô€ðððð›Ô€&Ô€Ô€Ô31„2„101€„€31„2„110€œ(Michie›Ï1984€&€Supp.€1995).Ìà àTestimony€at€trial€revealed€that€John€Willie€was€born€theÏlegitimate€son€of€€Adell€Henderson,€the€wife€of€Sam€Henderson,€on€JuneÏ10,€1920.€€Mrs.€Henderson€was€sick€when€this€child,€her€sixth,€was€born,Ïso€her€brother„in„law,€Bob€Henderson,€and€his€wife,€Addie,€temporarilyÏtook€care€of€the€infant.€€Within€a€year,€Mrs.€Henderson€died€and€Mr.ÏHenderson€left€Tennessee€with€his€other€children,€settling€in€KansasÏCity.€€Although€he€visited€Tennessee€on€several€occasions,€Mr.ÏHenderson€never€took€John€Willie€with€him€to€Kansas€City€or€developedÏa€relationship€with€the€child.€€Ìà àThere€was€testimony€at€trial€that€Adell€Henderson,€knowing€sheÏwas€ill,€asked€the€€Henrys€to€care€for€John€Willie.€However,€there€wasÏalso€testimony€that€John€Willie€was€raised€by€the€œHenrys›€because€Mr.ÏHendersonððs€brother€and€sister„in„law€were€overburdened€with€theirÏown€children€and€John€and€Cornelia€Henry€had€only€one€child,€L.R.,€thenÏage€nine.€€Regardless,€John€Willie€resided€with€the€Henrys€until€he€wasÍan€adult,€and€they€raised€John€Willie€as€their€œown,›€œcalling€him€ð ðson.ð𛀀€Ìà àPlaintiffs€introduced€into€evidence€a€Tennessee€delayed€birthÏcertificate€for€John€œWilli›œe›€Henry€issued€in€1941€showing€John€andÏCornelia€Henry€as€his€parents€(it€is€undisputed,€however,€that€CorneliaÏHenry€was€not€John€Willie€Henryððs€natural€mother,€and€no€adoptionÏproceeding€ever€took€place).€€Plaintiffs€also€introduced€a€deed,€executedÏby€John€Henry€in€1968€and€recorded€posthumously€in€1975,€conveyingÏland€ð ðunto€my€two€sons,€John€Willie€Henry€and€L.R.€Henry.ðð€€€œà àCora›ÏBaxter,€John€Willieððs€daughter€and€a€plaintiff€herein,€testified€that€sheÏbelieved€John€and€Cornelia€Henry€were€her€grandparents€and€L.R.€HenryÏher€uncle.€€She€testified€that€she€lived€with€the€elder€Henrys€fromÏinfancy€until€she€was€approximately€twenty€years€old.€€Cora€recalledÏthat€when€she€was€about€ten€years€old,€Cornelia€told€her€that€AdellÏHenderson€was€John€Willieððs€mother,€but€€said€nothing€to€Cora€about€theÏname€of€John€Willieððs€father.€€Cora€also€testified€that€when€L.R.€died,ÏSusye€Rucker,€John€Henryððs€niece€and€a€defendant€in€the€present€suit,Ïcalled€Cora€to€get€Cora€and€her€œsiblingsðð›€full€names€for€L.R.ððs€funeralÏprogram.€€In€the€program,€an€exhibit€in€this€case,€Cora€is€listed€as€aÏniece€of€L.R.€and€her€brothers€are€listed€as€nephews.€€Ìà àMr.€Sam€Henderson,€the€son€of€Bob€and€Addie€Henderson€andÏnephew€of€Sam€Henderson,€John€Willieððs€presumed€father,€alsoÏtestified.€€He€remembered€that€John€Willie€lived€with€his€parentsÏbriefly€when€John€Willie€was€an€infant,€and€that€John€Willie€€was€takenÏto€live€with€the€Henrys.€€€He€testified€that€both€the€community€rumorÏand€his€own€belief€was€that€John€Henry,€not€Sam€Henderson,€was€theÏfather€of€John€Willie.€€He€admitted€that€he€based€his€belief€on€the€factÏthat€John€Henry€took€John€Willie€into€his€home.€€Ìà àKitty€Brooks€Nance€testified€on€behalf€of€the€plaintiffs.€€Ms.ÏNance,€who€was€over€one€hundred€years€old€at€the€time€of€trial,€knewÏJohn€Henry€most€of€her€life.€€She€stated€that,€on€one€occasion,€she€heardÏJohn€Henry€say€that€John€Willie€was€his€blood€son.€€Ms.€Nance€alsoÏbelieved€that€John€Willie€ð ðfavoredðð€his€daddy.€€Ìà àDefendants€Sallie€Washington€and€Louise€Miller,€first€cousins€ofÏL.R.€Henry,€testified.€€Ms.€Washington€testified€that€she€rememberedÏchildren€at€the€playground€taunting€John€Willie,€saying€that€he€was€notÏa€Henry.€€She€also€remembered€John€Henry,€her€uncle,€stating€that€JohnÏWillie€was€not€his€son.€€€€Ìà àMs.€Miller€testified€that€her€parents€told€her€that€the€Henrys€tookÍJohn€Willie€into€their€home€when€he€was€a€baby,€but€that€he€was€theÏchild€of€Sam€and€Adell€Henderson.€€She€testified€that€Sam€HendersonÏ(father)€was€present€at€a€reunion,€and€that€he€spoke€to€John€WillieÏthere€and€declared€John€Willie€his€son.€€€€€€à àAfter€hearing€all€of€theÏtestimony,€the€chancellor€made€the€following€findings:ÌÓÓà8 àà8 àI€think€considering€the€written€documentationÏtogether€with€the€testimony€of€the€disinterestedÏwitnesses,€and€of€course,€recognizing€theÏtestimony€of€those€who€are€parties€who€haveÏtestified,€by€only€a€small€measure€of€theÏevidence€I€think€the€Court€must€find€that€in€factÏthe€plaintiffs€have€carried€the€burden€ofÏproviding€the€clear€and€convincing€proof€thatððsÏnecessary.€€Thus,€I€think€the€evidence€here€todayÏdoes€show€that€John€Willie€Henry€was€theÏbiological€child€of€John€Henry.ÌÌÓÓà àSince€this€case€was€tried€by€the€court€sitting€without€a€jury,€weÏreview€the€case€ò òòòde€novoó óóó€upon€the€record€with€a€presumption€ofÏcorrectness€of€the€findings€of€fact€by€the€trial€court.€€Unless€theÏevidence€preponderates€against€the€findings,€we€must€affirm,€absentÏerror€of€law.€T.R.A.P.€13(d).€€Ìà àThe€weight,€faith,€and€credit€to€be€given€to€any€witnessððÏtestimony€lies€in€the€first€instance€with€the€trier€of€fact.€€TheÏcredibility€accorded€will€be€given€great€weight€by€the€appellate€court.€Íò òòòTown€of€Alamo€v.€Forcum„James€Co.ó óóó,€205€Tenn.€478,€483,€327ÏS.W.2d€47,€49€(1959);€ò òòòMays€v.€Brighton€Bankó óóó,€832€S.W.2d€347,€351Ï(Tenn.€App.€1992).€€Ìà àIn€the€instant€case,€where€plaintiffs€are€attempting€to€establishÏpaternity€for€the€purpose€of€intestate€succession,€plaintiffs€have€twoÏburdens€to€overcome.€€First,€plaintiffs€must€rebut€the€legalÏpresumption€that€a€child€born€in€wedlock€is€legitimate,€ò òòòJackson€v.ÏThorntonó óóó,€133€Tenn.€36,€39,€179€S.W.€384€(1915);€ò òòòCannon€v.€Cannonó óóó,Ï26€Tenn.€(7€Hum.)€410€(1846),€and€second,€plaintiffs€must€prove€byÏclear€and€convincing€evidence€that€the€child€was€that€of€the€allegedÏfather.€€T.C.A.€€œðð›€31„2„105(2)(B)€(Michie€1984€&€Supp.€1995);€ò òòòsee€alsoóóó óÏò òòòAllen€v.€Harveyó óóó,€568€S.W.2d€829,€835€(Tenn.€1978)€(establishing€thatÏchild€born€out€of€wedlock€may€inherit€from€his€father€where€paternityÏis€established€by€clear€and€convincing€proof€and€where€rights€ofÏinheritance€have€not€finally€vested).€€Under€the€facts€of€some€cases,€theÏtwo€burdens€merge€into€one.€€ò òòòIn€re€Estate€of€Armstrongó óóó,€859€S.W.2dÏ323,€328€(Tenn.€App.€1993).ò ò€ó óÌà àThe€heightened€evidentiary€burden€of€clear€and€convincing€proof€isÏnot€one€that€may€be€ð ðsatisfied€by€circumstances€which€merelyÍððsuggestðð€or€imply€parentage,€or€even€support€probability.€€TheÏcircumstances€must€be€such€as€to€produce€a€state€of€conviction€(byÏconvincing)€that€the€desired€fact€is€indeed€true.ðð€€ò òòòMajors€v.€Smithó óóó,Ï776€S.W.2d€538,€540€(Tenn.€App.€1989).€€The€ò òòòMajorsó óóó€court€noted,Ïhowever,€that€ð ð[t]he€existence€of€a€child€born€out€of€wedlock€is€notÏordinarily€announced€with€blaring€trumpets€to€all€who€may€hear.€€MoreÏoften,€it€is€a€private€affair,€confided€only€to€confidential€friends.€€TheÏfact€that€others€were€not€told€is,€if€circumstantial€at€all,€a€very€weakÏcircumstance.ðð€€ò òòòIdó óóó.€at€540„41.€€Ìà à€€The€trial€court€found€that€Sam€Henderson,€the€presumed€father,Ïleft€Tennessee€with€all€of€his€children€but€John€Willie,€and€neverÏreturned€for€John€Willie€or€otherwise€established€a€relationship€withÏhim.€€The€court€found€that€€John€Willie,€as€well€as€John€WillieððsÏdaughter€Cora,€lived€with€Cornelia€and€John€Henry€up€to€and€beyond€theÏage€of€majority.€€John€Willieððs€delayed€birth€certificate€listed€JohnÏHenry€as€the€father,€and€established€John€Willieððs€last€name€as€Henry.€ÏIn€a€deed€conveying€land€to€his€sons,€John€Henry€named€both€L.R.€andÏJohn€Willie.€€Both€John€and€Cornelia€Henry€called€John€Willie€ð ðson.ðð€ÏCora€Baxter€and€her€brothers€are€listed€as€L.R.ððs€nieces€and€nephews€inÍL.R.ððs€funeral€program.€€Ms.€Nance,€whom€the€court€found€to€be€aÏdisinterested€witness,€testified€that€John€Henry€acknowledged€JohnÏWillie€as€his€blood€son€in€her€presence€and€the€presence€of€others.€€SamÏHenderson,€the€nephew€of€John€Willieððs€presumed€father,€testified€thatÏthe€community€believed€John€Willie€was€the€natural€son€of€John€Henry.€€Ìà àIt€is€the€province€of€the€chancellor€as€the€trier€of€fact€to€give€theÏtestimony€of€each€witness€the€weight,€faith,€and€credit€to€which€it€isÏentitled.€€The€chancellor€determined€from€the€proof€that€there€wasÏclear€and€convincing€evidence€that€John€œWilli›œe›€was€John€Henryððs€son.€ÏœFrom›€our€review€of€the€record,€we€find€that€the€evidence€does€notÏpreponderate€against€the€chancellorððs€finding.€€T.R.A.P.€13(d).Ìà àThe€judgment€of€the€trial€court€is€affirmed,€and€this€case€isÏremanded€to€the€trial€court€for€such€further€proceedings€as€areÏnecessary.€€Costs€of€the€appeal€are€assessed€against€appellants.ÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà àà à_________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àò òW.€FRANK€CRAWFORD,Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPRESIDING€JUDGE,€W.S.ó óÌò òCONCUR:ÌÌó ó_________________________________Ìò òALAN€E.€HIGHERS,€JUDGEó óÌÌò ò_________________________________ÌDAVID€R.€FARMER,€JUDGEó óœÔ€ÔÔ€Ô