Show GI wills rose A week to girl he win leaves a letter to brother giving directions in love case RICHMOND VA like many other soldiers valentine browne lawless left a will when he went to war in 1944 there were the usual clauses providing for distribution of personal property there also was a clause that directed that the cash residue of the estate be turned over to his brother edward kirwan lawless for a special purpose but the purpose was not defined in the will valentine left a letter to his hi brother to be opened only in case of his death the 36 year old army air forces sergeant was killed in a plane crash at linz lanz austria in october 1944 the letter revealed that valentine e a number of years had been in love with a girl whom he had no hope of winning 1 I will continue to love her for the duration of my life it said shows devotion in death the letter continued he planned to express his devotion to the girl the cash residue of the soldiers estate was to be used to fulfill this wish every week a florist was to send the girl one rose a perfect rose the color did not matter but the identity of the sender never was to be revealed my idea valentine wrote to his brother is to furnish the girl with the pleasure of receiving a rose not to have her think of me because I 1 sent it to her valentines request became known when his sister margaret lawless contended that tier lier brothers last request was I 1 I 1 not practical and asked the virginia supreme court of appeals to set it aside legal squabble the sister and other heirs claimed that failure of the will to specify the special purposes had the effect of leaving the in trust with edward lawless tor for the benefit of other heirs edward contended however that carrying out the instructions in his brothers letter was a matter of conscience previously a lower court in norfolk where the will was made out ruled that the soldiers funds had been left to edward individually and with no trust attached but valentines sister and other heirs appealed the decision to the higher court in an effort to stop delivery of the dead sold soldiers lers perfect rose to the girl who married another man and reportedly is livin living 9 in the tidewater section of virginia |