Thurmond Leaves Most of His Estate to Kin

AP ^ | 10-28-03 | staff

[ladtx]

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)--Strom Thurmond left most of his estate, estimated at $200,000, to family, former aides and favorite institutions.

The value of the assets might be more $200,000 after an inventory is complete, said Jim Jones, the lawyer for the estate.

Thurmond died June 26 at age 100. He retired in January after serving 48 years in the Senate. He also was an educator, state senator, state judge and governor.

The nine-page will of the nation's oldest and longest serving U.S. senator was filed Monday at the Aiken County courthouse, The (Columbia) State reported Tuesday.

Thurmond left his largest cash bequest, $50,000, to his daughter, Julie Thurmond Whitmer, who lives in Washington. The smallest bequests, $250 each, were given to the First Baptist Church of Edgefield and the First Baptist Church of Aiken.

Neither of Thurmond's sons, Strom Thurmond Jr., the U.S. attorney for South Carolina, and Paul Thurmond, a Charleston attorney, are receiving a specific cash amount. But they and their sister will equally split whatever remains of the late senator's property after specific bequests are made, according to the will.

In the will, dated March 2, 1999, Thurmond forgave his widow, Nancy Moore Thurmond, of any debts she might have owed. The couple had been estranged since the early 1990s, but never divorced. Specific debts were not identified.

Thurmond's will also directed that she receive his Social Security benefits, as well as his U.S. Senate, U.S. Army and South Carolina retirement benefits.

Thurmond had given away many of his assets to various charities, Clemson University, and his family over the years, Jones said Monday.

Papers filed Monday said Thurmond had ``established scholarships at every four-year college and every technical college in South Carolina.''

The newspaper had reported in 1990 that the Thurmond family's assets were more than $2 million.

[ladtx]

Looks like Strom did the right thing before he passed on, divide everything up and give it away so there will be no argument or questions. A good lesson to be learned here. I had an aunt who passed away with no surviving husband or children and her will wasn't clear about her estate. After 2 and a half years it still hasn't been settled.

[ken5050]

Don't forget that assets in a trust are not subject to probate, and thus can avoid the public scrutiny of the will...Strom probably gave away most of his assets..but he could have millions in various trusts, and it would never be public record..

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Unlike most other long-term residents of the US Senate, Strom didn't leave as a millionare. He was certainly one of a rare kind.

[grobdriver]

Hey!
He can't do that!
The You-Hes Gov'ment gets first cut of that money, as much as it pleases, and his family can squabble over what's left.

[sgtbono2002]

$200,000 is not much money for a man like Thurmond to leave. Its almost so little that one would think he was an honest politician.

[smiley]

Not that this is a small thing...but I'm really surprised that his estate was worth only that....how about investments, stocks, bonds, etc.....

[BILL_C]

Strom didn't leave as a millionare.

I bet that isn't true. The posts about trusts means the real $$ will not be made public.

[ladtx]

I suspect most of it was already doled out before he passed away.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I think even Wellstone had accumulated substantial wealth in his two senate terms.

[kallisti]

from what i know, yes, it was. and yes, he was an honest politico. happened to visit his gravesite in august. the whole family plot seemed, well, humble. they love him still in edgefield.

[JackDanielsOldNo7]

After 48 years in the senate he is worth more than that. I remember meeting Strom in 1983. We landed at a small air strip in Clemson. We were there for the Clemson Tigers/South Carolina Cocks game. He landed on the same air strip. He was a pretty nice gent. I was 13. He was 80 at the time.