Background information
on the fate of Rachels Field.
Anyone
receiving this for the
first time, and desiring background information regarding the
acquisition of the most significant piece of real estate which has ever
been available for the advancement of the Culture of Life, please visit
our website at http://www.lifeprinciplestrust.org
. However, in a word, we have the opportunity to purchase a 22
acre
campus of gently rolling land immediately adjoining a historic cemetery
of approximately the same size within the Washington, D.C metropolitan
area. Sacredness of Life Memorial Chapel is to be built there on
the
hill. It will overlook Rachel's Field, a cemetery-like memorial park
with separately deeded grave size plots which post abortive parents may
purchase, as would be done by any parent who mourns the loss of their
child. Each lot owner can erect a monumental stone or other
memorial
as they feel fitting to memorialize their pre-born child deprived of
the remainder of his or her life.
My name is Forest Grauel, and the property is the ancestral farm where
I was raised as a child, and part of which has been in our family for
generations. Before their deaths, my parents deeded the property
into
two separate Trusts for estate planning purposes, naming Sandy Spring
National Bank as "Successor Trustee. Since the time they placed
the
property into Trust, it is my understanding the Sandy Spring "National"
Bank name has been changed dropping the word "National" as it is now
regulated by the Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland, and the old
Sandy Spring National Bank, founded by devout Quaker Christians back in
the mid 1800's, it is now owned by "Sandy Spring Bancorp," a holding
company which also owns other assets and companies.
Within both the Trust of my Father, who passed away in August of 1990,
and within the Trust of my Mother who passed away in January of 2004,
Article VI reads near verbatim in both of the Trusts of my parents, and
into which the ancestral farm, now in a prime development area, was
place before their deaths. Here is the verbatim
wording of Article VI
from the Evelyn E. Grauel Trust;
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“ . . .Grantor hereby grants to Grantor's son,
FOREST
LEE GRAUEL, the right to purchase from Grantor's estate the home
including the barn and outbuildings where he presently lives in and as
much from the immediately contiguous land as he may desire to purchase
from his share of the estate and additionally on a first right of
refusal basis. The purchase price for said land will be its fair market
value on the date of Grantor's death as determined by the Trustees or
the Personal Representatives or Executors of Grantor's Estate.
Grantor's son shall have ninety (90) days after receiving a copy of the
appraisal, accepted by the Trustee or the Personal Representatives or
Executors from the Trustees or the Personal Representatives or
Executors of Grantor's estate to exercise their [sic his] right to
purchase. Grantor's son may apply toward the purchase price of said
property all or part of his share of Grantor's estate. If a dispute
arises regarding the purchase price of said property the Trustees or
the Personal Representatives or Executors of Grantor's estate shall
decide such matters and their decision shall be final and conclusive on
all parties. . . .” [end of pertinent quoted test]
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