When it comes to distributing our estate, many of us make specific gifts or requests in line with our wishes. However, these well-known people have taken it one step further and left some weird and wonderful instructions in their Last Will and Testament…

Harry Houdini promised his wife that he would contact her in the afterlife. He stated in his Will that a séance should be held each anniversary of his death. It was, but he never showed up.

Dusty Springfield left clear instructions for the care of her beloved cat that included it be fed imported baby food and serenaded with her songs.

Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek lived up to his famous quote “to boldly go where no man has gone before” by requesting that his ashes were scattered via a space satellite orbiting earth. This was carried out in 1997.

Charles Vance Miller was a Canadian lawyer with a love of practical jokes. His Last Will and Testament bequeathed a large sum to any Toronto woman who could produce the most children in the decade following his death in 1926. Four winners tied with nine children in what become known as the “Great Stork Derby”. Each winner received around $125,000.00.

Mark Gruenwald, the Executive Editor of Captain American and Iron Man, stated that his ashes were to to be mixed with the ink used to print the Marvel comic books.

Eleanor E. Ritchey, heiress to the Quaker State Refining Corporation passed her fortune ($4.5 million) to her 150 dogs following her death in 1968. When the estate was finally settled its value had rocketed to $14 million but only 73 of her dogs were still alive. Her last dog died in 1984 and the remainder of her estate was given to the research of animal diseases.

Jack Benny was a comedian who was married to his wife, Mary, for almost 50 years before his death in 1974. His Will requested that a single red rose be delivered to his beloved Mary every day for the rest of her life. 

French Emperor Napoleon, requested that his head be shaved following his death and his hair divided amongst his friends.

If you want to lay out your final wishes, contact DS Wills & Estate Planning today.