Bitter family feud ends up in state Supreme Court

Diana Sanders looks at the part of her land along the Wolf River in Fremont, Wis., Tuesday afternoon, April 22, 2008. Sanders still lives on the family farm of her late husband, David Sanders.

From our story by Susan Squires:

"Diana Sanders' journey through hell began with a blast from a .22 caliber Ruger on June 25, 1999.

It may or may not end this spring with a state Supreme Court decision.

In the intervening nine years, there have been accusations of homicide, civil suits and a bitter battle over the will David Sanders changed shortly before his death, disinheriting his wife of 17 years."

Sanders' husband shot himself in the head that day. She found him dead in their farmhouse living room. Shortly before his suicide, he changed his will, disinheriting his wife, thinking she was planning to kill him. For many years she has been fighting a legal battle for the farmland... extremely valuable farmland... that runs along the Wolf River in Fremont.

She hates to see it go to developers, given the family history. Many artifacts from Native American populations continue to turn up in the fields.

Sanders says she wants to move on with her life and perhaps get into big-rig hauling.

Diana Sanders displays knicknacks and artifacts in her Fremont farmhouse. To her, it's what makes her land "home." Among the artifacts are arrowheads and ax heads found in the fields after years of tilling.

A decorative frame in true farmhouse fashion displays an aerial photograph of Sanders' farmhouse and surrounding land.