Judge orders herbalist’s widower to pay $294,000

COVENTRY, Conn. – A judge has ruled that the widower of famed herbalist Adelma Grenier Simmons must pay $294,000 in contempt of court penalties.

The Journal Inquirer reports that 81-year-old Edward Cook was ordered to pay the fine to his late wife’s estate after refusing to allow officials to inspect her once-acclaimed herb farm in Connecticut.

A lawyer overseeing Simmons’ estate is seeking to have Cook removed from the Coventry farm , saying he let the property to fall into disrepair.

Simmons and Cook were married for about four years before her death in 1997 at age 93. She is credited with helping popularize the use of herbs in American cooking and published more than 50 books and pamphlets.

Cook said Thursday he wasn’t surprised by the judge’s ruling, and he plans to appeal.

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Information from: Journal Inquirer, http://www.journalinquirer.com