Estate of Hartenbower

SHAW, J.

This «is an appeal by the residuary legatees, or some of them, under the last will of the decedent from an order distributing a part of the estate 'to Cynthia J. Hartenbower, the widow of said decedent.

[401]

The fourth clause of the will is as follows:

“Fourthly: I hereby admit, state and declare that all of my estate is community property, having been acquired by me since my marriage with my said wife, Cynthia J. Hartenbower. Realizing that she is entitled under the laws of the State of California to a full one-half of all of said estate as her lawful share of said community property, I intentionally make no other or further provision for her, and the full one-half of said estate which I am entitled to dispose of by will I give, devise and bequeath as hereinafter provided.”

The widow filed a petition for partial distribution claiming that she was entitled under this clause of the will to one-half of the estate. The appellants filed objections- to such distribution on the ground that the will does not declare an intention to give the widow one-lialf of the estate, and that the property of the decedent was separate property and that, consequently, the widow was entitled to only one-third thereof as heir of her husband.

Evidence was introduced on the trial showing that the deceased and his wife had resided after their marriage in Iowa and Kansas and that the property owned by the decedent at his death was the proceeds of property acquired by them while living in the said states. No evidence was given, however, so far as the record shows, concerning the laws of those states respecting community and separate property of married persons. In behalf of the widow there was introduced in evidence a decree of the court previously made upon the application of one of the residuary legatees for a partial distribution of the estate, in which proceeding notice was duly given, and after hearing the court made its decree declaring that by the terms of the last will of said deceased said widow was entitled to a full one-half of all the property belonging to the said estate and remaining after paying the debts and expenses of administration, and that said residuary legatee was entitled to a one-fiftieth of the remaining one-half thereof.