Bolton Estate
Opinion of the Court
. . . By the fourth item of her will testatrix gave, devised, and bequeathed the residue of her estate:
“. . . unto my nieces and nephews either adopted or natural born, who are the grandchildren of my father, Henry Busse, in equal parts, share and share alike, provided, however, that the issue of any deceased niece or nephew shall take by representation the share of their parent per stirpes and 'riot per capita.”
Inasmuch as Joanne Helen Busse is not a legally adopted child of Herman E. Busse, she does not satisfy the requirement imposed by the will which would permit her to take a share in the estate, and she does not participate in the distribution.
Katha Busse, one of the eight children of Walter G. Busse, a brother of testatrix, was born on October 7, 1936, and has, therefore, passed her eighteenth birthday. She lives with her father at 1420 Greenwood Avenue, Deerfield, 111. It has been represented by counsel for the accountants that, under the law of the State of Illinois, a female reaches her majority at the age of 18, and the accountant, accordingly, requests that the distributive share of Katha Busse be awarded to her directly rather than to require the appointment of a guardian.
A minor child has the same domicile as that of its father: A. L. I. Restatement of the Law of Conflict of Laws §30 (1934).
“What shall constitute minority must depend on*159 circumstances. The ordinary rule limits it to twenty-one years; but a rule is well settled that where the law of foreign domicile of a distributee limits it to eighteen, that will control here”: Keech’s Est., 240 Pa. 491; Wooten’s Est., 26 Dist. R. 734; Barroll Est. (O. C. of Montgomery County, no. 51444). Under this ample authority, the distributive share in this distribution of Katha Busse is awarded directly to her.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.