Thomas v. Sternhagen

This case involves a widow’s allowance, her homestead right, and the question of whether farm implements are “tools of the trade” for purposes of exemption to the widow.

The county court granted a widow’s allowance of $200 per month; approved the widow’s selection of a homestead of two 80-acre tracts out of a 760-acre ranch; and assigned to the widow all of the farm machinery and tools as exempt property. The district court determined that the widow was not entitled to any widow’s allowance; that she was not entitled to select, as part of the homestead, an 80-acre tract which touched only on…