Bartz v. Central Wisconsin Trust Co.

It is provided in sec. 311.02, Stats., that administration of estates of intestates shall be granted to some one or more of the persons named in certain preferred groups. If no selection can be made from the first group comprising the widow, surviving husband, or next of kin, or some one requested by one or both, either because of unsuitableness, incompetency, or refusal to act, then consideration is given to the next group fixed by statute, and so on until provision is made for serving those who have interests to protect.

A similar statute was in force in the commonwealth of Massachusetts…