Elizabeth Edwards' Will Makes No Mention of John

Jan 6, 2011

The late Elizabeth Edwards makes no mention of her estranged husband, John, in the will she signed days before her death last month.

Edwards, who died after a six-year battle with breast cancer on Dec. 6, appointed her eldest daughter Catharine, as the executor of her will.

Cate Edwards, 28, will also serve as guardian for her two younger siblings -- Emma Claire, 12, and Jack, 10 -- if anything happens to John Edwards, the former U.S. senator and presidential candidate who admitted to fathering a child with his mistress, Riley Hunter.



"All of my furniture, furnishings, household goods, jewelry, china, silverware and personal effects and any automobiles owned by me at the time of my death I give and bequeath to my children who shall be living at the time of my death," the will states.

Edwards had long indicated that she had faith Cate would take care of the family after her death. In a 2007 interview, Edwards said she had prepared her children for the possibility of her death and that Cate had already stepped in to take on new responsibilities, both in the home and outside.

The will, first posted in full by Inside Edition, was signed on Dec. 1, just four days before Edwards died in her North Carolina home.

It makes no mention of John Edwards.

It's no surprise that the former political wife left her estranged husband out of the will. The two separated last year after 32 years together, although their divorce was never finalized.

John Edwards was by his ex-wife's side during her final days but did not speak at her funeral.

Elizabeth Edwards was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, at the height of her husband's unsuccessful vice-presidential campaign with presidential contender John Kerry.

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The cancer returned in 2007 as Edwards was engaged in his own unsuccessful presidential run, and late last year, the mother of three announced she had stopped all treatment.

Just days before her death, Edwards wrote a moving message on her Facebook wall, stating: "You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces: my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined."

"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human," wrote Edwards.

"But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful."

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