43:19-14. Payments to dependents

If any member of the pension corporation who shall have paid into the fund the full amount of his annual assessments or contributions dies as a result of injuries or illness received or incurred in the performance of duty; or if any such member who shall have served in the city's employ in the aggregate for twenty years and paid into the fund the full amount of annual assessments or contributions, dies from causes other than injuries or illness received or incurred in the performance of duty; or if any such member shall after July fourth, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven, have been retired and pensioned under this chapter and subsequently dies, then and in each of such events, as hereinafter provided, a pension in an amount equal to one-half of the salary received by such member at the time of death, and in those cases where a member has been retired and pensioned prior thereto one-half of the salary received by such member at the time of retirement, shall be paid to the widow or husband for the benefit of herself or himself and minor children, if any, under the age of sixteen years or dependent parents as the case may be. The pension so paid shall not exceed the sum of one thousand dollars annually. The pension shall be paid to the surviving spouse during his or her natural life and so long as he or she shall remain unmarried, but no pension shall be paid to the widow or husband of any member who shall, after July fourth, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven, marry the member after such member has reached the age of fifty years. If there is no surviving spouse of the member, or no surviving spouse qualified to take under this chapter, or if the surviving spouse subsequently dies or remarries, and the member shall have left him or her surviving as heirs at law and next of kin, minor children under the age of sixteen years, payments to such minor children shall be made as follows: If there be one child, the sum of twenty-five dollars shall be paid to such child monthly until he or she arrives at the age of sixteen years; if there are two or more children the pension equal in amount to one-half of the salary received by such member at the time of death or retirement, but not exceeding in the aggregate one thousand dollars annually shall be paid to such children who have not attained the age of sixteen years in equal shares but in no event shall any one child receive more than the sum of twenty-five dollars monthly. If there is no widow, dependent husband and no children under the age of sixteen years, at the time of the death of such municipal employee, then such pension shall be paid to the dependent parents, if any, of such deceased municipal employee.