After the death of any district judge, who, while serving as an intermediate court judge or as a district judge, has contributed or paid into a county retirement system or to a state retirement system for a minimum of five years, his spouse shall receive a yearly benefit from the state equivalent to three percent of the salary payable from the State Treasury prescribed by law for his former position as a district judge or as an intermediate court judge, as the case may be, for each year of service not to exceed 30 percent of such salary, payable monthly for the remainder of such spouse's life or until their remarriage.
Ala. Code § 12-18-60 (1975)