Who told you that? A will is the decision of the person who owns the assets. Did he never sign the house over to you?
In Texas the assets are slit 50/50 if you are still married. They don’t care that he bailed 43 years ago. He signed over the house, but we lived in another state back then so when I sold the house, I got all the proceeds. If I knew then what I know now I would never have moved to Texas. He also gets a hefty percentage of my SS. When I die, he gets my social security payment in full.