DEAR ABBY: This has been bothering me for a while. Why do people put very old pictures of the deceased in the obituary? The people haven't looked like that for more than 40-plus years.
When I look at the obituaries and see the picture, I think how sad it is that the person died so young. Then I read the article and see they were in their 80s or 90s, and the photo was taken when they were in their 40s or even younger. I have seen high school pictures even.
Close friends and family know what they looked like when they died. Do they think they're fooling anyone? -- CURRENT PHOTO IN OHIO
DEAR CURRENT PHOTO: Please don't jump to conclusions. I don't think the pictures are published to "fool" anybody. This is how the family would like to remember their loved one -- in the full bloom of youth. If it comforts them, it should be fine with the rest of us because it's harming no one.