DEAR ABBY: This may seem inconsequential, but there seems to be a growing trend of omitting a woman's maiden name in obituaries. As someone in my 70s, I read the obits more often, but I know I have missed opportunities to send condolences and offer childhood stories to family members of former playmates because I didn't know their married names. Often, parents are just mentioned as "deceased." It's as though the woman's life did not begin until she got married.
I have sent cards to many of the families of male classmates, but only to a handful of the females'. I realize that column space in newspapers is expensive but, surely, a name and perhaps even the mention of a high school wouldn't be a problem. -- MISSED CONDOLENCES
DEAR MISSED: If this is a "trend," it hasn't hit my local newspaper. The contents of obituaries are provided by the deceased's family unless the person is a celebrity -- in which case the article is written in advance by a reporter. If the maiden names of the women who died are missing, it is probably because they weren't mentioned by the grieving relatives.