I found an Emily Post site that quotes the 1922 conventions on this very important matter: http://www.bartleby.com/95/10.html CORRECT NAMES AND TITLES 11 And a widow no less than a married woman should always continue to use her husband's Christian name, or his name and another initial, engraved on her cards. She is Mrs. John Hunter Titherington Smith, or, to compromise, Mrs. J. H. Titherington Smith, but she is never Mrs. Sarah Smith; at least not anywhere in good society. In business and in legal matters a woman is necessarily addressed by her own Christian name, because she uses it in her signature. But no one should ever address an envelope, except from a bank or a lawyer's office, "Mrs. Sarah Smith." When a widow's son, who has the name of his father, marries, the widow has Sr. added to her own name, or if she is the "head" of the family, she very often omits all Christian names, and has her card engraved "Mrs. Smith," and the son's wife calls herself Mrs. John Hunter Smith.

Thank you Sue My grandmother at her passing at 86 yrs. in 1995 used this an taught me it was the correct way of addressing a married woman whose husband had passed to his better reward. He legal signature after her husbands death, was Her first name, Her maiden name and His surname, she told me that this was the proper way a widowed lady was addressed in legal matters. Lorraine Llewellyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sue Mearns" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2003 8:19 AM Subject: Re: [NYWYOMIN] Fwd: 1968 Article > I found an Emily Post site that quotes the 1922 conventions on this very important matter: > > http://www.bartleby.com/95/10.html > > CORRECT NAMES AND TITLES 11 > And a widow no less than a married woman should always continue to use her husband's Christian name, or his name and another initial, engraved on her cards. She is Mrs. John Hunter Titherington Smith, or, to compromise, Mrs. J. H. Titherington Smith, but she is never Mrs. Sarah Smith; at least not anywhere in good society. In business and in legal matters a woman is necessarily addressed by her own Christian name, because she uses it in her signature. But no one should ever address an envelope, except from a bank or a lawyer's office, "Mrs. Sarah Smith." When a widow's son, who has the name of his father, marries, the widow has Sr. added to her own name, or if she is the "head" of the family, she very often omits all Christian names, and has her card engraved "Mrs. Smith," and the son's wife calls herself Mrs. John Hunter Smith. > > > > ==== NYWYOMIN Mailing List ==== > Visit the Wyoming Co. GenWEb > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nywyomin