Headstone wording question

[Justanopinion]

My grandmother passed away last week and family is having a hard time with the wording of the headstone.
Her first married name was Smith.
Her second married name was Jones.
Her first husband died in 1970 and she is laid to rest next to him.
Her second husband passed away in 1995 and he is next to his first wife.

So my question is how do we word the head stone?
Mary Ann Smith or Mary Ann Smith Jones?

TIA

 

[nannerbadnanner]

Sorry about your loss. I would go with Mary Ann Smith Jones.

 

[AprilShowers]

I guess it would depend on how long she was married to each of the two men. Does she have children by each?

 

[Justanopinion]

She was married to first husband for 35 years and they had 2 children.

She was married to second husband for 23 years and no children. She was 53 when she remarried and I believe he was about 10 years older.

 

[4nana]

Sorry for you loss of your dear grandma.

If her children don't mind, I think Mary Ann Smith Jones would be appropriate.

 

[AprilShowers]

I also think Mary Ann Smith Jones would be appropriate. Especially since she was married to both of them for a substantial length of time.

You could also put her maiden name underneath in smaller letters for geneaology purposes.
I'm sorry for the loss of your granny.

 

[agnes!]

I am sorry for your loss.

How about something like

Mary Ann Smith Jones
daughter of Sam & Susie Murphy
beloved wife of Joe Smith
beloved wife of John Jones

so it would be
Grandma's married names, in their order
daughter of (her father & mother's names, so that gives her maiden name)
beloved wife of (1st husband)
beloved wife of (2nd husband)

That way, all you grandma's connections are acknowledged.

My sympathies to you and yours and to everyone who knew your grandmother as 'Grandma'. She must have been something since her descendants are concerned about how to do all this "right" and about others' feelings.

agnes!

 

[HM]

I am sorry for your loss.

How about something like

Mary Ann Smith Jones
daughter of Sam & Susie Murphy
beloved wife of Joe Smith
beloved wife of John Jones

so it would be
Grandma's married names, in their order
daughter of (her father & mother's names, so that gives her maiden name)
beloved wife of (1st husband)
beloved wife of (2nd husband)

That way, all you grandma's connections are acknowledged.

My sympathies to you and yours and to everyone who knew your grandmother as 'Grandma'. She must have been something since her descendants are concerned about how to do all this "right" and about others' feelings.

agnes!

As a stranger to the cemetary, I would be drawn to this headstone and wonder of the story behind her life. Very nice idea.

 

[antmaril]

Very sorry for your loss. I think it should be Mary Ann Smith Jones. If she is buried next to John Smith (and he died in 1970), I think anyone reading the headstones would understand the story.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I'd probably side with using both surnames. Now you have me wondering what my maternal grandmother's stone says. She had remarried after my grandfather died. She was buried with him (her first husband.) My mom said that if grandpa had lived longer, their marriage would have lasted a lifetime. That was the explanation for her being with the first husband rather than with the second.

 

[Tuffcookie]

OP, My mom passed away 2 years ago. She was married twice and survived both husbands. She is buried next to my biological father and my step dad is buried next to his first wife.
My sister and I decided to word her headstone with her first, middle, and maiden name on the top line, with her first married last name, and second married last name on the second line.
Hope this helps.

TC

 

[raysnkaysmom]

I would also do Smith-Jones

I dont know I'd list 'Wife to" both of them...
leave it simple...the family knows and both relationships were beautiful.

 

[stm61]

my grandmother passed almost 20 yrs ago. She was widowed twice. Her first marraige lasted over 20 years, I'm not sure exactly how many, and she had one child, my mother. Her second marraige lasted about 10 yrs, her 2nd husband had also been widowed before he married my grandmother and had 4 kids. Both grandma and her 2nd husband had purchased double plots when they buried their first spouse's. THe headstones were both already engraved with their names and birthdates, leaving only the date of death to be filled in. Since they both planned to be buried with their first spouse, neither one changed their headstone. Maybe they'd have done it differently if there'd been children involved, but all their kids were grown and they were both grandparents when they married each other.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

OP, My mom passed away 2 years ago. She was married twice and survived both husbands. She is buried next to my biological father and my step dad is buried next to his first wife.
My sister and I decided to word her headstone with her first, middle, and maiden name on the top line, with her first married last name, and second married last name on the second line.

I like this. To me it would be important to have the maiden name on there also.

Just curious, do they charge "per letter" for writing on a headstone?

 

[Judy Judy Judy]

Sorry about your loss. I would go with Mary Ann Smith Jones.