Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-02-05
GRASS WIDOWS FIND pEcREEs
GRANTING Use OF MAioEM
NAMES ARE INVALID.
STATUTE 9ELpoM ADHERtb 70
IN REsroRArioN or OLD NAME
Divorces Legally Known 10y Hus.
bands Title Regardless Of Courts
Permission 20 Wear Earlier Cog.
nomsn-Promlseeus Name Changing
Often Causes Trouble.

Council Bluffs, Feb. 5.-There are
scores and scores of once-married
women in every portion Of the state Of
Iowa, who ar declaring their name to
be n thing when as a matter Of strict
legal verify it is another. They are
actuated by the best Intentions in the
world, believing that when their d.
vorces were granted the court gave
them permission to resume their maid
IN ames
1t is 10 uncommon thing for a fair
Divorce to be permitted, by a written
order Of the court embraced in the for
NAL decree. to resume her maiden
name. But the trouble is, so the best
lawyers declare, that the divorce courts
have no authority whatever for per-
hitting the straw widows to change
their names in that fashion. This view
of the law is a~cquiesced in by a num-
Der Of the leading attorneys Of Council
Bluffs. and was q0nfrmed by no less
an authority than Judge ABB. Thornell
Of the district bench. who, is now en-
gagged in holding a term of court in
this city.
The matter OF changing ones name is
purely a matter Of statutory enact
ment, and under the laws Of Iowa one
must go thru. a certain process, setting
forth a great variety Of information re-
garding his or her personality in an
affidavit ito be filed with the clerk of
the district nourt. Due notice must be
given the county recorder and fees paid
for reindexlng the records Of any deeds
or mortgages that may have been flied.
affecting the title to land held in the
name desired to be changed.
Only One Law on Subject.
This is the only provision Of the law
for changing a name. and attorneys de-
clare that my other mus Of necessity
be Illegal and void. Indeed, the statute
itself declares that this method must
be followed and that ANY person fail
ing or n%eglecting to comply with the
provisions Of the preceding section
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and
punished accordingly"
Notwithstanding this provision Of the
law, which was passed by the !egis-
lature nine years ago, 1t has long been
lTlc CuStOlH VI COuTLS III SIdIitluS III
vorces to grant ~permissionto the wife.
II she % asks in her divorce petition,
to resume her maiden name.
So frequent is the custom, that it is
almost a matter Of course in cases
where the wife seeks a divorce and
there are nc children. It Is also quite
frequently the case that a wife seek
ing release from a second marriage will
az permission to resume her former
name, in order that her name as a
widow of-the court may be the same
as the name of her children by her
first, marriage.
Cloud on chain Of Title.
In most cases, little or no damage is
done oy the resuming Of the maiden or
the former name, il one excerpts the
violation of the clause Of the statutes
making such action a misdemeanor and
punishable al are other misdemeanors.
Occasionally. however, wives are
granted the right to resume their
maiden names in ases where property
rights are involved, and in these in
stances considerable mixup in the title
the property is likely to ensue. A
cloud on the chain Of title, with a pos
sible future action to clear the title, is
one of the minor consequences in cases
of this sort.