How long is too long?
STEINBACH Mb
On April 1st 1950 Jacob Loewen-Friesen married Elizabeth Schellenberg-Janzen.
Their first child, a male child, was named Herbert Schellenberg-Janzen-Loewen-Friesen.
Herbert gew up to be a fine young man and on April 2nd, 1971 he was married to Margaret Gerbrandt-Giesbrecht-Toews-Petkau.
A year later Margaret gave birth to their first child, a 9 pound 7 ounce boy.
Herbert and Margaret named their first son Alexander Gerbrandt-Giesbrecht-Toews-Petkau-Schellenberg-Janzen-Loewen-Friesen.
Alexander grew up and fell madly in love with Frances Dueck-Wiebe-Klassen-Voth-Kehler-Ginter-Dyck-Hiebert.
Alexander and Frances quickly realized that the Mennonite tradition of hyphenated surnames would result in their children having the surname:
Dueck-Wiebe Klassen-Voth -Kehler-Ginter-Dyck-Hiebert-Gerbrandt-Giesbrecht-Toews-Petkau-Shellenber-Janzen-Loween-Friesen.
Not wishing to burden their children with such a bothersome moniker Alexander and Frances decided to abandon Mennonite tradition and legally changed their names to Smith.
The extended hyphenated surname was becoming too much like a Mennonite alphabet, noted the Smiths.
Spottschreft 