Local women answer the question: Did you change your last name, keep it or hyphenate when you got married?
Marisa Cook: I changed my name. My husband is one of the last with his family’s name, and I have a lot of family members with my family name. I wanted to pass it down to my kids and future generations. His family settled this area, and I am proud to have his name. Also, it doesn’t hurt that I went up in the alphabet — I was a “W.” But also, tradition. I’m a traditional gal.
Jennifer Icaza-Gast: All my life I’ve been asked, “Where are you from?” or “What ethnicity are you?” I always begin by saying that my dad is from Nicaragua. I chose to hyphenate my last name when I got married because I’m proud of my family name and what it represents to me. I wanted to keep it. I love my husband and am proud to have his name, also.
Ann Krauss: When we got married 48 years ago, I took my husband’s last name. It’s the German in me, and it’s okay with me. I’m comfortable and like who I am.
Carolyn Sandgren (Kempf): I kept my maiden name as a symbol of my family legacy and hyphenated my name out of love and respect for my husband. Life took a bit of a spin in 2015 when my husband divorced me after close to 30 years of marriage. I then decided to go by Carolyn Sandgren (Kempf). I did not go back to just my maiden name because my two beautiful grown boys have the last name “Kempf,” and I am proud to be their mother; I want people to know I am their mother.
