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How to send Thank You cards with no addresses?

My father died recently. I know the etiquette is to send a thank you card to everyone who attended the funeral. I bought the cards to do so...

The reality is that I didn't know the people who showed up. In the guest book, everyone signs with their signature which is not legible and no one leaves addresses. Even the few cards I received at the funeral, there were no legible names and certainly no identifying locations.

How do I send thank you cards to people I cannot identify?

Update:

I have several etiquette books that say you need to send thank you cards for the funeral. That was why.

No, no one gave a genuine offer of help. In fact, I was repeatedly harassed for not doing things their way and constantly told that I don't mourn him as much as they do. I have been harassed since and continue to be manipulated (you can see one version of it in my other questions).

I had wanted to take the high ground, in part do the right thing and give them no more ammo. It's not working.

Update 2:

I couldn't thank people at the funeral. Very few people came up to offer condolences (they all came for his family and left me alone) and the harassment issues got so bad that the funeral director took me away for coffee so I could have a break.

14 Answers

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  • 5 years ago

    i wouldnt send them, if they wanted to receive them they wouldve written more legibly

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    You do not have to send any thank you cards at all, it is not necessary, the people you can get in touch with just ring or drop them a line to say thank you for coming, it was nice to see them etc, but those you cannot contact, you cannot send them a card can you? don't worry about it.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    I actually did not know that one was supposed to send thank you cards to everyone who attended the funeral home. Are you sure about that?

    In any event, there truly is nothing you can do to acknowledge and thank people for whom you do not know or have there address to send a card.

  • 5 years ago

    You can't. ask another attendee if they know who it might be.

  • 5 years ago

    If one expects to receive a thank you letter, then one must make have a care for the person whom one expects to write that letter. If one is giving a gift, one should enclose a card or note with ones name and mailing address printed or clearly written. If one attends an event and wishes to be thanked, then one must be sure to leave ones name and address in print format or legibly written.

    I'd let this go. People who have given a wedding gift are rightly miffed if no thank you materializes, for they have every reason believe that the couple knows who gave a gift and also knows the mailing address of the giver -- after all, they sent the giver a wedding invitation. But in your case these people haven't given a gift and probably aren't expecting you to write thank you letters in your time of grief.

    BTW, all those people asking if they can do something for you? It's OK if they write these letters on your behalf:

    Dear Lydia Munoz,

    Jill McCoy has asked me to thank you for the lovely funeral flowers and thoughtful message. Your remembrance and words brought her comfort. She sends her best wishes.

    Yours truly, Muriel Bernstein

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    You can't. I know you should know this but if there is no address for them to go then logically you can't mail them.

  • GEEGEE
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    You are thoughtful to want to do this but it may not be possible. When my father died in 2012 a lot of people who showed up were neighbors who I did not know. I took the guestbook to neighbors across the street from my parents and asked for help. The were able to tell me "oh that is Mary and Sam Smith from Jones Street so I was able to look up addresses for more people. Maybe you can do the same.

  • You don't need to, its a nice thought but its all about you and the family, not sending "guests" cards.

  • 5 years ago

    you don;t send thank you notes for that - you thank people for coming AT the funeral

  • 5 years ago

    I've never heard that you should send thank you cards to everyone who attended. It's a nice thought, but if you don't know them, I wouldn't worry about it.

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