DEAR MISS MANNERS: This morning I read the obituaries of three local women.

The first spent just two sentences describing the deceased, followed by a list of 26 people who had predeceased her and 37 people who survived her, with no description of how they were related to the deceased. It was essentially just a long list of names.

The second obituary listed the survivors of the deceased as including “a great-grandson expected in August,” which seems to stretch the definition of “survivor.”

Finally, the third obituary that caught my attention listed the dead woman’s six “grand-dogs,” by name, before listing her five human grandchildren.

Are there no longer any basic rules of etiquette or guidelines for such publications?

GENTLE READER: There is at least one inviolable rule, which is that we do not criticize other people’s choices while they are grieving, even if the choices are poor ones — and even if they enliven our breakfast reading.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, [email protected]; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.