Woman's powerful obituary for her mother

Following the passing of her mother, a Michigan woman expressed her farewell through a scathing obituary, labeling her mother as violent, hateful, and cruel. Gayle Harvey Heckman accused her late mother, Linda Lernal Harvey Cullum Smith Stull, of turning a blind eye to sexual assault and fabricating the identity of her biological father, as reported


Following the passing of her mother, a Michigan woman expressed her farewell through a scathing obituary, labeling her mother as “violent, hateful, and cruel”.

Gayle Harvey Heckman accused her late mother, Linda Lernal Harvey Cullum Smith Stull, of turning a blind eye to sexual assault and fabricating the identity of her biological father, as reported by the Sturgis Journal.

The obituary delved into such sensitive matters that it had to be removed from the Three Rivers news site due to the shocking nature of its contents following reader complaints.

Heckman shared her motive for writing the obituary, stating, “I wanted to write it for myself because I wanted to clear my name. For 24 years and before that, my mother has had to come up with a reason as to why her daughter isn’t in her life that doesn’t make her look like a monster. … I had to reclaim my name.”

The obituary did not hold back in its depiction of Heckman’s mother. It stated, “As a mother, Lernal was violent, hateful, and cruel. She physically, mentally, emotionally, verbally, and financially abused Gayle,” reported the outlet. It also mentioned an unnamed ex-husband of her mother’s as an alleged abuser.

The obituary also detailed an incident where her mother accused her of “trying to steal her husband” and proceeded to beat her. Although the obituary included a message of forgiveness, it concluded by stating, “Lernal will not be missed by Gayle or her family. They all understand the world is a much better place without her.”

Heckman found writing the obituary to be cathartic, expressing, “I wasn’t trying to be hateful, I genuinely … don’t have any hate. I am angry. I don’t understand if we don’t talk about this, how are we supposed to break the cycle of trauma, especially generational trauma.”

Mike Wilcox, the publisher of Wilcox Newspapers, admitted that the obituary was published without thorough review, leading to its removal from the website after receiving complaints. Heckman expressed disappointment at the obituary’s removal, stating that she and her husband had only contacted the publisher twice.

She also mentioned receiving an outpouring of support from individuals sharing their own stories of abuse. “I’m 54 years old and the internet, piece by piece, people were leaving love,” Heckman told the outlet. “And I could feel my heart … the hole in my heart starting to fill.”

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