Children write 'savage' obituary for mother who abandoned them

Unusual obituaries are a thing these days. Most of the time though, they are humorous or lighthearted, poking gentle fun at someone sorely missed.

The obituary for Kathleen Dehmlow, however, is anything but lighthearted. It was written by her children, Gina and Jay, who apparently she had abandoned. It says: "She passed away on May 31, 2018 in Springfield and will now face judgement. She will not be missed by Gina and Jay, and they understand that this world is a better place without her." The full obit appears in the attached photo, which was originally published in the Redwood Falls Gazette.


Obituaries were originally intended to announce to the community that someone had passed so that condolences could be sent to the family and so that people could attend the funeral. Over time they became summaries of the lives of the deceased, usually highlighting achievements and expressing the sorrow of those left behind.

What do we make of this new sort of obituary? Is this nothing more than a bitter airing of the family's dirty laundry by those who should have sought therapy? A symptom of the current trend of oversharing things that the rest of us would rather not know? Or is it an appropriately frank expression of feelings that need to be validated?