Daughter's brutal obituary for her “terrorized” mother goes viral in Maine newspaper

Christina Novak, daughter of Florence Harrelson, said People Magazine that the stunning obituary she wrote for her mother was “no joke” after it went viral. Published in Augusta, Maines Kennebec JournalNovak said her four-sentence farewell was meant to serve as a “PSA” for a woman who “burned bridges.” Florence “Flo” Harrelson died on February 22, 2024, at age 65, “without family by her side as she burned bridges and left a trail of devastation,” the obituary said. “Florence did not want an obituary to appear or for anyone, including her family, to know of her death. For she wanted those she terrorized to live in fear and have to fend for themselves even after she was gone.” Although her words were “written with sarcasm and relief,” Novak, 47, said her claims were “no joke.” She added, “It's true.” Novak said Harrelson, a former Maine State Prison corrections officer, was gone for a full two months before anyone knew she was dead. Her family only learned of her death when Novak saw her obituary posted online by a crematorium. “I messaged my aunt, her identical twin sister, and asked, 'Did Mom die?' And she said, 'I don't know,'” Novak added.