When a family member passes away, the members who are left behind take care of all the necessary things that need to be considered and done for the funeral. From the coffin to the grave, these details are thought to make the final parting special out of love for the departed.
On some occasions, families make it a point that their loved ones’ tombstones are filled with heartfelt messages for the deceased, to remind everyone who can read it that said departed is loved and had received love.
One family from Iowa lost their dad. His remains were laid in their final resting place at the Warren-Powers Cemetery.
When people saw what the family wrote on Steven Paul Owen’s gravestone, some found it offensive and rude.
The tombstone had several lines of heartfelt messages for the deceased, but once you see the hidden message on the stone, you can never ignore it anymore.
The first letter on each of the lines in the tombstone read “F— off”, a phrase that Steven used to say all the time as shared by his family.
“It was definitely his term of endearment. If he didn’t like you, he didn’t speak to you. It’s just who he was,” Steven’s daughter, Lindsay Owens, shared in an interview with KCCI.
For Steven’s family, putting this message on his tombstone was a harmless way of remembering their dad.
However, because of the profanity included in the message, the Owens family was called and questioned by the cemetery. Even from the beginning, the cemetery staff has always been against the tombstone because of the offensive message included in it.
Zachary, Steven’s son, pointed out that it was a choice they made.
“No one’s forcing anyone to come out and look at it. That’s a choice that you make. We didn’t do it to offend anyone, make anyone mad or hurt anyone’s feelings. We did it because it was our father, and we love him, and that’s how we remember him,” he said.
While the family insists on this being a fond memory of their late father, not everyone appreciated the intention behind the message.
The mixed reactions from people had the family under the spotlight, with more and more people seeking the removal of the stone from the cemetery.
However, the family remains steadfast in their decision to put such a message on their late father’s gravestone. These words are part of who he was and they honored his memory in full.
As of this writing, the tombstone remains to be in the cemetery.
At the end of the day, the family still believes in the choice they made.
Despite the opinion of the cemetery and some people, the Owens remains to be firm in their decision of putting the hidden message on their father’s grace. Steven was known for the way he speaks, and these words are trademarks of him when he was still alive.
By sharing these words on his gravestone, they are hoping that people would know more about him.
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