Maine woman writes scathing obituary of her US Marine mom after she died aged 65: ‘Ding dong the witch is dead’

A Maine woman decided to deliver one last blast after the death of her allegedly abusive mother by writing a brutally candid obituary.

After Florence “Flo” Harrelson, 65, died in February, her estranged daughter Christina Novak said she wrote the obituary after only discovering her mother had died this month.

“(Harrelson) died without family by her side, with bridges burned and a trail of destruction left in her path,” Novak wrote in the obituary, published in the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.

The delay occurred because Harrelson “did not want an obituary to be published and for anyone, including her family, to know that she had passed away,” Novak wrote in the obituary. “She wanted those she had terrorized to live in fear and look over their shoulders even after her death.”

“This is therefore not so much an obituary as a public interest notice,” Novak wrote.

Novak alleged that her mother Florence “Flo” Harrelson (pictured) abused her and said she left a “trail of destruction” in her path.

Despite the cruel nature of the obituary she wrote about her own mother, Novak persisted Bangor Daily News that she didn’t feel angry while writing, but only relieved that she could get her last thoughts out.

“When I wrote it. I wasn’t angry, I wasn’t mad. I was actually sitting there with a pen and paper and giggling to myself,” Novak said.

Novak also proudly shared the obituary on her Facebook page, posting an image of the text accompanied by the song: “Ding dong, the witch is dead.”

She is said to have described her mother as a violent and manipulative woman and claimed she was not the only family member who felt relieved after her death.

In an earlier text exchange Novak shared on Facebook, reportedly sent by her mother, Harrelson can be seen telling her daughter, “I do not recognize mentally challenged, lazy, lying people as grandchildren.”

Novak said her mother previously served in the Marines and was a guard at the Maine State Penitentiary. Although she had been diagnosed with cancer, she learned that Harrelson had died of heart failure.

During her time as a prison guard, Harrelson was sued by an inmate who alleged that she and other guards attempted to hire another inmate to assault him.

The mother and daughter had been living apart for more than a decade, and Novak said she didn’t hear about Harrelson’s death until six months ago.

She said she decided to write the devastating obituary because she wished she had known sooner, especially so she could have avoided months of worrying about her mother reappearing in her life.

Despite the brutality of the obituary, Novak admitted, “When I wrote it, I wasn’t angry, I wasn’t mad. I actually sat there with a pen and paper and giggled to myself.”

Novak said she initially wrote a traditional obituary about her mother’s life, but struggled to find positive words. Instead, she detailed her many alleged misdeeds.

Ultimately, however, she decided against publishing a lengthy reprimand and instead opted for a simpler public interest statement.

After handing out the four sentences, Novak said she presented it to several family members. The only change came from an older relative who corrected her spelling mistakes, Bangor Daily News reported.

She said the obituary cost her $86.13 — at $1.25 per word — which she said was more than worth it given the “priceless” entertainment it provided her.

A second, much more laudatory obituary for Harrelson also appeared online, but the author and authenticity of the ad are unclear.

The second obituary said that Harrelson was “known for her warm smile and kind heart,” and that she was “a pillar of strength and support to many in Maine.”

And while Novak said her mother’s refusal to post an obituary was an attempt to torment her family one last time, the second obituary, by contrast, claimed it “speaks volumes about the humble and selfless person she was.”

“She never sought recognition or praise for her good deeds, always putting others before herself. Her legacy will live on in the countless lives she touched and the memories she created with her loved ones,” the tribute concluded.