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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Refusing to provide details of funeral

296 replies

TigerandLion · 04/10/2024 22:21

My stepdaughter, whose beloved step-grandma passed recently, is being refused the funeral details. Her step grandmas new partner before she passed doesn’t consider her to be family and so is refusing to provide her with the funeral details. She’s very upset over her step grandmas passing and would love to attend her funeral to pay her respects and say goodbye. They (her partner) are refusing to give her the funeral details though so she can’t attend if she doesn’t know when or where the funeral is. She’s very upset at the thought of not being able to attend her funeral. AIBU to think it’s cruel of them to refuse to give her the funeral details like this? My stepdaughter is very upset over it and over the thought of not being able to attend the funeral because they won’t give her the funeral details.

OP posts:
Motnight · 05/10/2024 09:59

Ohright01 · 05/10/2024 09:52

I think you should leave it op. Don’t encourage a 16 year old girl to attend a funeral when it’s clear she is not welcome.

I agree with this. It has the potential to go very horribly wrong.

LumpyandBumps · 05/10/2024 10:10

I think you should concentrate on helping her come to terms with the death, and finding another way to honour her step grandmother.
At 16, going alone to a funeral - and a burial, which as an adult I have always found much harder than cremations, where she is not welcome, is a bad idea.
It doesn’t matter why she is being excluded, however unfair it might appear to be. She is young, upset, and her own mother isn’t willing to support her being at the funeral. It would be an awful experience for her, and for that reason it would be better for you to help her manage another path.

ItWasOnAStarryNight · 05/10/2024 10:15

What a crazy thread, I think you wrote the word funeral in the OP 10 times 😅

No, she shouldn't go. She's 16 years old, has had an argument with someone unrelated to her who is burying his wife. He's requested she doesn't attend and her mother agrees with this. Stop meddling.

Also slightly amused at @Arlanymor going round telling people that 7 of her nearest and dearest didn't have a funeral because it was at the crem 😂😂😂

Kate8889 · 05/10/2024 10:24

Have a separate celebration of life dinner for the step grandma! Cook the grandmother's favourite meal, put on her favourite songs etc.

This will be much better for healing than going to a funeral where shes not wanted

Katrinawaves · 05/10/2024 10:25

I’m another one who thinks this is a bad idea. I’ve been at a few funerals where things have gone wrong or tensions have been high in advance.

I remember being at one where there were tensions between the deceased’s partner (with whom he had 4 children) and his mother and siblings. The partner did tell them the time and date of the funeral, and the siblings turned up and tried to force themselves into carrying the coffin almost upending it, there was a massive brawl outside the church and the whole event ended up being anything other than a respectful remembrance of the deceased.

In the last few weeks of my own sister’s life, my brother was threatening to withhold the time and details of her funeral from her unmarried partner of nearly two decades and her closest friends with whom he had had a falling out. Even going so far at one point to say he would make sure there was no funeral at all and no one would be notified of her passing.

My father when he passed had left instructions that only my mother and his children could attend his funeral and that no one could come to the house between his death and the funeral. Those instructions were respected by the family but friends and more distant relations could well have been unhappy and thought this odd on our part.

A popular colleague at work died suddenly earlier this year. His family refused to give details of his funeral which they said was private and these were not published online anywhere nor was there any form of online remembrance book or death notice.

The reality is that the decision about how to mark a death is for the person tasked with making the arrangements. These aren’t open events (unless the family agrees to this - which many do, but this family haven’t) so if the person paying the undertaker does not want your step daughter there, there isn’t a way in which she can force herself in.

If she is internalising the reason for her exclusion as the argument with the new partner, she may need some help working through this emotionally

diddl · 05/10/2024 10:31

rainbowstardrops · 05/10/2024 09:21

Or they just haven't the strength to go against step GM's partner's wishes?

Well yes, maybe it's that but it's surely got to be something serious or the daughter acted appallingly to exclude a 16 year old? Why else would there be a reason for everyone closing ranks.

Well yes I agree it does seem quite a reaction supposedly to the partner saying that she isn't family!

SaturdayMorningRun · 05/10/2024 10:36

Your step daughter sounds like she wants to cause drama at the funeral by going where she isn't welcome. Tell her to stop and do something to remember her step nan in another way.

lobsterkiller · 05/10/2024 10:42

As PP has said, arrange something where your SD can pay her respects in her own way. As her step grandma will be buried she'll be able to pay respects later at the grave.

My family are lurching towards direct cremation, two family members already have gone this way, I sat on a bench in the sunshine and watched wildlife at the time of their 'funerals.'

You don't have to be in a church or cremation to show you care or pay respects.

burnoutbabe · 05/10/2024 10:44

Seashellssanctuary · 05/10/2024 05:36

Is it a case of her parent ans step parent no longer being in a relationship? There does seem more to this than the info given

Yes I imagined that was the case. One assumes mum not attending funeral as not with ex step dad. The child and step dad may not even speak now/have no relationship.

So really it's an older person she was friendly with and visited?

But if she argued with the person organising the funeral of course not invited.

Uricon2 · 05/10/2024 10:49

Whatever the rights and wrongs of this girls exclusion (and it could be unfair and spiteful or justified, we just don't know) no good will come of her turning up at the ceremony and/or the graveside on the day and any attempt to facilitate it will do her no favours.

As many others have said, OP would be best advised to help her find another way of remembering her and then perhaps visiting the grave at a later date.

Wellingtonspie · 05/10/2024 10:58

Doesn’t sound like a place for her to go. The whole family clearly don’t want her there. She can pay her respects in other ways without directly attending a funeral.

This is her mums ex? partners parent.

Also she’s 16 and having rows with sick granny’s partner, a lot of the family might of found that rather disrespectful and feel she’s not respectful enough to attend.

also partner not husband. So it wouldn’t be him as next of kin to arrange the funeral would it anyway. So one of her children is prioritising her partner being there over letting your step child or that’s the story the family are happy to go with anyway. Doesn’t mean it’s the whole truth.

The fact her own mother who knows won’t tell her speaks volumes tbh.

wwjalme · 05/10/2024 11:37

Is it her mum's step parent or her step dad's parent?

I think though if her mum is saying she shouldn't go then she shouldn't go.
Who knows what the argument with step grandma's new partner was really like or what it was about? Perhaps the new partner is very concerned that there will be a repeat and a major drama at the funeral.

marcopront · 05/10/2024 11:42

Can anyone point me to where the OP says she knows this is the step grandma's partner's decision?

She has told us various people have refused to tell her details but no one has said why.

It is possible that the step dad doesn't want her there and has asked everyone not to tell her.

DappledThings · 05/10/2024 11:44

marcopront · 05/10/2024 11:42

Can anyone point me to where the OP says she knows this is the step grandma's partner's decision?

She has told us various people have refused to tell her details but no one has said why.

It is possible that the step dad doesn't want her there and has asked everyone not to tell her.

She says it twice in the OP this is coming from the deceased partner. She later says other family are also refusing to give info but because they are following the partner's instructions.

marcopront · 05/10/2024 11:51

@DappledThings

She says it twice in the OP this is coming from the deceased partner. She later says other family are also refusing to give info but because they are following the partner's instructions.

Please quote the part where she says she knows it is in his instructions.

marcopront · 05/10/2024 11:53

@DappledThings

What she does say in her 5th post is.

None of the other family will give her the details unfortunately. I think her partner has told them not to.

I think not I know.

DappledThings · 05/10/2024 11:57

marcopront · 05/10/2024 11:53

@DappledThings

What she does say in her 5th post is.

None of the other family will give her the details unfortunately. I think her partner has told them not to.

I think not I know.

Her step grandmas new partner before she passed doesn’t consider her to be family and so is refusing to provide her with the funeral details

They (her partner) are refusing to give her the funeral details

None of the other family will give her the details unfortunately. I think her partner has told them not to.

I can only assume because her partner has told them not to.

Yes, OK she says think and assume that the rest of the family are following the partner's instructions. Your original question was where does it say the original decision was the partner's which the OP does state with certainty.

GreyBlackLove · 05/10/2024 12:05

Something seems really off here. Presume the girls mother is going and would also be considered "not family" if her child isn't. So "not family" doesn't sound convincing as a reason to exclude her.

A 16 year old not staying with her mother is unusual too. As is a teen having arguments with the partner of her stepdads mother.

On top of that, looking for ways to help someone essentially "crash" a funeral they have been expressly excluded from is significantly problematic.

OP I don't buy there is no backstory. Whatever the reason for the divide its very concerning that you'd want to help a teen attend an emotionally charged event where she's clearly not wanted.

marcopront · 05/10/2024 12:10

@DappledThings

Her step grandmas new partner before she passed doesn’t consider her to be family and so is refusing to provide her with the funeral details

There are two statements.

  1. He doesn't consider her to be family.

  2. He is refusing to provide her with details.

It doesn't state with certainty that these are connected.

She frequently says no one will tell her why.

DappledThings · 05/10/2024 12:12

marcopront · 05/10/2024 12:10

@DappledThings

Her step grandmas new partner before she passed doesn’t consider her to be family and so is refusing to provide her with the funeral details

There are two statements.

  1. He doesn't consider her to be family.

  2. He is refusing to provide her with details.

It doesn't state with certainty that these are connected.

She frequently says no one will tell her why.

It says "and so", that means the OP is convinced the two are connected. You can argue she's making an assumption none of us, including OP, can know for sure but OP's own words are entirely clear she is certain this is the reason.

ARichtGoodDram · 05/10/2024 12:13

She’s 16. There’s no backstory, other than she had a row with her new partner and he didn’t consider her family. But her step-grandma always considered her to be family and loved her.

This is the backstory. And an important one.

She had a row with the man whose partner had just died.

Whatever it was about her step-dad, her mum and the rest of the family seem to be siding with her step-gran's partner so obviously serious.

Sometimes you have to accept that you can't do everything you want to do. Attending a funeral where it's been made very clear by the partner and child of the deceased that you're not welcome would be very bad form. Even if it feels unfair it's still bad form.

Encourage her to do something else to remember her step-gran and her relationship with her.

vickylou78 · 05/10/2024 12:17

Arlanymor · 05/10/2024 00:03

Sorry how is my life experience pedantic?

I was replying to @saraclara

HollyKnight · 05/10/2024 12:28

I kind of agree with what marcopront is saying.

The OP is only looking at this from her stepdaughter's perspective and assuming that the argument is the reason why she has not been invited.

But say the funeral is only for close family, the SD might not be considered to be family, especially since she does not even live with her mother and stepfather, and that might be why she has not been invited.

marcopront · 05/10/2024 12:58

@DappledThings

It says "and so", that means the OP is convinced the two are connected. You can argue she's making an assumption none of us, including OP, can know for sure but OP's own words are entirely clear she is certain this is the reason.

I am not denying the OP is certain this is the reason.

I am saying she doesn't know.

She later says

I don’t know why. Genuinely don’t know why as they’ve not said why to me or stepdaughter. I can only assume because her partner has told them not to.

If there is no backstory, then why is Mum not saying "I'm really sorry but step grandma's partner doesn't want you there "

I think there is a back story and step dad doesn't want her there and the rest of the family are supporting him by not telling her

DappledThings · 05/10/2024 13:13

marcopront · 05/10/2024 12:58

@DappledThings

It says "and so", that means the OP is convinced the two are connected. You can argue she's making an assumption none of us, including OP, can know for sure but OP's own words are entirely clear she is certain this is the reason.

I am not denying the OP is certain this is the reason.

I am saying she doesn't know.

She later says

I don’t know why. Genuinely don’t know why as they’ve not said why to me or stepdaughter. I can only assume because her partner has told them not to.

If there is no backstory, then why is Mum not saying "I'm really sorry but step grandma's partner doesn't want you there "

I think there is a back story and step dad doesn't want her there and the rest of the family are supporting him by not telling her

I agree she doesn't know. You seemed to be arguing that she hadn't said she knows.

All very hair splitting anyway.