ASHES TO ASHES

His wife died from Covid-related complications – then his stepdaughter took her mother’s remains, leaving him no choice but to go to court

- JANA VAN DER MERWE

THEY were middle-aged when they met and fell madly in love and for five blissful years they had a fairytale marriage, travelling the world together.

It was the first marriage for Oliver* and the third for Stephanie*. She had a daughter, Zoey*, from a previous marriage and he made an effort to include the young woman in their lives.

But in January this year, Oliver’s happy existence was turned upside down.

He lost Stephanie (50) to Covid-19 and in the days that followed his mom, sister-in-law and Stephanie’s mom all died of Covid-related complications.

Oliver (48), who’d also been hit hard by the virus, was too ill to attend the joint memorial service for his wife and mother-in-law. His only comfort was that he’d received his wife’s ashes, which he placed on her bedside table.

“I’d often have conversations with her there,” he says. “When I walked past, I’d touch the urn and say, ‘Hello, bubba.’ It helped me cope.”

Not long after, Zoey (25) moved in with him, saying it would help her to “feel closer to her mom”.

But in April the bottom fell out of Oliver’s world again when he claims the young woman stole her mother’s ashes.

The grieving widower had to lodge an urgent application with the North Gauteng high court in Pretoria to force Zoey to return the ashes.

“When the ashes were gone, I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t work properly. Basically, I’d become depressed.

“I believe Zoey knew that was the thing that would hurt me the most.”

OLIVER and Stephanie were introduced by his cousin in October 2012 and tied the knot three years later.