Family Defend Tombstone Engraved With Rude Message From Offended Cemetery Staff

One Iowa family has defended the hilarious phrase hidden on their loved one's tombstone.

Choosing the right word to remember your loved one can be tricky business, you want something that encapsulates who they were, what they did, and how they made you feel.

For Steven Owens' family those words are: f*** off.

Yep, the family had an extra special way of memorialising their loved one, in the form of an acrostic poem.

You know acrostic poems, the one's in primary school where you'd write a word down the page and use each letter to start a new line that would leave you feeling like you'd cracked The Da Vinci Code? Those ones.

It reads: "Forever in our hearts, Until we meet again, Cherished memories, Known as, Our brother, Father, papa, uncle, Friend, and cousin."

Either that's the best excuse we've ever heard for cussing people out, or their family dynamic is cooler than most.

It seems to be the latter, as Lindsay Owen says: "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."

Seven's son, Zachary, also chimed in adding: "He's easily riled up. It was always a goal of some sort to have him tell you to do this."

While the family used the phrase to fondly remember their loved one, the cemetery staff aren't too thrilled about it.

However, as Zachary has said: "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 or hurt anyone's feelings. We did it because it was our father and we love him and that's the way we remember him."

Ultimately, the family is hoping they won't have to take the tomb stone down and that people can find the humour in it like they did.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677