Anna Nicole and her lawyer, Howard K Stern, who claims to be the father of her newborn daughter, Dannie Lynn Hope, arrived at the cemetery shortly before 2:00pm in two private white limousines, with their own photographers.
A small crowd of onlookers watched from a distance as the gold-coloured coffin arrived. However, they were not allowed any closer as a horde of police officers, plain-clothed and uniformed, guarded the service. Bishop Neil Ellis conducted the funeral, attended by no more than 20 people.
From inside the green tent that blocked the service from onlookers, a woman, believed to be Anna Nicole, screamed: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I don’t want my husband, I want my son back. Leave me alone! Leave me alone, don’t touch me!”
During the service, a local photographer saw Anna Nicole leave the funeral tent, take baby Dannie Lynn out of the limousine, and carry her to the service inside the tent for a few moments before returning her to the vehicle.
According to the funeral booklet’s obituary, Daniel had been a straight “A” student through most of his education, but had still to determine a career path. However, said the booklet, “his opportunities were limitless.”
“He passed up a lucrative opportunity to act and to model,” according to the booklet, “because he understood the intense scrutiny experienced by his mother. Instead he thought recently that he might want to be a rocket scientist.
“Daniel was a friend to all who met him. They loved everything about him. He was smart, humble, and had a great sense of humour and all of his friends knew that he could always be trusted.”
The obituary said that Daniel was the driving force that sustained his mother through all of her trials and tribulations.
“He was the glue that held his mother together during her most difficult times. He would playfully call her ‘woman’, and then proceed to put any problem in its proper perspective. His mother’s nickname for him was ‘pumpkin head’. But in truth he was her pride and joy, and he was her reason for being.”
This notion was further expanded in a very emotional tribute written by Anna Nicole herself to her son entitled “A Mother’s Remembrance.”
“My dearest son, Daniel, you are my rock, you are the only one who could keep me solid,” the letter started, “why God took you away from me I do not know, understand; perhaps one day I will.
“You were so young, so full of life. I wish he would have taken me instead. You were always afraid of dying, and I never believed you. And now you’re gone, and I don’t know how mommy’s going to make it without you.
“It’s so hard to think of you, but I do every second. Please help me go on with your baby sister, who you loved so much for such a short time. I give God thanks for letting you see her. For that I give him thanks. But for taking you away, my heart is empty. I will come home to you. Your mother, always and forever.”
Daniel was pronounced dead on September 10, 39 days ago, at Doctors Hospital. Since then, both private and public autopsies have been conducted. Court officials have stated that they are still awaiting the conclusion of police investigations before they can announce whether or not a coroner’s inquest will be held into his death.
By PAUL TURNOUEST, The Tribune
