Mama June Says Ashes of Late Daughter Anna Travel with Their Family 'Everywhere': We Take 'the Whole Urn' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Mama June Shannon (center, in blue) with her family, including Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell (second from left).Photo:Mama June/Instagram

Mama June/Instagram

Mama June Shannonand her family find various ways to keepAnna “Chickadee” Cardwellclose to them one year after her death.

Ahead ofAnna’s first death anniversary, which fell on Dec. 9, June told PEOPLE exclusively that her family is “just keeping her as alive as [best as] we can,” and “letting [her eldest daughter] Kaitlyn know momma loved her” is of the utmost importance.

However, the mother of four also has things she’s doing for herself to maintain Anna’s presence in her daily life.

“We do all wear jewelry [with her ashes] that we have, but the big urn, if we’re driving somewhere, she goes with us. Now, do we fly with her? No. But we fly with her on jewelry. We don’t fly with the big urn,” she says of her family. “If we’re flying, no, she’s not left in the house. What we normally do is we take her in the car, we’ll leave her in the car parked at a parking lot and then she stays there for a week, because we don’t want to fly with her and then have her taken away. We just don’t want to take that risk.”

Mama June Shannon (left) and Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell.Earl Gibson III/Getty; WeTv

Earl Gibson III/Getty; WeTv

June, however, notes that the family will “definitely” travel with Anna on road trips.

“We drove to Colorado, she went to Alabama, she’s going to South Carolina this weekend. So just keeping that part like, ‘Okay, Anna’s in the car.’ Or we went to Justin’s momma this past week in Alabama and I was like, ‘Well, shoot, we brought Anna here.'”

During such occasions, June says her family will “just leave her in the kitchen.” She also shares that they “all went to Disney and we took her.”

“This is that little stuff.Keeping the group chat, keeping her onPumpkin’s [Bluetooth car] radio, stuff like that,” she adds.

Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell.annamarie35/Instagram

annamarie35/Instagram

Annadied on Dec. 9, 2023, after being diagnosed withstage 4 adrenal carcinomaearlier that year. She was 29.

Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell with her family.mamajune/Instagram

mamajune/Instagram

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For June and her family, it’s not just important for them to keep Anna’s memory alive but for fans to do so as well.

“We just want people to remember Anna and stuff like that,” she adds. “Whether it’s this year or next year or three years from now, we want her to be remembered, always.”

source: people.com