A Widow Took Her Daughters On a Road Trip to Sprinkle Their Father’s Ashes

Laura Fahrenthold and her late husband Mark Pittman

When Mark Pittman, the investigative journalist for Bloomberg News, had a severe heart attack, he was at home with his wife, Laura Fahrenthold, and two daughters, Susannah and Nell.

The girls were 8 and 10 at the time, and witnessing a traumatic incident happening in front of their eyes left a lasting impression.

Laura was in shock, and her children were looking at her to tell them what was going on, but the widow was at a loss of words. The whole family couldn’t comprehend what had happened for a while, and this took a toll on the young girls’ developing minds.

LAURA FAHRENTHOLD: The woman took her daughters on a road trip

Afraid that her husband’s death will leave a permanent mark on her children’s psychology, Laura made a decision to get out of their home in Yonkers and go on a trip.

It was an impulsive choice, and the newly single mother understood the consequences. Still, there was nothing more important for her than making sure the girls would be fine after witnessing their father’s tragic passing.

She decided to make them learn new things and help them become more self-reliant, both emotionally and physically.

Laura’s initial plan was to go camping and spend a few days in nature with her kids. She also brought Mark’s ashes with her to keep them safe, but eventually ended up renting an RV and going on multiple road trips for five years to sprinkle her husband’s ashes all over America.

They learned fishing, changing a tire, reading a map, and a lot more than they intended, but most of all—they learned to move on.

While hiking in Oregon, Laura asked her girls if they wanted to spread their father’s ashes from a treetop, and to her surprise, Nell and Susannah agreed.

For the family, it became a sort of a game where they learned to accept what happened, by letting Mark go little by little. Nell even said that it felt like they were having mini-funerals.

They went to the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Graceland, Newark, and many places across the US to say multiple goodbyes to the beloved husband and father.

The trips were meant to aid in the healing, but it became a weird adventure for Laura and her kids.

More than anything, the mother achieved what she set out to do-make her daughters resilient in the face of life. Now that Nell and Susannah are normal adults, successful in their chosen careers, it makes Laura realize that her decision to get away from their home was the right one.