Teen attends stranger's funeral and wins their car
Published on Sep 28, 2023 at 3:34 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Sep 28, 2023 at 4:28 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Attendees of an American woman’s funeral were given the chance to win the woman’s Volkswagen Beetle.
Despite not knowing the woman, a teen from Oklahoma attended her funeral and actually won the raffle.
The bizarre but wholesome raffle was actually the woman’s final request.
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It was Diane Sweeny’s last wish to give away her car to a guest at her funeral.
As a result, her funeral was a full house of hopeful faces with dozens of attendees Diane never met in life.
Diane’s family had to wait over a year for paperwork to be finalized to give the car away but the raffle was drawn this week.
Local news outlet, KFOR, finally announced the winner as 16-year-old Gabriella Bonham from El Reno.
“I’m excited for Aunt Diane’s memory to live on this way,” Diane’s niece, Suzanne Singleterry, said.
“The seats at Diane Sweeny’s funeral last year were full with friends, family, and people the family didn’t recognize. It didn’t matter if you knew her or not, everyone was invited.
“This is exactly how she would have wanted it. People from all walks of life. All ages, faces, races. Some of them came just because they heard about this woman’s story, and they needed a car,” she said.
While Gabriella was one of the guests Diane never met, her family was thrilled to gift her the car.
Gabriella described the win as an “answer to prayers”.
“I think it was really cool that she was like that… I am really grateful for them that they were able to continue her wishes,” she said.
Ten additional names, which are set to be announced later this month, were picked from the raffle and will receive small appreciation gifts too.
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With a dual English and French degree and NCTJ diploma, Amelia began her career doing award-winning writing and editing for titles and brands spanning Women's Health, the Telegraph, Boots, and Vitality. Amelia joined the SB Media family in September of 2023, bringing her expertise in SEO and reader takeaway. As Lead Editor, her superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a shareable story.
