Mom June Shannon continues to protect her daughter Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell close to her heart—and in her phone—one year after her death.
“It’ll be one year on Monday and we miss Anna Marie Cardwell so damn much,” Shannon, 45, wrote in an emotional Facebook post on Tuesday, Dec. 3, noting that she “would give my last penny just to talk to her and (for) her (to) be here for her girls.”
Shannon continued by noting that grief can “hurt at random times” and that losing a child is not the same as losing a parent, sibling or significant loved one. “Living in a house where Anna passed is so hard not only for me but for the whole family, but we have to keep our promise,” she shared. “We take her everywhere (sic) with us as she wanted and I will continue to do so. … We love having (her) with us.”
Another way they continue to keep Cardwell’s “memory alive” is by including her in their text messages. “She’s still on our family group text chat,” Shannon said. “She’s in Lauryn Michelle Shannon(of) a car radio. I just can’t and won’t delete any text and I’ll never remove her from chat so sorry whoever got her number one day. You (sic) better not remove yourself (sic).”
Earl Gibson III/Getty Images; Courtesy of Anna Cardwell/Instagram Mom June Shannon pays tribute to her late daughter, Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell. Shannon, 45, re-shared a clip on Instagram from the perspective of those who have lost loved ones. “I miss you. I just miss you,” the video reads. “I do the best I can, I take (…)
Shannon ended her post by revealing that she “always” looks at Cardwell’s TikTok page and searches for her name on the app “to see all the videos people have made of her.”
Cardwell died aged 29 in December 2023, nine months after news broke that she had been diagnosed with stage IV adrenal carcinoma. “It is with a broken heart that we announce that @annamarie35 is no longer with us,” Shannon announced via Instagram at that time. “She passed away at my home last night peacefully at 11.12pm. She put up one hell of a fight for 10 months and passed away with her family around her like she wasn’t going to and we will update you with more information as we get it today. We love you all and continue to pray and think of our family at this difficult time.”
Mom June Shannon, Lauryn Efried, Jessica Shannon, Anna Cardwell and Alanna Thompson
MEGACardwell was the oldest of Shannon’s four daughters — including Jessica28, Lauryn24 and Alana19 — whom he shares with multiple partners. After Alana and Shannon first appeared on TLC Little children and tiaras in 2012 the family became famous in reality shows as Here’s Honey Boo Boo and Mama June: Family crisis.
A month after Anna’s death, Shannon was temporary custody granted to her 12-year-old granddaughter Caitlin, whom Anna shares with her ex-husband, Michael Cardwell.
In January, court documents obtained by Us WeeklyShannon accused Michael of physically abusing Anna and their daughter. Shannon also noted that Michael is not Caitlyn’s biological father, as the father’s identity remains unknown, and that Michael has not been in Caitlyn’s life since he and Anna split in 2017.
Mum June Shannon talks about grieving the loss of her eldest daughter Anna Cardwell. “My mind is so emotionally and mentally obsessed right now,” Shannon, 44, shared in a video on social media on Monday, Dec. 11. “It’s so quiet here, the machines don’t work, (Anna) doesn’t sit here watching cooking shows, (…)
In his own petition, Michael — who is the biological father of Anna’s 8-year-old daughter, Kylie — claims Shannon has a strained relationship with his ex and believes Kaitlyn and Kylie should not split. After both sides mutually denied their allegations, Shannon was was granted full custody of Caitlin in September.
Back in June, Shannon got emotional when she talked about raising her granddaughters exclusively with us. “I’ll say it to my last breath, I shouldn’t be raising Kailyn and Michael shouldn’t be raising Kylie. Anna should be here raising her girls, period,” she shared. “I will say it until the day I die that life is not fair for girls. Definitely not.”
