More grief for family as mum’s tribute removed
THE family of retired school teacher Lana Hufnagl have received another blow two days after burying their mother and grandmother.
The roadside floral tribute placed on a Tallai property to mark the tragic death of the popular 57-year-old in a car crash 12 days ago has been removed.
The respected Mudgeeraba State School teacher had recently returned from a cruise with her daughter and was enjoying her retirement when the car she was a passenger in crashed on The Panorama on July 9.
Her husband Peter Dowker is in hospital.
Ms Hufnagl leaves behind two daughters and two grandsons.
“Mum was a very beautiful down to earth, caring, fun lady,” said her daughter, who asked not to be named.
MUM WAS A VERY BEAUTIFUL DOWN TO EARTH, CARING, FUN LADY LANA HUFNAGL’S DAUGHTER
“My mum and I had just returned from a cruise. She had been retired two years.”
Tallai woman Vicki Moakes said the family’s grief was worsened yesterday when the floral tribute left on the side of the road was removed a day after Ms Hufnagl’s funeral.
“I attended the memorial service (on Wednesday), it was absolutely devastating,” Ms Moakes said. “I just live up the road (from the crash scene) and I heard the crash.
“I went up this morning (yesterday) to check the flowers because it was all very windy and they’d blown over a little bit. Everything was gone. “This family is grieving.” The angry landowner yesterday told the Bulletin he would remove the memorial because it was “ugly and disrespectful and it’s not going to bring the person back”.
Ms Moakes said she was shocked to read the landowner’s comments.
“I’ve been down there every day to check on the flowers,” she said.
“He’s saying it is his property ... it’s a council verge and he owns half of that verge – he’s even got little pegs along there to mark his property out.”
A Queensland Health spokeswoman confirmed Mr Dowker, who was driving the car, was in a stable condition.
A Queensland Police Service spokesman said the Forensic Crash Unit was investigating the crash and had not ruled out any lines of inquiry, including whether alcohol and/or speed may have been a factor.