On March 19, a family visit to the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery took a jarring turn when two brothers opened a columbarium niche and found standing water that had rotted a wooden urn holding their father’s remains. The urn belonged to Marvin Matus, a Korean War veteran who died in 2020, and the brothers were there to inurn the cremated remains of his wife, Helen, alongside him. The family says they alerted cemetery staff that same day, but say the process of getting the remains moved did not gain traction until the story drew media attention.
Family found standing water inside columbarium
Brothers Mike and Greg Matus told a FOX 4 reporter they discovered moisture and rot after removing the niche cover to place their mother’s ashes with their father. Mike Matus recalled telling reporter Shaun Rabb, “There’s standing water — standing water inside the vault.” The family says they contacted cemetery staff immediately, but said they were unable to get the cremated remains moved for days, as reported by…..