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 FOX 4.
VA site details cemetery layout and niches
The Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery is managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration. Its official page notes that the cemetery offers above-ground columbarium walls and has recently completed a Phase II expansion that added thousands of niches for cremated remains. The VA site also provides the cemetery’s contact information and burial guidelines for cremated remains, including that ashes may be placed in columbarium walls, as outlined by the National Cemetery Administration.
Cemetery agrees to move remains; family presses for answers
After Rabb spoke with the cemetery director, officials reached out to the Matus family to arrange moving the cremated remains to a dry niche and told FOX 4 it is "working with the family to move the cremated remains of Mr. and Mrs. Matus to a new columbarium niche." The brothers say they also contacted U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and hired an attorney as they pushed for a broader fix. Greg Matus said he wants the cemetery to determine how the moisture got into the niche and to make sure no other veterans’ remains are damaged, as reported by FOX 4.
Why wooden urns can be vulnerable
Funeral-industry guidance notes that wooden urns, while often chosen for their look and craftsmanship, are more vulnerable to humidity and water than metal or stone urns and are usually recommended for indoor display rather than long-term outdoor or semi-exposed niches. Families are generally advised to review cemetery rules and niche specifications and to ask about protective vaults or sealed containers before inurnment, according to Funeral.com.
The Matus family says they want the VA to investigate how water entered the columbarium niche and to ensure other veterans’ ashes are not put at risk. Cemetery officials told FOX 4 they are working with the family to move the remains, and the family says they appreciate that help but still want the underlying problem at the cemetery addressed.
