Winnipeg family fears other person's ashes in mother's urn

A Winnipeg family is upset and looking for answers after they were given what they say is the wrong urn for theirmother.

Darlene Dowhys mom Victoria had personally selected and paid more than $700 for an urn to match her husbands more than 10 years before she passed away in 2011.

They had very distinctive features, and you could tell that they are all matching. It was actually quite beautiful, said Darlene. Thats why we went with them because they had the blue and green like the ocean.

But when Darlene received the urn from Green Acres Funeral Home after her mothers death, she knew something was wrong. Her family had been given the wrong urn, and it did not match her father's.

Not long after, Darlene went to the mausoleum that housed her fathers urns and found just steps away, a strangers ashes were being housed in an urn identical to the one her mom had picked out.

It was horrifying. It was indescribable, said Darlene.

She believes the urn her mom picked was re-sold to another family, and years later, the funeral home has still been unable to produce another one for Victorias ashes.

Its fine for them. They dont have to live with this every day of their life. We do, said Darlene. We dont have closure.

Darlene did get a letter from Green Acres, saying the funeral home has tried to track down a similar urn. The urn isn't made any more. So the funeral home offeredto replace both her mother and fathers urn with a different matching set.

"Our contacts at the glass blowing companies will create something similar to what the original selections were, but will be entirely unique to your family that no one else will be able to select," the funeral home said in a letter to the family.

Thats not good enough for Darlene, though, who said her mother picked those urns for a reason.

My mother will never have her resting spot, said Darlene. That to me there are no words to describe that.

The funeral home declined to comment, telling CBC they had to protect the privacy of their clients.