SALEM, MASS. (WHDH) - A Salem family wanted to stay close to a loved one who passed away, but years after his death, they were still waiting to bring home his ashes. That’s when they turned to Solve It 7.
“He was a great guy, happy, always smiling. The man of the party, so friendly,” said Mary Ellen Munroe.
Kenny Munroe may have been Mary Ellen’s ex-husband, but he was still family.
They shared a special bond because of their daughter.
“Her dad and her were best buddies. They would do everything together, amusement parks, ride bikes together,” said Mary Ellen.
Those memories inspired Mary Ellen and her daughter to find a lasting way to honor Kenny’s memory.
“I did not know that you could put ashes into necklaces. It was the funeral director that suggested if we wanted to have a little piece of him with us all the time that he could put them in necklaces,” said Mary Ellen.
After the services, Mary Ellen says she expected to settle the final bill.
But she says the bill never arrived and neither did Kenny’s ashes.
“I would call, leave messages. Sometimes I would get a call back, sometimes I wouldn’t. I felt like I was always chasing them for answers. It’s simple. Just send out the bill, we will pay the bill and we receive his ashes. But unfortunately, it wasn’t that simple,” said Mary Ellen.
Mary Ellen says months turned into years.
And every time she asked what she owed, she says she got the same answer: the bill is on the way.
“We were always put off, ‘oh yeah we’ll send it in the mail, we’ll send an invoice.’ Nothing was ever sent in six years ,” said Mary Ellen.
Those years of waiting were hard for the family.
“Especially for my daughter, she was heartbroken for the last 6 years that she did not have a piece of her dad with her. And as a parent to see your daughter so sad and upset, it just broke my heart…and then I heard about Solve It 7 and that’s when I said something needs to be done because clearly what we’re doing is not working,” said Mary Ellen.
We got to work and contacted the funeral home director.
He told us there had been some miscommunication about who in the family could pick up and pay for the items.
After we explained the situation, Mary Ellen was finally able to bring Kenny’s ashes and memorial jewelry home.
“He’s probably up there looking down saying, ‘way to go!’ I am so grateful for you. My daughter is as well. And I feel like you were the driving force to get them to move on this and we are forever grateful to you,” said Mary Ellen.
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