Adopted, biological family dispute over loved one's ashes

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A family dispute over a loved one's ashes is going to civil court next week.

George Sanchez was born in Baytown and adopted as a child. Sanchez was living in Washington, D.C. with his wife when he suffered a massive stroke last year.

Both his adopted and biological family came to his side, and that's where the trouble began.

After Sanchez died, his wife and his adopted family claim they should have gotten the ashes so they could give him a traditional Catholic burial. Instead, a biological relative was given Sanchez's ashes.

Neither she nor her attorney will go on camera until after the trial, but her attorney says she had every right to disperse the ashes as she saw fit and believes the lawsuit will be dismissed.

The adopted relatives have filed a lawsuit, asking for $2,000 and the urn.

"What I want from her is the container that the ashes came in so that I can bury them with my grandparents and my mom because they are all buried together and he was always part of our family," said Rebecca Gonzales, Sanchez's adopted niece.

"He needs to be blessed, blessed by a priest, and that's all we wanted," said Helen Motte, Sanchez's adopted niece.

The civil case begins August 5.