(KOAA) — A Colorado woman is now working to bring the remains of her father, who at one point was an unclaimed veteran, back to Colorado.
News5 first covered Meagan Heisinger's story in December when she was forced to prove James Bradley Lane was her biological father. Lane was buried at Washington State Cemetery as an unclaimed veteran. Thanks to help from an ancestry angel, Heisinger was able to track Lane down, but then she paid for the help of a lawyer and a DNA test to prove he was, in fact, her father. Proving he was indeed her father took a toll on her emotionally.
“Honestly, my reaction was shocked,” Heisinger explained, holding back tears. “When I saw that it said that he's definitely my father, it hurt me. I was glad, but it also hurt me.”
Heisinger felt certain Lane was her father before the DNA test proved it, but once it was confirmed, it wasn't any easier accepting her father had passed. The last contact she had with him was when she was a baby.
“The fact that he's actually dead is hard because I wanted nothing more than to have a relationship with him," Heisinger added.
Lane's remains were recovered from the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office by Missing In America Project volunteers. After his honorable military service was verified by the Department of Veterans Affairs, he was interred at WSVC with military honors IN September of 2018, according to FindAGrave.com.
Now Heisinger is hoping to move the remains of her father from Washington to Fort Logan National Cemetery in Colorado, and hopes to have her father buried with military honors now that he is claimed. Heisinger shared the DNA paperwork with News5 to confirm the testing was done.
“Now I know where he's at, and I can bring him home and he can be over here with me,” Heisinger said.
From attorney fees to the cost of transportation, Heisinger is burdened again with finding the money to make sure her father has a proper ceremony in a state he called home for many years.
"My father grew up here in Denver," she said. "He was in Colorado Springs for quite some time, and he gave so much for his life. He did homeless shelters, he did all of that stuff, and I just hope people will be able to give for him to come back home and be here... maybe be able to go see my dad whenever I want to."
A GoFundMe page was set up to benefit Heisinger to both prove she is the daughter of Lane and costs associated with bringing his remains to Colorado. News5 wants to make our viewers aware of GoFundMe's fee policy and refund policy. There is also an option to "tip" GoFundMe that is automatically set, and you have the choice to adjust. News5 has been in communication with the recipient of this fundraiser, and they have given us permission to share it. Click here to donate.
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