Funeral home collection notices sent to mom of fallen soldier
HOUSTON, TX -- With bill collectors calling and letters arriving in the mail, a Houston, Texas mother said she's forced to relive her son's death.
Sergeant Graham Woody passed away in April 2013. He died from injuries sustained in a military exercise in Fort Bliss. His mother, Maddi Armstrong, held a service for him days later at the Setteghast-Koph Funeral home in Sugar Land.
"Graham was an amazing, amazing kid. He graduated from A&M with an engineering degree," remembered Armstrong.
Armstrong says he joined the Army out of a love for his country.
In June of this year -- more than a year after his death -- Armstrong said she first got a call from a debt collector. Just last week, she received a letter for more than $5,000 in monies owed. The company even offered her a settlement.
"I got a call on a Saturday morning from a collection person who certainly seemed like I bought a pair of pants and didn't pay my bill," said Armstrong visibly frustrated.
The Army promised to pay for the funeral. In a statement to Eyewitness News, the military said the bill was paid for more than a year ago.
"The Army paid this funeral expense August 30, 2013 and the family has been advised through the Casualty Assistance Officer," said Don Manuszewski with Fort Sam Houston.
Service Corporation International owns the Funeral Home. It wouldn't offer us specifics, explain what happened with the army's check, or discuss why Armstrong's bill was sent to collections. They did issue us a statement Tuesday afternoon:
"Out of respect for the privacy of the family, it would be inappropriate for me to share any details on this specific situation. It is the prerogative of the family to make certain details public, however, we maintain a bond of confidentiality with the family, and we are not willing to break that bond," said Jessica McDunn with Service Corporation International. "We have resolved the situation with the family; however, we continue to work to resolve the situation with the U.S. military. If the family has any continued concerns, we encourage them to contact us."
Eyewitness News was notified late Tuesday afternoon the bill is now paid in full. Armstrong feared she would still receive calls from collections, forcing her to relive her heartbreak.
