Family looking for ashes of veteran that may have been lost in Camp Fire

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Like nearly all of the homes in and around the town of Paradise, California, Jane Akin's home is now just a pile of rubble.

Jane is now in Elk Grove with family members, including her daughter Molly Rich, who is from Coarsegold.

Despite losing her home of 17 years, she is grateful to have survived.

"I'm still trying to process it all, I'm very fortunate, I have insurance there are so many people that don't. No sob stories for me, I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me at all, I mean there are so many people who have lost so much more."

But the one loss that has Jane, and Molly upset is the possible loss of the urn that contained the ashes of Larry Akin, Jane's husband, and Molly's father,

"I think the greatest loss for me is my Dad's ashes," Molly said.

Larry passed away in July. She says the family was planning a military funeral at a Veteran's cemetery. The ceremony had been delayed once before by fire, so they had planned to do it this Friday.

"So, we were planning a very special changing of the guard ceremony for him and that's the most devastating part for me that the ashes remain in the house."

Molly is hoping the urn containing his ashes can still be found. Jane says her husband can't have a funeral without remains. The fire also destroyed her most cherished possessions, the letters Larry sent her when he was stationed in the Navy in Vietnam.