For the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office, a graveside ceremony held Thursday, May 15, beneath overcast skies at Gig Harbor’s Haven of Rest Funeral Home completed one of the office’s core tasks: Laying to rest the unclaimed remains of deceased county residents in a respectful manner.
The publicity generated around the memorial contributed significantly to achieving the ME’s related goal of finding family and friends of the deceased who are willing to claim their cremated remains. The office issued a press release in late April for the event, with a headline announcing it “seeks family or friends for 300 unclaimed decedents.” It linked to a county website giving names and other basic data about the dead, and explaining how loved ones could claim their remains.
In response to the announcement, family or friends claimed the remains of 27 people (out of more than 300 originally) before the ceremony…