Unclaimed people honored during special service
Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison says a prayer over the unclaimed remains of 24 Grant County residents who were buried in Pioneer Memorial Gardens yesterday.
MOSES LAKE - "All of these people are special," Pastor Floyd Wilkins said, beginning a memorial service for people who died in Grant County but did not have anyone to claim their remains.
Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison arranged the service, as directed by a law passed in the early 1990s that directed Washington counties to cremate the remains of unclaimed people then bury them at a service.
"This is the first time in the history of Grant County that we have done this," he said.
Some of the remains are of people who died more than 20 years ago.
"There is a host of emotions today," he said.
Morrison said that it was a suggestion by his son, Colton, that sparked the idea of giving the deceased a respectful ceremony, with a pastor, flowers and singing.
'One day he said to me, 'Dad, shouldn't they be laid to rest properly?" he said
So with members of Boy Scout Troop 96 and two local singers in attendance, Pastor Wilkins officiated their memorial service.
The Grant County residents whose remains were laid to rest are: Lucas Thompson, 1913-1993; Harvey Sausser, 1913-1993; Lillian Simmons 1910-1993; Agnes Varney 1906-1995; Charles Dove 1924-1994; Carlos Macias 1932-2001; Leonard Cornsweet 1928-1995; Sheldon Ibatvan 1946-1996; Rufus Norris 1912-1996; Richard Hoist 1928-2005; Orrin Haun 1926-2003; Cindy Patton 1962-2006; Larry Lee 1949-2008; Katherine Kell 1946-2007; Sharon Elkins 1938-2008; Debra Anderson 1951-2010; James Martet 1942-2009; Debra Frederick 1965-2011; Lewis Dudley 1921-1994; Flora Brock 1921-1994; Perry Parker 1919-2002; Alice Maxine Poe 1920-2005; Harry Freeman 1909-2003.