Twenty people gathered at the edge of the Pioneer Greenwood Cemetery in Chehalis at noon Tuesday to honor eight people whose cremated remains had been unclaimed by their family.
The ceremony served as a formal recognition of the county residents prior to their interment at the cemetery.
Cemetery owner John Panesko and Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod presided over the occasion, while Kevin Curfman, chaplain for the coroner’s office, read from the Bible and led the group in prayer.
“We don’t know all the details of these individuals,” Curfman told those in attendance, “but they’re all sons and daughters, sisters, brothers, maybe moms and dads, and they’re all created in the image of God.”
After Curfman spoke, McLeod officially passed the remains over to Panesko and his cemetery.
According to McLeod, each one of the deceased either had no family members or were otherwise abandoned by their family. Their remains were sealed in what’s called a “bioseal,” protecting them in case of flooding. The sealed box also contains a laminated copy of their death certificate, in case any family members should reach out to claim them.
The coroner added that the remains of six veterans — and one spouse of a veteran — will soon be transported to Tahoma National Cemetery, hopefully around Veterans Day. These veterans will receive full military honors.
The official date of the ceremony will be made public once it’s determined.
McLeod noted that, for the first time in a number of years, the county did not have any unclaimed remains of babies. He concluded by acknowledging and thanking those who attended, and said it was important to let the deceased people know they are not forgotten.
According to McLeod, the coroner’s office has been holding these ceremonies at the Pioneer Greenwood Cemetery every year since 2012.
Mary Astrid, a longtime local advocate for veterans, provided flowers for the deceased, as did Benny’s Florist. Chehalis Mayor Tony Ketchum, along with members of the coroner's staff, were also present at the ceremony.
After the ceremony, Astrid told The Chronicle that one of the honored eight, David Newman, was a “dishonored veteran” who was not accepted by the Tahoma National Cemetery.
“Certainly, this is a story,” Astrid said. “The Unforgotten Cemetery has a place for a forgotten David Newman.”
The eight people honored and interred Tuesday are:
David Mark Bailey, 54, Chehalis
Steven Allen Feist, 63, Centralia
David French, 66, Toledo
Dianna Marie Garrison, 77, Centralia
Darrin Wayne Gilbert, 57, Longview
David Alan Newman, 68, Chehalis
Robert Matthew Wyder, 75, Toledo
Igor Yurievich Vartanov, 60, Pe Ell
