When a person dies in King County without family or loved ones to lay them to rest, it is the duty of the King County Medical Examiner to honor their memory.
King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn joined the King County Medical Examiner on Wednesday at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Renton to recognize and remember the lives of 278 indigent individuals in a memorial ceremony, according to a county media release.
“Today we gather to remember and bury the 278 men and women who died here in King County and mourn for those buried without families to remember them,” Dunn said. “We honor those buried today with our presence and remember their lives in our hearts.”
The ceremony, which included burial rites, prayers from clergy, and memories shared by friends, was provided by the King County Indigent Remains Program. A memorial plaque, donated by a citizen in coordination with the program, was also commemorated. The program serves families who could not provide for the proper disposition of remains and individuals whose families could not be located.
“We work to represent those who can no longer represent themselves and provide service to those in need,” said Jimmy Sosik, lead investigator of the Indigent Remains Program.
A ceremony and burial is held typically every two years. Until that time, decedents are cremated and stored in a secure location at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. The names and records are kept for each individual so that they may be recovered at a later time in the event of a family member’s request.
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