In Washoe County, those who die without someone to care for their remains get cremated, and then stored. In some cases, they stay in storage for decades. And that's the case for 1,079 people in Northern Nevada.
This week, a local group started to give these people the honor of a proper burial at Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Cemetery.
"Our job is to bury the dead," Cemetery Operations Manager Christine Luna said. "It's not just a job."
For her, it's perhaps more of a calling.
The unclaimed remains, in nondescript stacks of white cardboard boxes, come from Northern Nevadans-- some forgotten for more than 80 years. Some died alone; others were abandoned at funeral homes.
Â
"We do have a serious problem here," Luna said. "We do need, as a community, to come together and make sure that these remains are treated with dignity and placed with dignity."
For now, the boxes are going into the crypts in groups of 200. But Luna has a grander plan.
"We will be developing a small area next to our entrance," Luna said, "where they will be placed in-ground, with an above-ground monument."
First, though, they need help from the community. They're taking donations of all sizes to make that plan a reality.
"It will be very sincere," Luna said, "and they will be well remembered and prayed for here."
The group is hosting a ceremony, "The Calling of the Angels" on Saturday, July 21, where they will be reading off all 1,079 names and holding a prayer service. It begins at noon at Our Mother of Sorrows, and anyone is welcome to join.
For information on donating to the cause, click here.
Update: after seeing this story on Channel 2, one family has already come forward to claim some of those remains. Luna said anyone else who is looking for a departed loved one can reach out to them at Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Cemetery.
