County To Hold Memorial For Residents Whose Remains Were Not Claimed

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — The County of Sonoma is hosting a memorial service Saturday to honor the lives of 44 residents who died without family or friends willing or able to pay for the disposition of their remains.

The public is invited to participate in the 2 p.m. ceremony at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary, 1700 Pleasant Hill Road in Sebastopol. The memorial service is organized by the Sonoma County Human Services Department’s Office of the Public Administrator and the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office.

"Each individual who was laid to rest has a unique story, and they deserve to be remembered," said Angela Struckmann, director of the Human Services Department. "On May 4, we will honor the lives they led, the contributions they made, and the impact they had on the lives of those around them."

Some 4,300 people die each year in Sonoma County and of those, the bodies of some 150 people go unclaimed at the coroner, local hospitals and at funeral homes. Their names are sent to the Public Administrator’s Office, which tries to find estate planning documents, family or friends to make final arrangements. If nobody is located or the person's estate cannot afford the cost, the Sonoma County coroner cremates the remains.

The county interred the cremated remains of 35 unclaimed people last year in the rose garden at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park.

Nine additional unclaimed people who served in the U.S. military were transported to the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery by the County’s Veteran’s Remains Officer and veteran volunteers.

Since 2010, the cremated remains of some 550 people have been interred in the rose at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park. Some were unhoused, others outlived their family or were estranged from their next of kin. The memorial service was created just last year by the Human Services Department to ensure that people whose unclaimed bodies are cremated by the coroner — approximately 45 per year—receive a proper funeral service.

In addition to Struckmann, guest speakers at the service Saturday will include Sonoma County coroner Sgt. Detective Michael Schemmel and Veterans Remains Officer Ron Collier. The ceremony will conclude with words from several religious leaders and a moment of silence in the rose garden.

People of all faiths and those who are non-religious are welcome to attend the service at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park. There is no registration required.