Holmes County finds a way to honor the forgotten

For the board members of Volunteer Guardianship Program of Holmes County, the one thing that truly matters is providing dignity and respect to all people, even in death.

Thus, when it came to light that the cremains — ashes of those who have passed away — of 71 Holmes County individuals were stored at Alexander Funeral Home in Millersburg (along with a couple from Smith-Varnes Funeral Home), the board had a desire to provide them with a respectful burial site.

According to board member Tom Lee, these cremains were unclaimed by family members at the time of their death, and it was only through the compassion of Ron Alexander at the funeral home that the remains were kept at all.

“Ron deserves a great deal of credit for hanging onto the ashes,” Lee said. “He could have disposed of them, and nobody would have known, but he did the proper thing in respecting the remains.”

On Sunday, May 31 at 3 p.m., the cremains will receive the burial they all deserve, with a dedication service taking place at Oak Hill Cemetery on Port Washington Street in Millersburg.

Pastor Ken Smailes of Killbuck United Methodist Church will provide a short official ceremony honoring those whose remains will now reside at the gravesite. There will be a Catholic priest also attending to provide some words.

The public is invited to share in this show of respect for the six dozen people who at one time lived meaningful lives, yet their remains went unclaimed for a variety of reasons.

“This is simply a moment of respect,” Lee said. “As a board we help people get guardians to handle medical issues for people who don’t have anyone else to do it. As those people died, we often wouldn’t know exactly what happened because the guardianship ends at death.”

The guardianship board has worked with both Alexander Funeral Home and the Village of Millersburg and village council to create a spot for these cremains and others that may be left unclaimed in the future.

“These are all folks who lived in Holmes County whose family never picked up their ashes,” Lee said. “We don’t know why, whether they didn’t know, couldn’t afford it or people who had burned bridges with their family. It doesn’t really matter because every life deserves to be properly recognized in passing.”

Alexander, owner of Alexander Funeral Home, said the process of keeping the remains safe, secure and properly identified was important, and he said Lee’s passion for this program helped drive it forward.

In addition, Alexander said it was rewarding to finally see a public burial for the cremains.

“These are human beings, and everybody is a somebody to someone,” Alexander said. “Our hope is that by bringing this to light, we can get the ashes into the proper hands of family members. Even if it’s one family, it could provide some closure and allow people to pour their hearts out.”

The names, date of birth and date of passing are inscribed on a large, gray headstone that was paid for by funds from the Holmes County Commissioners.

In transferring the remains, the board purchased small, black, plastic boxes in which each person’s remains were placed. Careful records were kept as each person’s ashes were transferred, ensuring each was properly recognized.

“We felt it was important to make sure that if someone did eventually decide to claim someone’s ashes, there would be proper record of it,” Lee said. “We also wanted to create a space where we could add if necessary.”

The area created for the site is a beautiful section of the southeast side of the cemetery, a serene resting pace for the 71 cremated remains.

Nate Troyer, Village of Millersburg administrator, said when the guardianship board approached the village, the council felt it was a tremendous partnership for a wonderful cause. He said they worked quickly to create a policy, not only for this project, but also for any ongoing activity that may occur.

“It’s perfect because it’s a peaceful, beautiful cemetery and it’s nice to be part of giving these people a proper burial place,” Troyer said. “This feels like a really positive community effort for all the right reasons.”

Lee said the hope is that eventually family members will step up and claim some of the remains, which can be picked up and moved should a family desire to do so.

The project has been in the making for several years, and Lee said the guardianship board is elated it has finally come to fruition, for the sake of those who are finally receiving the proper burial they deserve.