By Pat Jenkins The Disptch Twenty-three people, including three with Spanaway ties before or after their deaths, went to their final resting place last week in the waters of Puget Sound. The Pierce County medical examiner scattered the unclaimed ashes of the deceased individuals on Dec. 18 after they remained unclaimed for years. The names of six of the people were never learned by authorities. "Many of these cases go back decades, and by law we have to do everything we can to try and find the next of kin,GÇ¥ said Dr. Thomas Clark, the county's medical examiner since 2010. "Many of the leads have been completely exhausted, and either no friends or relatives can be found or they aren't interested in claiming the remains." The county couldn't continue storing the remains indefinitely, he said. Members of Clark's staff, using the county Sheriff Department's marine patrol boat, took the cremated remains to an undisclosed location. By law, the ashes had to be scattered within three miles of the shoreline. Two chaplains from West Pierce Fire and Rescue said a few words, and the names of each individual were read aloud before the the were dumped on set at a time into the water. "We deal with death every day in our office, and always in the most respectful and professional manner,GÇ¥ Clark said. "Regardless of the circumstances, it's our duty to ensure that fellow human beings are treated with dignity.GÇ¥ Military veterans are interned at veterans' cemeteries. None of the remains scattered last week were known to be veterans, officials said. Three either lived in Spanaway or their remains were discovered there and were never claimed by survivors. One of them was Robin Bidwell, who was cremated Sept. 5, 1997 in Soquel, Calif., and whose ashes were found Oct. 25, 2003 in Spanaway by children playing on the side of a road. There was no known next of kin. There also was the case of Eugene Orr, or at least that was his presumed name. He died Nov. 20, 1984 in Portland, Ore. His remains were found in Spanaway on Jan. 9, 1988. The county couldn't locate his son. And, most recently, Ann Marie Spear died Sept. 11, 2011 in Spanaway at the age of 74. A son and a niece were notified of the death, but they were unable to claim the remains. Others among the 23 laid to rest last week were found in other parts of the county, in locations such as newly purchased and rented homes, on the steps of a church, on a stranger's porch, in the back of a pickup truck, and in a store's parking lot. Here's a brief summary of each from the medical examiner: Kenneth Earl Ducker. Died Feb. 22, 2010. Washington resident was homeless at time of death. 44 years old. Mother and brother, and possibly father, are deceased. Ducker was single with no children. Heidi Gleason. Died April 12, 2009 in Spokane. Daughter was notified of Gleason's death and requested the remains be mailed to her in Arizona. They were were found behind the seat of pickup truck owned by the daughter's boyfriend. He had taken the remains to keep them safe for her when the airport wouldn't let her board a flight with them. The county has been unable to locate her since. Lana Hamm-Schank. Died on Sept. 7, 2008, in Federal Way. Cremation was authorized by her daughter, whose whereabouts are now unknown. Attempts to locate other next-of-kin, including a husband and other children, were unsuccessful. The remains were found in an urn in a suitcase in a store parking lot in Bonney Lake in 2011. Song Hui Laschet. Died Oct. 22, 2010 in Olympia at the age of 62. Was a widower with no children. No living next-of-kin in the U.S., and unknown if any are living in Korea. William Minick (presumed name) Remains found July 10, 1997, in a Tacoma house formerly owned by his wife, who is now deceased. Other next-of-kin reportedly estranged. William J. Nichols. Died Oct. 16, 2009 in Tacoma. 76 years old. No known relatives. Lena Geralden Pierson (presumed name). Died April 22, 1995, cremated on April 28, 1995, in Las Vegas, Nev. Remains were found on a porch in Tacoma in 2005 with a note that read, "Someone left this on my porch! I have no explanation other than that! Please do what needs to be done. Thankx.GÇ¥ Mario Hernandez Placio. No date of death or cremation information. No next-of-kin found.-á Found in a hotel room in Fife in 2007. Michael W. Reese. Beleved to have died on Dec. 6, 2012 in Lakewood. 54 years old. No information on the whereabouts of his brother. Sabine Schlereth. Died July 15, 2010. Was from Renton. 46 years old. Unable to contact estranged daughter in Wyoming, an ill sister in Germany who doesn't speak English, an uncle who has had no contact since 1968, or a son whose whereabouts are unknown. Robert Serpa. Died April 7, 2007 in California. Children had custody of the remains and planned to spread them on a mountain, but they were found abandoned. Lorna Maye Skinner. Presumed to have died on Jan. 25, 2011 in Tacoma. She was homeless and 74 years old. Grandson indicated he wanted to claim the remains, but there was no contact from him. A brother in Minnesota was notified but also made no contact. Norman Wheeler. Died July 28, 2004 in Kent. Cremation paid for by King County. No other details known. And finally, the six people who went to their watery grave with no name known to authorities: " Case 01-0054: Found Jan. 8, 1996 on Anderson Island with other items abandoned after a burglary. Remains didn't belong to the person who was burglarized. Found in a small container, indicating remains are possibly a child or pet. " Case 01-0057: Found Aug. 12, 1999, in a marble container on the steps of a church in Tacoma at Fifth and South G Street. " Case 04-1126: Found in a Pierce County field in 2003. Tag indicates ashes were from a cremation in Richmond, Va. " Case 06-0999: Found Aug. 11, 2006. Tag with the name of "JosephineGÇ¥ indicated the individual died on Aug. 2, 1996. Cremated by Wiggen and Sons in Seattle on Aug. 6, 1996. " Case 10-0436: Found in a house in Puyallup in 2009. " Case 11-0914: Found on a kitchen windowsill by the new owner of a house in July 2011. Believed to be the mother of a woman who lived at that location previously.
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