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Posted on: July 8, 2016

Pierce County Medical Examiner seeks friends and families to reclaim remains of deceased

The friends and family members of 37 individuals who died in Pierce County have one last opportunity to reclaim their remains. The list of individuals can be found below and at the Medical Examiner's website.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner plans to scatter unclaimed ashes on the waters of Puget Sound in August. Ashes being scattered are from individuals who died between 1998 and 2015.

The Medical Examiner’s office will board a Pierce County Sherriff’s boat to respectfully scatter remains that have gone unclaimed. “Everything possible is done to find the next of kin or friends of the deceased,” said Dr. Thomas Clark, Medical Examiner. He added that family members or friends are not always interested in claiming remains.

The practice of scattering ashes by the Medical Examiner started in 2014 due to limited resources and an inability to store records indefinitely. Clark said it is more dignified and environmentally friendly to scatter ashes than storing them on a shelf.

Please contact the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s office at (253) 798-6494 prior to Aug. 1, 2016, to claim remains. Information on all unclaimed cases in Pierce County can be found at https://claimus.org/.

Aichele, Steven Michael (case #13-0587) – Age 46, Died April 13, 2013 in Lakewood
Baker, Brandy Lynn (case #15-0209)—Age 53, Died Jan. 26, 2015 in Tacoma
Barnett, Audrey D. (case #14-1934)—Age 71, Died Dec. 21, 2014 in Tacoma
Bateman, Roger D. (case #15-0728)—Age 73, Died Apr. 26, 2015 in Lakewood
Boyce, Shawn E. (case #15-1201)—Age 48, Died July 22, 2015 in University Place
Cemelich, Robert J. (case #15-0790)—Age 73, Died May 7, 2015 in Tacoma
Coulter, John L. (case #15-0198)—Age 72, Died Jan. 29, 2015
Dowaschinski, Joseph B. (case #14-1591)—Age 67, Died Oct. 21, 2014 in Tacoma
Duff, Linda Jo (case #14-1396)—Age 46, Died July 30, 2014 in Fife
Feely, Wesley R. (case #15-0146) – Age 76, Died July 22, 1998, found cremated remains
Ferneau, Jack Davis (case #15-0860)—Age 70, Died May 10, 2015 in South Prairie
Fuglestad, Sherry Lynn (case #14-2014)—Age 55, Died Dec. 31, 2014 in Tacoma
Gibson, Daisy Mae (case #15-0340)—Age 61, Died Feb. 21, 2015 in Tacoma
Green, Toney Quinn (case #15-1070)—Age 59, Died June 26, 2015 in Lakewood
Hamilton, Jeremie (case #14-1121)—Age 33, Died July 15, 2014 in Tacoma
Hammett, Elsie June (case #15-0658)—Age 82, Died Apr. 13, 2015 in Puyallup
Hanson, Trudy H. (case #14-1475)—Age 74, Died Sept. 29, 2014 in Tacoma
Hoffner, Leo Edward (case #14-1564)—Age 87, Died Sept. 30, 2014 in Tacoma
Holm, Arnold Len (case #14-1708)—Age 79, Died Nov. 13, 2014 in Tacoma
Hornaday, Kenneth Dewayne (case #14-1780)—Age 58, Died Nov. 25, 2014 in Puyallup
Johnson, Nelda Jo (case #15-0813)—Age 69, Died May 10, 2015 in Tacoma
Lee, Lissa Kay (case #15-0468)—Age 58, Died Mar. 13, 2015 in Lakewood
Linbeck, Patrick J. (case #15-0767)—Age 65, Died May 1, 2015 in Puyallup
Locklin, Clifford W. (case #15-0123)—Age 79, Died Jan. 19, 2015 in Lakewood
Lupien, Daryl Rand (case #15-0553)—Age 60, Died Mar. 26, 2015 in Tacoma
Martonfi, Joseph Frank (case #15-0971)—Age 66, Died June 4, 2015 in Tacoma
Morris, Thomas McDonald (case #14-1412)—Age 70, Died Sept. 12, 2014 in Lakewood
Morrison, Rick Lynn (case #15-0670)—Age 56, Died Apr. 14, 2015 in Puyallup
Ocon, Catherine (case #15-0857)—Age 59, Died May 17, 2015 in Tacoma
Parker, William F. (case #15-1014)—Age 48, Died June 18, 2015 in Tacoma
Peterson, Carl Lee (case #15-0783)—Age 64, Died May 5, 2015 in Tacoma
Ross, Martin (Marty) K. (case #15-0480)—Age 59, Died Mar. 12, 2015 in Tacoma
Swanson, James A. (case #14-1809)—Age 64, Died Dec. 2, 2014 in Tacoma
Thompson, Doris (case #14-1764)—Age 69, Died Nov. 23, 2014 in Lakewood
White, Diana (case #14-1479)—Age 71, Died Sept. 30, 2014 in Tacoma
Wohlmacher, Gregory Lynn (case #15-0203)—Age 61, Died Feb. 1, 2015 in Tacoma
Wolf, Donna Jean (case #14-1179)—Age 54, Died July 20, 2014 in Tacoma