ABERDEEN, Wash. — Today two cousins from Kitsap County drove to Aberdeen to pick up their great uncle's remains.
They watched a story on KIRO 7 last month about Whiteside Mortuaries going out of business and leaving behind about 180 sets of cremated remains.
Jo Nelson and Pat Faber saw the story and reached out to Grays Harbor County Coroner Lane Youmans. He was able to tell them he did have the remains of their great uncle Arthur E. Herdman.
Herdman was 91-years-old when he died in 1975. He lived on his own, out-lived many relatives, and when he died his remains were never picked up.
It almost seems like that fate that Coroner Lane Youmans worked for the Gray's Harbor Sheriff's Office for 30 years as a cold case detective before he became a coroner. Tracking down families is something he does best. He called what Whiteside Mortuaries did "shameful."
He was afraid the remains could end up in a dumpster. He took it upon himself to make it right.
Herdman's remains are the 26th set of remains returned to relatives so far. Youmans determined 35 sets of remains belong to veterans or are spouses of veterans and will be taken to Mt Tahoma National Cemetery.
There are still 119 sets of remains that need to be returned to families.
KIRO-7's Alison Grande is in Aberdeen talking to relatives and the coroner. She's working on this story for KIRO-7 News at 6 p.m. Watch it LIVE by following this link.
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