What happens if you die in Sonoma County and no one claims your body?

A memorial will be held tomorrow at Sebastopol's Pleasant Hill cemetery to honor the lives of 44 people whose remains went unclaimed after their death

Last year marked the first iteration of what is now an annual memorial service. Four hundred and eighty unclaimed individuals from the previous 12 years were honored at that event. (Photo Courtesy Ted Appel)

Sonoma County is set to host a memorial service for unclaimed residents tomorrow, Saturday, May 4, at 2 p.m. in Sebastopol. The service, which will take place at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary, will honor 44 county residents who would not have received a proper funeral if it weren’t for the Human Services Department’s creation of the annual event last year.

Of the approximately 4,300 individuals who die in the county every year, roughly 150 initially go unclaimed at hospitals, funeral homes or the coroner. The Public Administrator’s Office is sent the names of the unclaimed so that they can attempt to find estate planning documents or family and friends that are willing or financially able to make final arrangements.

Out of those 150, 44 remained unclaimed this year. That number is on par with what Paul Dunaway, the county’s Adult and Aging Division Director, estimates to be around 50 residents who are left unclaimed each year.

“This is something that we take care of for people so that there is an opportunity to remember them,” said Dunaway.

Speakers at the service will include Coroner Sgt. Detective Michael Schemmel and Veterans Remains Officer Ron Collier. While religious leaders will be present, the service itself is not necessarily religious.

“It's very nondenominational,” said Dunaway.

Nine of the unclaimed are veterans. After the service, their remains will be transported to a Veterans Administration cemetery by Collier and other veteran volunteers. The rest of the deceased will be interred in the rose garden at Pleasant Hills.

Last year’s service, also at Pleasant Hills, honored 480 county residents who had been unclaimed over the preceding 12 years. The Human Services Department has made the service an annual event. They invite the public to attend and pay their respects.

The ceremony will happen on Saturday, May 4, at 2 p.m. at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary, 1700 Pleasant Hill Road, Sebastopol.