[or-roots] Oregon State Hospital unites families with cremated remains of...

[Ben Tabler]

I first wrote the hospital in 2003 in an effort to locate the cremains of my
grandmother who had died in the hospital in 1903. Her cremains could not be
found. I incidentally received the same answer in 2005.  

 

I have been involved with this “problem” since February 2005, when an
article by Michelle Roberts appeared in the Oregonian. The number then
provided by the Hospital was 3490.  However, on June 3, 2003, the Statesman
Journal had an article in which Glenn Peterson, assistant director of
support services at the hospital, says ”that the more than 4000 cans of
cremated remains from previous patients date back as far as 1883”.  The
article also stated that each container could be cross referenced to a
patient. It even cites two references, patients who died in 1896 and 1902.
An article by Sarah Kershaw also appeared in the New York Times.

I contacted Michelle and subsequently was interviewed by her and Laural
Porter. I was part of the working group which met periodically at the
hospital with a goal of recommending an appropriate resting place for the
unclaimed cremains.

 

The numbers game has been  a continuing one. Available records show that in
1976 over 5100 containers were relocated to underground vaults. About 2000,
because of water problems, the containers (less those which had been claimed
by relatives) were placed in above ground storage. Then, in 2005 the count
was 3490 (in 2003 it was “more than 4000”) and only covered the period from
1914 on. In actuality nearly 1500 canisters have been lost. This was the
number of deaths from 1883 to 1914. What happened to the missing? At a
meeting in June 2005, Maynard Hammer, deputy hospital superintendent, stated
that as part of their search, the underground vaults were cleared, then
filled with dirt and covers replaced. He also said that all the buildings
had been searched. No 1883-1914 cremains had been found anywhere.
Essentially case closed. However, he had no answer to an earlier report by
the hospital that about ¼ of the canisters could not be identified. Maynard
incidentally questioned the 5100 number and even the Asylum Cemetery History
book which contains a detailed listing of patient deaths through 1914.

 

I’ll leave conclusions up to you. 

 

Ben Tabler

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