Priest says service for unclaimed cremains gives deceased 'back to God'

STURGEON BAY –– The prayers recited Nov. 18 at St. Joseph Cemetery were identical to any other Catholic funeral rite. But this service, led by Father Carl Schmitt, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, was different.

The funeral service was for the unclaimed cremains of 33 people, donated to St. Joseph Cemetery by Huehns Funeral Home and Forbes Funeral Home of Sturgeon Bay. Many of the remains had been at the funeral homes for decades, said the spokesmen at the homes.

"A lot (of the cremains) were just unclaimed and for a number of reasons," said Father Schmitt following the service. "The funeral homes did their diligence in trying to find family members first."

As the priest said during the service, no one in attendance knew who the deceased were but everyone understood it was a way to "give them back to God."

According to Todd Huehns of Huehns Funeral Home, giving the cremated remains a dignified resting place was the main reason he contacted St. Joseph Cemetery earlier this year. All but one of the cremains were identified, and after unsuccessful attempts at uniting them with families, the funeral homes decided to approach the Catholic cemetery.

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