Macon is looking for loved ones to claim boxes of human ashes

Caption

Boxes of human ashes, or cremains, on shelves of the the Macon-Bibb County archive.

Credit: Grant Blankenship/GPB

Big rooms are lined with shelves of cardboard boxes with notes in black sharpie about what they contain. There are Macon-Bibb county records dating back to the 1800s and there are also two skinny shelves in the back that hold the remains of 166 people. The county is asking for their loved ones to claim them. 

Some of the boxes of cremains have been in the Archives and Records Center for 18 years. Kittie Cosper, the archives and records specialist, diligently cataloged the boxes of ashes. The oldest cremains are from 1985. Entry No. 113 reads, “Quinn, Mildred, 2018 (foot only).”

Anyone who wants to file a claim for a specific box of ashes will be able to do so until Sept. 19. After that date, the ashes will be scattered during a memorial ceremony at the new scatter garden at the historic Rose Hill Cemetery. 

Parks and Beautification Director Michael Glisson created the scatter garden as a direct response to the coroner’s need to find a place for the unclaimed cremains, but in the future, anyone will be able to use the space. 

“The whole spiritual idea is that you will live on through the trees and flowers,” Glisson said. 

Glisson used ground penetrating radar to find a location at Rose Hill Cemetery that didn’t have unmarked burials and found an open spot at the front of the cemetery.

“It’s kind of fitting that it’s right up here by the main gate; they’ll get a lot of exposure,” he said. 

Clerk of County Commission Janice Ross said she felt that it was time to give these ashes of cremated people an appropriate place to rest. 

“We have babies," she said. "We have adults. We have a whole range of people from all sorts of cities and towns who just happened to end up here, and this was their final place.”

Caption

About ten unclaimed boxes of ashes belonging to infants are among those slated to be dispersed by Macon-Bibb County in a ceremony later this year if they remain unclaimed.

Credit: Grant Blankenship/GPB

She said to do so, the county has to follow the proper protocols in order to release the ashes at Rose Hill. The county also has to advertise the names in the paper for four consecutive Fridays. After just two weeks, a few people have already reached out to claim their loved ones. 

It is free to file a claim for a specific box of ashes and Senior Assistant County Attorney Michael McNeill can answer any questions. The state of Georgia does not require a specific relationship to claim the ashes, but if two people claim the ashes, Ross said the court will decide. 

 All claims are due Sept. 19. This article outlines how to file a claim and to who to direct questions. 

The identities of the cremains are listed below.

1. Adams, Samuel, 10/12/2004
2. Allen, Willie, 2014
3. Allison, William, 2018
4. Aultman, Donnie, 12/6/2016
5. Banks, Jimmy, 2015
6. Barker, Alonzo, 9/18/2016
7. Barrett, Marcia, 2018
8. Barrow, Fleda Patricia, 2016
9. Bell, Henry, 1/4/2017
10. Bell, Marva Jean, 2014
11. Bennett, Henry Tyrone, 2016
12. Briscoe, Rodney, 10/21/2016
13. Brown, Andrew, 4/25/2015
14. Brown, Marslyah, Infant, 11/9/2016
15. Brown, Richard, 2017
16. Bruno, Baby Boy, 3/13/2012
17. Bryant, Teresa Lynn
18. Bullington, Imogene, 2009
19. Burgess, Thomas, 2017
20. Bush, Johanna, 2018
21. Bush, Thomas, 7/13/2013
22. Butler, Wilbur, 10/13/2016
23. Caldwell, Curtis, 5/23/2017
24. Campos, Kimida, 4/30/2013
25. Carter, Charles, 5/15/2017
26. Chatfield, Rose Marie, 10/17/2015
27. Cheely, Robert, 8/19/2016
28. Clark, Odelia, 6/16/2012
29. Colbert, Eschol, 1/17/2017
30. Coleman, Russell, 2/4/2015
31. Coley, Joyce, 2005
32. Colton, James, 6/4/2015
33. Copeland, Calvin, 9/25/2014
34. Craig, Maxie, 7/25/2014
35. Cross, Willie, 9/28/2015
36. Curry, Carl, 7/22/2014
37. Dale, James, 2017
38. Danials, David, 2018
39. Daniels, Ronnie, 2013
40. Davis, Betty, 11/19/2005
41. Davis, Harold, 4/23/2015
42. Dixon, Tommy, 2017
43. Dominick, Jimmy, 2015
44. Dowd, Ronald, 2017
45. Dunlap, Lorraine, 8/9/2005
46. Earley, Harry, 12/22/2006
47. Eason, Albert, 2016
48. Eaton, Charles, 2/2/2015
49. Edwards, Thomas, 7/27/2015
50. Elliott, Jessie, 4/22/2015
51. Elrod, Vernon, 2/18/2016
52. Etheridge, Baby Boy, 1/9/2017
53. Evans, William, 2018
54. Farrar, Bobbie, 7/24/2014
55. Faust, James, 2016
56. Fisher, Baby Boy, 3/3/2012
57. Fleming, A.D., 12/26/2017
58. Fortner, Miles, 2017
59. Foster, Roy
60. Gainey, Susan Smith
61. Galipean, Myrna, 2008
62. Galipean, Roger, 2012
63. Garcia, Luis, 2017
64. Gartrell, Johnny, 9/29/2013
65. Gates, Alton, 2016
66. Gibbs, Anthony, 1/12/2017
67. Giles, Charles, 2016
68. Giles, L Mordy, 2014
69. Gleen, Jimmy Lee
70. Glover, James
71. Godfrey, Harold, 9/24/2014
72. Golden, Fenton, 2016
73. Goss, Judith Ann, 2015
74. Green, Elizabeth, 2015
75. Gulley, George, 2/20/2004
76. Hancock, James, 2015
77. Hargrove, Baby Girl, 2017
78. Harris, William Keith, 5/25/2005
79. Hartkoph, Johanna, 2018
80. Henderson, James Leroy, 7/24/2015
81. Henry, Donald, 1992
82. Hicks, Mary, 2010
83. Holbrook, Garland, 11/27/2017
84. Holt, Larry Stafford, 2006
85. Hons, Eleanor, 11/16/2015
86. Horne, Thomas, 2017
87. Howell, James, 2016
88. Huhgley, Elijah, 2014
89. Jackson, Baby Boy, 4/11/2016
90. Jenkins, Kenny, 2017
91. Johnson, Russell, 2014
92. Jones, Virginia,2007
93. Jones, Waymon III, 5/16/2013
94. Kelley, John Jefferson, 2007
95. Kent, Ruth, 2014
96. Law, Thurza, 2005
97. Leslie, Cora Ann, 2014
98. Lewis, Patricia, 2017
99. Lundberg, Peter, 2016
100. Mays, Annie Mae, 2015
101. McFarland, Maxie, 2013
102. McKnight, Ross, 11/26/2005
103. Michaels, James, 2017
104. Mitchell, James, 2015
105. Moody, Mark, 2015
106. Morgan, Kathleen, 12/18/2016
107. Morrell, Dorothy
108. Oliver, Alphronia, 1/14/2014
109. Pauldo, Eli
110. Pentecost, Johnny
111. Pomianowshi, Donna, 2015
112. Proffitt, Larry, 2001
113. Quinn, Mildred, 2018 (foot only)
114. Richards, Hattie
115. Ross, Bobby, 2014
116. Ross, Gussie, 2013
117. Rozier, Leo, 2/14/2014
118. Rushin, Bertha, 7/9/2005
119. Scheick, Thomas, 2017
120. Scholz, Paul, 2014
121. Simpson, James, 2010
122. Sims, Mary, 2015
123. Sims, Vernon, 2016
124. Singleton, James, 2015
125. Smith, Bessie, 2018
126. Smith, Jimmy
127. Smith, Willie, 2017
128. Stafford, Baby Girl, 4/22/2015
129. Stanley, James, 11/30/2017
130. Stephens, Baby Boy, 12/1/2010
131. Stevens, Jaylen Baby Boy, 9/24/2012
132. Stubbs, Sharon
133. Swint, James, 2017
134. Taylor, James, cremated 1/16/2017
135. Taylor, James, cremated 10/23/2017
136. Taylor, Melton
137. Tharpe, Baby Boy, 1/16/2013
138. Tharpe, Hamcel, 2014
139. Tharpe, John William
140. Thibault, William
141. Thomas, Della, 10/21/2005
142. Thomas, Joseph, 2013
143. Thrasher, Peggy, 7/17/2013
144. Tolbert, Annie, 12/24/1985
145. Trotman, Maude, 10/8/1991
146. Tucker, Norman, 2013
147. Unknown
148. Unknown
149. Unknown
150. Unknown
151. Walker, Herbert, 1/18/2017 (2 boxes)
152. Walters, Julianne, 2016
153. Ward, Eva Mae
154. Warner, Barbara Jean
155. Watts, Curtis
156. Whimberly, Elisha, baby boy, 2018 (2 envelopes)
157. White, Leon, 2018
158. Whitfield, Carlton
159. Whittlesey, Mark, 2018
160. Wiggins, Virginia, 5/22/2014
161. Williams, Authur Lee, 2018 (2 boxes)
162. Williams, Charles, 2017
163. Williams, Gerald
164. Williams, Robert, 2015
165. Williams, Timothy. 8/9/2014
166. Wise, George