Unclaimed Persons

by Judy Sander Cockrell

With interest, I just finished reading an article in my local paper, the Fort Worth Star Telegram. the article is titled: "INTERNET HELPS FAMILY FIND DEAD FATHER." In a nutshell, it goes on to tell about a man who died in California, but the birth certificate and Texas driver's license was not enough information to find the man's family.

After three months, his remains were cremated and he was buried in a paupers grave. It was this very death that inspired the county coroner's office of San Bernardino county to create a website called UnclaimedPersons.com.

The site debuted in November 1998, lists about 500 names of unclaimed people from a five county area in California. Some of these unclaimed persons are probably homeless, but many are most likely just out of contact with any family, and preferred to live a more reclusive life.

This is a great site, I would love to see more websites generated based on lost loved ones. No one should ever have to die alone and forgotten.

Visit the Unclaimed Persons web site.

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