14 Unclaimed Cremains Laid to Rest This Week in Kane County

KANE COUNTY, IL - Four years ago, the Kane County Coroner's Office partnered with St. Charles Township to ensure unidentified remains in Kane County were given a proper burial. As part of the effort, the coroner's office enlisted the media's help to try and reunite the cremains with their families before they were entombed in the St. Charles Township Cemetery Crypt. Since then, six families have stepped forward to claim cremains of a family member.

This included a father who was reunited with the cremains of his 2-month-old child who died suddenly 26 years ago, Kane Coroner Rob Russell said in a news release. Another set of cremains was shipped halfway around the world to be reunited with next-of-kin in Australia.

This Thursday, May 25, 14 more unclaimed cremains will be added to the St. Charles Township Cemetery Crypt, 1200 N. 5th Ave. in St. Charles. A non-demotional service and entombment is planned for 10 a.m. at the cemetery.

The bodies, which will be laid to rest, include:

• Monty Ford, date of death: Dec. 15, 2016
• Michael Jansen, date of death: Oct. 25, 2016
• Karen Rangel, date of death: Feb. 15, 2017
• Luis Hernandez, date of death: June 21, 2016
• Linda Marx, date of death: Jan. 6, 2016
• Alvin Refke, date of death, Aug. 17, 2015
• Bonnie McKinney, date of death, Sept. 2, 2015
• Howard Myers, date of death, June 15, 2016
• Alicia Lemos, date of death, Dec. 21, 1961
• Vito Calabrese, date of death, Jan. 4, 2009
• Penny Calabrese, date of death: March 8, 2007
• Ursula Staack, date of death, Sept. 3, 2009
• John Lundstrom, date of death, March 20, 2017
• Alana Waver, date of death, March 12, 2017

Anyone wanting more information, or who may be related to any of the above-listed people, can contact Russell at 630-232-5914.

Unidentified Cremains Program

Four years ago, Coroner Russell facilitated the entombment of 41 unclaimed remains from his office and several others from area funeral homes. St. Charles Township Supervisor John Arthur Anderson presented the solution: An empty, unused tomb that had already been paid for.

Originally, 47 cremains were discovered in the Kane County Coroner’s Office storage unit but six were able to be reunited with families, Russell said. Russell performed another entombment in May of 2015 in which ten more cremated remains were entombed.

• Unclaimed Cremains Laid to Rest in Mass Entombment in Kane County
  

The coroner’s office effort to reunite families with the unidentified cremains received international media. And people from near and far, came forward, inquiring about the cremains, Russell said.

Russell said Kane County is fortunate to have a partnership with St. Charles Township to ensure the burial of the unclaimed remains. In fact, with the fact that the state is discussing terminating funds for indigent burial, he sees the partnership with the township as necessary.

“With the state being in the condition it is in, we have to find alternatives to take care of those who are indigent. Too many times, family members wind up walking away from the responsibility for burial. With this township partnership, some of that cost has been mitigated.” Russell said. “I would like to see all the townships that have cemeteries partner with me in the future."