KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash.- A volunteer genetic genealogist is helping the Kittitas County Coroner, Nick Henderson, reunite families after deaths that could not be identified.
Cases where next-of-kin cannot be found or accept responsibilities for the cost of service, go into a system called the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Henderson has 41 cases submitted to NAMUS and thanks to Elizabeth Stone with Unclaimedpersons.org, families may be close to closure with their lost loved ones.
Stone approached Henderson in the fall of 2022 to offer next-of-kin services for cases in the system. Already, two families have been reunited with unclaimed persons and more are soon to come.
“Every life is worth remembering and everybody has their own story. There may be a reason why they went unclaimed in the past but that may have changed today” said Coroner Henderson. “I am hoping to reunite those who have gone unclaimed with their family. I want to know their family knows where they are today.”
Henderson says there have been nine more families identified by Stone with letters ready to be sent to families soon.
Eligible unclaimed veterans or veteran’s spouses are moved to the Tahoma National Cemetery where a service is held in their honor.
