Our Lady of Hope completes burials of Wayne County unclaimed bodies

Our Lady of Hope Cemetery in Brownstown Township today completed burials of 145 bodies that had gone unclaimed from the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office. The first of the bodies had been buried at a public, interfaith memorial service July 9.

Our Lady of Hope Cemetery is at 18303 Allen Road, between Pennsylvania and Sibley roads. The cemetery is owned by the Archdiocese of Detroit and managed by Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services (CFCS).

The efforts to find final resting places for the remains of the individuals came cooperatively from the Michigan Funeral Director Association chapters from Wayne and Oakland counties; the Jewish Fund; the Archdiocese of Detroit; and a coalition of volunteers and sponsoring businesses and organizations.

An additional 13 bodies from the Wayne County morgue are to be buried with military honors on Sept. 11 at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly. Six other bodies had been claimed as news of the burial service had spread.

Of the remains laid to rest at Our Lady of Hope, 135 were full burials in caskets; 10 were burials of cremated remains. An upright, granite grave marker — which will be donated by Inch Memorials in Northville and installed this fall — will be inscribed with the names of those buried. The graves are to the right-hand side of the cemetery’s main entrance, in Section 1. Those wishing to visit the cemetery and pay their respects can call Our Lady of Hope at (734) 285-2155 for further directions and information.