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​John Jacob Jordan fought in France in World War I, and by 1930 was working as a cook in a Columbia County restaurant. By 1952, at the age of 63, he was admitted to Oregon State Hospital for reportedly being “senile" and died 20 days later of pneumonia. 

When no family came forward to claim him, Jordan became one of nearly 3,500 people who died between 1913 and 1973 at OSH or other state institutions and whose remains were cremated when family members could not be found. 

For decades, the hospital made efforts to identify relatives of those who had been cremated but a lack of resources prevented progress. Thanks to new law allowing the publication of the list of names, advances in technology, a growing public interest in genealogical research and the support of staff and volunteers, those efforts gained traction about 10 years ago. Now, about 1,200 of the nearly 3,500 people listed in the OSH cremains directory have been “claimed" by close relatives – or in some cases, the Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs (ODVA).

Through its partnership with OSH, ODVA has identified 27 veterans, two children of veterans and one spouse who are eligible for burial in a national cemetery. The majority are buried in Willamette National Cemetery located outside of Portland.  

“We're committed to helping Oregon veterans and their families, and that's a lifelong – even after passing – commitment," said Joseph Glover, ODVA Appeals & Special Advocacy Division Director. “The reason we get into this work is we want to help our veterans and families in any way that we can. In some cases, that's fulfilling a need and honoring their military service 100, sometimes 150-plus, years later." 

Ten years ago, OSH dedicated a memorial that honors the lives of the nearly 3,500 people whose remains were never claimed by family. OSH now holds an annual ceremony to honor those people – like Jordan – whose cremains have been identified and claimed by their family or ODVA in the past year. 

Nearly a dozen families attended this year's ceremony held Sept. 24 in front of the memorial, which features a room that displays copper canisters that at one time served as urns for the cremated remains. The cremains are now interred in a columbarium wall that surrounds the plaza and also holds the names of the nearly 3,500 so they are never forgotten.

During this year's ceremony, ODVA Director Dr. Nakeia Council Daniels honored the eight veterans who were identified for a national cemetery burial in the past year: World War I veterans Ray Carpenter, August Hansen, John Jacob Jordan, Earl Pollock and Guy Cramer; and those who served during peace time: Filipe Castillon, Kenneth Hugunin and Thomas O'Connor.

“While we cannot undo the past, we can help provide some form of closure with the distinction and the reverence that our veterans deserve in honor of their lives and military service," she said during the ceremony. “Each of these eight veterans raised their right hand to serve and protect this nation against all enemies foreign and domestic and my heart is full when I consider no matter their background, no matter their race, their religion, branch or conflict, they remembered their sworn oath and their commitment to this nation never wavered. And, today, we gather to show that our commitment to them and their families has and will never waver."

Connecting families 

OSH's Health Information Department works with families to transfer custody of the remains. Families receive their relatives' cremains, as well as the copper canister that once held their remains long ago and a rubbing of their relatives' name and birth and death years from the columbarium wall.

It's a surreal journey for many families who are just now learning of a lost relation when contacted by OSH volunteer Phyllis Zegers.

Twylla Neal of Salem, and her mother, Marjorie, were surprised to receive news of Sarah Ellen Oldham, Marjorie's great-aunt.

“We had never heard of her. I guess because it was hush-hush back then about mental illness," Twylla Neal said.

After learning about Sarah Ellen, they were able to find other records – including a letter of a family member who inquired about Sarah Ellen after she died, but there's no record as to why the family never claimed her.

“I don't know if they couldn't afford to," Twylla Neal said. “We want to do the right thing by her, and we'll bury her in Hood River with her father, Marion Oldham."

After receiving the notice from OSH, Twylla and her mother visited the memorial to see for themselves where Ellen was interred for the past decades.

“I hope that now that she's found and can be back with her family that she can be at peace," Twylla Neal said.

“Yes, absolutely," Marjorie said. “I pray and hope that she rests in peace."

From 1913 through 1973, OSH operated a crematorium and became the custodian of the unclaimed cremains of nearly 3,500 people who died while living or working at OSH, Oregon State Tuberculosis Hospital, Mid-Columbia Hospital, Dammasch State Hospital, Deaconess Hospital, Oregon State Penitentiary and Fairview Training Center.

Zegers' own genealogical research led her to discover a relative was hospitalized at OSH. Though this relative's remains were not in OSH's custody, she wanted to learn more about those who were still waiting for their families to discover them. So, Zegers began volunteering to research the names and then help write narratives of those on the OSH cremains directory in hopes of connecting them with relatives. Her work soon extended to her reaching out directly to potential relatives through letters and even phone calls. The outreach is rewarding for the retired educator as she connects families to their own history and learns from them, as well.

“There's so much to learn about the history of mental health, the country and state and how society operated," said Zegers about why she continues her quest. “I also enjoy piecing together the stories of these people and learning from them. For instance, there's someone on this year's list – Thomas Langtry, who had a very severe traumatic brain injury as an adult and had more than his share of struggles. He was institutionalized at OSH later in life. Your heart goes out to how people dealt with issues out of their control. It was kind of amazing that he took care of himself for as long as he did with as much as he was dealing with."

History uncovered

In some instances, family members reach out directly to the hospital because their own genealogical research leads them to the narrative Zegers wrote on findagrave.com. Each entry that she's entered includes background and a link to the cremains directory.

That's how Christin Huja discovered her relative John Losli's cremains were still in the hospital's custody. A visit to Switzerland launched Huja's genealogical interest into great-great-grandfather Jacob's past. Then a family reunion ignited a cryptic conversation over a photo that included a relative identified as John whom no one knew about. At the reunion, someone recounted he had been told, “We don't talk about John," when asking older relatives about the photo.

The global pandemic sidelined Huja's search, which she picked up again about a year ago when an old Oregonian article about John Losli from 1908 mentioned he had been committed to the hospital. It solved part of the mystery.

“No wonder they didn't want to talk about him. Obviously at that time, mental illness was kind of taboo and people were really ashamed," Huja said.

Sadly, Huja learned about the lengths her family went to forget John when she found records that her family was aware he was in the hospital and able to be released into their care, but they declined.

“That was gut-wrenching. He was let down by our family, and I can't imagine leaving his ashes there," she said.

Now, her family talks about John.

“He died alone in a hospital, but we can remember who he was and acknowledge him in our family and that it's not some big secret. Maybe it will help people to talk about mental illness with their families and talk about their families' histories."

Mark Dodge also discovered that his relative George Dodge died at OSH and his cremains were unclaimed by family through his own research, which has also led him to uncover discrepancies in existing records that paint an inaccurate history of his third cousin's life – like his service in the Oregon Military Police Corps during World War I.

“He was one of less than 250 volunteers who signed up to be part of a home guard unit during World War I," Mark Dodge said. “There was concern about sabotage or insurrection or interruption of the supply train. He was part of the unit based in Pendleton that around to different facilities, lumber mills, grain silos, places where trains would pick up commodities. They were also involved in pursuing illegal alcohol production and supported three dozen wildfires that year, too."

He has filed requests to correct vital records to include George's correct age and to recognize his military service. His research also led him to learn that George was an employee of a popular hot springs and lodge in Union, Oregon, which drew travelers by paddleboat and train who needed transport to the lodge.

“George was one of the wagon masters and also a barber at the then-world famous Hot Lake Springs Sanatorium in the early 1900s," Mark Dodge said.

He plans to spread George's ashes near there.

Mark Dodge served in the Oregon National Guard and will share what he learns about his relative and the Oregon Military Police Corps with the Oregon Military Museum at Camp Withycombe.

“We're proud that he had a unique part of Oregon history through his service in the Military Police Corps," Dodge said. “We're proud and want to share that story."

Because records are scarce, it can take years to identify and confirm one's military service. In many cases there may be veterans listed on the OSH cremains directory whose service is unable to be verified because a lack of records. Glover credited ODVA researcher James Connolly for the meticulous work scouring records and piecing together clues that can help the National Cemetery Administration make its determination for burial in a national cemetery.

OSH and the ODVA research team both continue their work to help find connections for those people who remain unclaimed on the OSH cremains directory. There are still some names pending consideration by the National Cemetery Administration, including a few names submitted by a private researcher that were not on the ODVA research team's initial lists as potential veterans. 

“This is something that is an honor for us to be able to do – to honor them and their military service," Glover said. “For those who OSH hasn't been able to find their families, this gives us the opportunity to bury them in their rightful place beside their brothers and sisters in arms."  

Learn more about the OSH Cremains Directory and OSH Cremains Memorial online.