For immediate release: Nov. 25, 2024
Each year, approximately 630 people die in Gallatin County. Of those who die, some people go unclaimed at the funeral home or coroner’s office for various reasons. Many attempts are made to find family, friends, or other individuals willing to make final arrangements for the unclaimed person. After arrangement attempts are exhausted, the unclaimed decedent is cremated, and the remains are stored at the funeral home or coroner’s office.
Over the years, many unclaimed urns have been stored at Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service and the Gallatin County Coroner’s Office. Both the Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service and the Gallatin County Coroner’s Office believe these people deserve to be respectfully laid to rest. The unclaimed urns will be buried at the Sunset Hills Cemetery in Bozeman on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 1:30 PM. A reading of the names and a prayer by the Gallatin County Chaplain will be performed graveside. This event will be open to the public.
The burial will include a total of 66 unclaimed urns of individuals who passed from 1922 to 2020. A list of 63 public names and the year of death for those being buried can be found below. Some names will not be included on the list. Those not named include people who request burial with these unclaimed urns, infants, and unidentified cremated remains delivered to the funeral home or coroner’s office. Included in the public list are five veterans (denoted by an asterisk) that will be honored and laid to rest in a separate ceremony at a later date. If you recognize any of these names, and Dokken-Nelson can verify a valid connection, you are welcome to retrieve your urn prior to the burial.
List of Names and Year of Death in Alphabetical Order
- Clark Allen (2010)
- Dagmar Arctander (1973)
- Carl Arctander (1973)
- Arthur Bartosch (1995)
- Frank Bimrose (1965)
- Marie Bimrose (1960)
- Mary Brehl (1929)
- Cheryl Brooks (2005)
- Walter Cattrell (1950)
- Dale Christensen* (1955)
- Melvin Clouse (2007)
- Katharine Cobb (1989)
- Beatrice Copeland (2003)
- George Covey (1981)
- Edrie Cronin (1969)
- George Cutler (1996)
- Arleen Danielson (2004)
- Sir Roderque Ellis (1944)
- Fred Fallet (1996)
- Charlotte Fillbach (2000)
- Fay Fisher (1987)
- Thomas Gilkerson (1968)
- Rose Hablow (1990)
- Frank Hahn (2016)
- Lawrence Harner (1975)
- Harriet Hunt (1959)
- Ruth Jespersen (1957)
- Larry Jones (2011)
- Marvin Jones* (1968)
- Blanche Landau (1948)
- Lilliam Laukala (1994)
- Steven Leffler (2004)
- Casilda Lenci (2008)
- Peter Longo (2020)
- Cora Loraine (1972)
- Fanny Loth (1953)
- Werner Lundin* (1994)
- Janet MacIver (1983)
- James Mantel (2009)
- Rebecca Mantel (2000)
- Gary Marks (2019)
- Alvina McManus (1981)
- Cavour McMillian* (1997)
- Evelyn Monroe (1991)
- Edward Morris* (1967)
- Joseph Myhre (2009)
- Stephen Nile (1981)
- Richard Panzloff (2006)
- Louise Poro (1990)
- Susan Quayle (2007)
- Anne Riddle (1978)
- Maybelle Rockefeller (1976)
- Mary Scott (1999)
- Viola Shivvers (1998)
- Margaret Smith (1989)
- William Smith (1999)
- James Stephens (2004)
- Diana Stover (1976)
- Corinne Taplin (1984)
- Minnie Thrasher (1960)
- Marjorie Vardalis (1981)
- Ruth Williamson (2006)
- Dorothy Young (1997)
A special thank you to the following:
- Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service for storing the urns, donating the outer burial container, and coordinating this effort.
- The City of Bozeman for donating the burial plot, opening, and closing of the grave site.
- Langhor’s Flowerland for donating the flower arrangements for the burial service.
For information about the graveside service or inquiries about the unclaimed urns, please contact Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service at 406-587-3184 or the Gallatin County Coroner’s Office at 406-582-2178.
– Dan Springer
Gallatin County Sheriff / Coroner