‘Every person matters’: L&C County holds funeral service for 18 unclaimed residents

The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office held a funeral service Thursday for indigent or abandoned residents at the Lewis and Clark County Cemetery.

About 80 people attended the ceremony to honor the memory of those 18 people who died within the last two years.

“It really demonstrates our community cares about the individual. Every person matters,” Lewis and Clark County Sheriff and Coroner Leo Dutton said in an interview following the ceremony.

Chaplain Chris Thompson reads the names of 18 deceased people while Sheriff Leo Dutton holds his hat in prayer Thursday during a funeral ceremony for indigent and abandoned residents at the Lewis and Clark Cemetery.

THOM BRIDGE, Independent Record

The observance was organized by the coroner’s division of the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office. The county contracts with funeral homes to cremate those who do not have legal next of kin to help pay for cremation. The ashes are placed in a marked grave.

Local Chaplain Chris Thompson gave a eulogy and said a prayer for the dead.

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