<< Previous   of   Next >> Kristi O'Harran / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Jim Kehoe and Daria Roche at St. Vincent de Paul in Everett helped get the ashes of "Fred" back home.

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Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com

10 years later, cremated remains no longer a mystery

By Kristi O'Harran
Herald Columnist

More than 10 years ago, an unusual sealed box showed up at the St. Vincent de Paul Store in Everett.

It was something they would never sell.

It contained the ashes of a man, with no last name.

He was placed reverently on a shelf and sat through every board and council meeting for a decade.

And all along, they wondered, what to do with the precious box.

Jim Kehoe, executive director of Snohomish County Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, said the wooden box showed up with a mishmash of donated clothing and household goods.

Headed for the dumpster, someone noticed that there were markings on the box.

The label indicated that the box was prepared at an Everett funeral home.

"After some head scratching, the store staff realized that the donation was actually cremated remains," Kehoe said. "The store routinely receives odd items that defy explanation, but this particular donation raised the bar of unique donations quite high."

Through the years, repeated calls to the listed funeral home got only "We'll call you back" responses.

Out of sight, out of mind.

But the kind folks at St. Vincent de Paul never gave up.

The man in the box was privy to all boring financial news imparted at thrift store meetings. He never complained, Kehoe said. He knew that someday he would be going home.

Finally, Daria Roche, St. Vincent de Paul executive assistant and chief cook and bottle washer, made it her mission to get the scoop from the funeral home.

"She is the kind who takes on assigned tasks with the true belief that anything can be accomplished," Kehoe said. "She called again and again and again."

Then one day, her phone rang.

She heard, "You have my Dad."

The funeral home found the Snohomish County family.

Quick as a wink, they collected the box. His family had no idea how the remains ended up at St. Vincent de Paul. They plan to scatter the man's ashes where he raised his children.

That is as much of a story as I can tell.

The family asked that their privacy be respected.

At the thrift store, where everything is neat and clean thanks to more than 300 volunteers, every stitch of clothing sells for 99 cents on Sundays. Even suits.

Kehoe's office is crowded with this and that, such as artwork, waiting to be properly priced. Most every donation is something of value to someone. He said it's so odd not having the man in the box at every meeting.

"He touched us so deeply," Kehoe said.

Kehoe added one more sentiment, in keeping with the bottom line at St. Vincent de Paul:

"Godspeed."



Columnist Kristi O'Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.