The Prince William County Sheriff’s Office held its annual Unclaimed Citizens Ceremony at Dumfries Cemetery on Wednesday, November 10, in Dumfries.
Among the attendees was Prince William County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain, Donald Belanus, who presided over the event. This ceremony provided a permanent resting place for 15 deceased residents of Prince William County, and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park who went unclaimed by their family members or had no next of kin.
Last year, the Sheriff’s Office Unclaimed Citizens Ceremony was canceled due to the pandemic.
To provide a dignified burial for the deceased residents, the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office contracts with several funeral homes for cremation. In partnership with Joye Nichols, Dumfries Cemetery caretaker, each unclaimed resident was provided with a burial plot and container to hold the remains at no cost. Without the generosity of Nichols, those unclaimed residents would not have a burial plot for their final resting place.
Sheriff Glendell Hill expressed his gratitude to the individuals involved in making the event possible and stated, “I believe everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. Just because someone has no identifiable next of kin, doesn’t mean they deserve to be left behind.”
Through partnerships with local businesses and the community, the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office can honor those deceased residents with a proper burial, so they truly are not left behind. The cremated remains buried include residents who died from natural causes.
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