A Dignified Farewell: Woman’s Ashes Laid to Rest in Indy
INDIANAPOLIS – A women is finally laid to rest.
In October 2018, Lawrence Hendrix, working at a Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana thrift store, stumbled upon a donated plastic bag. Inside, he found cremated remains and a certificate: a woman named Dolores. This was far from his usual tasks.
Hendrix, moved by the discovery, found an ornate wooden box in the store’s inventory for Dolores’s remains. He wanted to ensure she was respected but was unsure how. He even contacted the funeral home on the certificate, but they had no further information or plan. So, he kept Dolores’s ashes safe at the VOA store for years, hoping to find a way to honor her.
Years later, Marion County Coroner Alfie McGinty, also a VOA Ohio & Indiana board member, learned of Dolores’s ashes. She shared the story with Linda Znachko, founder of He Knows Your Name ministry, dedicated to honoring the unnamed and unclaimed.
On May 20th, Linda Znachko traveled from Indiana to Ohio to personally receive Dolores’s remains from Hendrix.
“We did not want Dolores to be alone,” Znachko said, “so we were honored to make the trip…and bring her to her new home in Marion County where we will celebrate her life.”
On Monday, June 2nd, Dolores was finally laid to rest. Her remains were included in a special ceremony at Floral Park Cemetery in Indianapolis. This event, a collaboration between He Knows Your Name ministry and the Marion County Coroner’s Office, also honored the unclaimed remains of others who died in Marion County in 2023.
Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana: Dedicated to helping people achieve well-being by offering hope, restoring dignity, and transforming lives for over 125 years. VOA Thrift sales directly fund these services. (www.voaohin.org)
He Knows Your Name Ministry: Founded by Linda Znachko, this ministry gives dignity and honor in death to children and adults by celebrating their life, rooted in the conviction that every life is sacred. (www.heknowsyourname.org)
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