Funeral for 72 unclaimed people organized by Girl Scout

CONWAY, S.C. (AP) – The Horry County Coroner’s Office is hosting a funeral to bury the cremated remains of 72 people unclaimed by their families.

The funeral at noon Saturday was organized by 15-year-old Ingram Cox for a Girl Scout project she calls “Potter’s Field.” The public service will be at the Rose Hill Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Conway.

The Sun News of Myrtle Beach reports (http://bit.ly/2fP7tiH ) the unclaimed people include 60 men, 11 women and one unidentified person – some unclaimed for decades.

Coroner Robert Edge says their ashes have been stored in a closet.

He says many of the people were homeless, and most died of natural causes.

Their ashes will be buried in a shared casket.

Cox says it’s important because “they don’t have anyone else to take care of them.”