Life Forest Whistle Ridge (Auburn) honored the memory of William R. Harland, a patient who died at the Oregon State Hospital in 1939, with a special burial service July 23, 2024. This poignant event was part of Life Forest’s ongoing mission to provide dignity and remembrance to every individual, regardless of circumstances.

In 2016, a relative of Harland’s and one of the stewards of Life Forest Whistle Ridge learned that Harland’s unclaimed cremated remains were among more than 3,500 sets found at Oregon State Hospital. For decades, his remains had been lost to time and memory, hidden away in a corroded copper canister marked with nothing but “2322.”

Unfortunately, the hospital, once a place of assumed care, became a symbol of neglect and forgotten lives. Thousands of patients’ cremated remains had been stored in copper canisters, only to be discovered in various states of corrosion and disrepair decades later. These individuals, many of whom had no family to claim them, were left in a state of anonymity and abandonment. The discovery of these canisters exposed a dark chapter in the history of mental health care and the treatment of society’s most vulnerable members. (The short film documentary Library of Dust sheds light on this heart-wrenching story.)

Fortunately, Harland’s remains, received by his family in Maine, were finally laid to rest with the care and respect he deserves. This burial is not only a personal family reunion but also a broader symbol of Life Forest’s commitment to remembering and respecting every life. thelifeforest.com/life-forest-at-whistle-ridge