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July 1, 2004
HONOLULU - Hawaii State Hospital is holding its annual remembrance
service for 668 patients, who passed away and were forgotten at the
hospital from 1930 to 1960, Thursday July 1, 2004. The service is the
second of a continuing annual event open to mental health service
consumers at the hospital and in the community, staffers, former
consumers and staffers, and others in the community.
From 1930–1960, if a patient died while residing at the
Territorial Hospital (as it was then named), the hospital would contact
the family and ask them to claim the remains. A State law prohibited
using taxpayer funds to bury indigent patients who died at the
hospital.
If no one claimed the remains, the hospital cremated the body at an
on-grounds crematorium, placed the ashes in a makeshift container,
affixed a name label to it, and stored the box in the basement room of
the Goddard administration building, on the hospital grounds. With
time, mildew and the moist windward air degraded the warehoused
containers. Ashes from broken containers spilled onto the floor and
many of the affixed labels fell away or became faded or illegible.
Such was the state of affairs until early 1960, when public pressure
on the First State Legislature resulted in funds being appropriated to
properly bury the 668 at the then-new Hawaiian Memorial Park Cemetery
in Kaneohe. All the remains were placed into urns and buried in four
concrete vaults at a sloping lawn at an edge of the cemetery. A special
ceremony to finally lay these remains to rest was attended by
approximately 60 line staff, volunteers and administrators on July 1,
1960. Two bronze plaques placed at the site memorialized the names of
541 known patients. In addition, 127 "unknowns," those whose
identification labels had became unreadable, were laid to rest as
well.
The annual July 1st service is open to mental health
service consumers at the hospital and in the community, staffers,
former consumers and staffers, and others in the community. Consumers
will play music, sing and lead the participants in prayer and
meditation. Certain patients from the hospital will each read six of
the names, to which those who have congregated will reply "We will not
forget."
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For More Information Contact:
David Sohmer, Communications Officer
Hawaii State Hospital
Phone: 236-8219 or cell: 542-4641
Laura M. Lott
Department of Health
Information Specialist
Phone: (808) 586-4418
Email: lmlott@mail.health.state.hi.us
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