A monument will give credence to those who are now resting here.

Last Wednesday the partial bones of at least 372 people were reburied in Amherst, New York at the Assumption Cemetery according to a  news release from the University of Buffalo.

The process that lead to this was first started in 2008 when the University of Buffalo began some construction on their south campus.  It was there that construction on university infrastructure  was taking place and the excavation uncovered human remains.  The college received a court order allowing for the exhumation by a team of trained archaeologists.  This led, over time to, what officials believe, are the bones of 372 separate people who died more than a century ago.  Today’s belief is that this was the original Erie County Almshouse Cemetery for the poor and indigent.  Researchers say they were unable to match names to bones but believe they learned a lot and believe the burials happened between 1851 and 1913.

In any regard the university has used the past years to try to identify the people and learn from the bones.  Last Wednesday over 50 people attended a service at the University’s Newman Center where eight metal caskets held the bone fragments found.  Bones from each individual were first put in plastic pouches, sealed, and numbered before being put into one of the eight caskets.  Following the service hearses took the caskets to Assumption Cemetery, who donated graves, and were buried with proper dignity.

According to Douglas Perrelli, a University of Buffalo clinical assistant professor of anthropology, this may be a pervasive problem.  He notes, “It’s not a unique circumstance.”  The discovery of poorhouse cemeteries is becoming more common across the country, as communities reuse former poorhouse sites and make infrastructure upgrades.

Funeral Director Daily take:  Out of a somewhat gruesome discovery — good happened.  This is what I love about funeral service — the caring nature of taking care of those we know nothing of.  The University of Buffalo should be commended for the efforts that they went through in trying to solve the mystery of these bones and placing them with dignity back to the earth.

Every once in a while we read about something like this — I think the University of Buffalo has came up with the protocol that should be followed in dealing with the situation.

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