World War II-era nurse laid to rest after urn found in local dumpster

HUBER HEIGHTS — The cremated remains of a World War II-era nurse were finally laid to rest Tuesday after her urn was found in a dumpster in Huber Heights last week.

Shianne Richardson and her wife were dumpster diving when they opened up the lid to find an urn inside. The two women knew they had to do something.

“We sometimes stop at dumpsters because a lot of places throw away food,” Richardson said. “We pulled up and I immediately see a black box, and I picked it up and it was heavy.”

>> PHOTOS: World War II Nurse Laid to Rest After Urn Found in Dumpster

Richardson said she was in disbelief when she realized she was holding an urn.

“I flipped it around and see a sticker with a funeral home name on it, someone’s name, death date,” she said. “I was like ‘with the weight of the box and this sticker, she’s definitely in here.’”

She could not understand who would throw someone away.

“It’s just disrespectful and disgusting,” she said.

Richardson began researching who the urn belonged to.

“I plugged her name into Ancestry and right away it came up her cadet cards,” she said.

She found out the urn belonged to Dove Clark, who was a nurse during World War II.

“I was amazed that she lived this fulfilled, selfless life and she was still just disposed of,” Richardson said.

Clark’s husband, Keith, has been buried at Enon Cemetery since the 1990′s, waiting for his wife who was supposed to join him when she died.

The two women drove to the cemetery looking for the headstone.

“We were both talking to her in our heads saying ‘show us where you are, we want to put you to rest, show us where you are,’” she said. “I was coming up this way and I see her, she’s right here.”

Richardson immediately called Don, who works at the cemetery.

“We were ready to raise money, do anything we needed to burry her,” she said.

But she was surprised again.

“We called Don, and and he was like ‘if you’re willing to bring her here, I will burry her because that’s just crazy,’” Richardson said. “We gave her ashes to Don and knew she was safe.”

Because of the Richardsons, Clark was properly put to rest 10 years after passing away.

“God forbid something like this happens to me a favor is returned and somebody takes me back to my wife,” Richardson said.

A Nurse Honor Guard Ceremony was held Tuesday at Enon Cemetery to honor Clark.

“It was everything she deserved,” Richardson said.

Richardson feels honored herself that she was able to be there for Clark.

“I feel like I met her, I knew her, and I grieved her all in such a short amount of time,” Richardson said.

The Clarks are finally together again after a decade all thanks to two women who were out dumpster diving.

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Dove Clark Urn Photo Courtesy: Shianne Richardson

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