Unclaimed

For decades, thousands of stories lay hidden in the Oregon State Hospital's "Room of Forgotten Souls," holding approximately 3,500 copper canisters of unclaimed cremains from patients who died there and in surrounding institutions, some as far back as 100 years ago. Fifteen years after its discovery, an online database and memorial have brought these cremains to public attention, reuniting hundreds with living relatives. Still, many secrets remain. Listen here as “Unclaimed” delves into these untold stories using Ancestry's tools, archival records, and genealogy research with host Amy Standen. Listeners will hear about newfound siblings, the mystery of a famous poet's missing matriarch, and life at OSH through medical records and descendant accounts. The series will reveal how Ancestry is uncovering family secrets and reuniting forgotten ashes with modern-day descendants.

Episodes

Unclaimed | Series Trailer | Ancestry®

October 22, 2025 • 2 mins

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Episode 1 - "Go In Peace"

November 4, 2025 • 28 mins

A locked room held the ashes of over 3,000 unclaimed cremains of forgotten patients from the Oregon State Hospital. In the series premiere of "Unclaimed", volunteer genealogist Phyllis Zegers uses century-old asylum ledgers and archives to uncover their identities. Her deeply personal mission aims to restore dignity and memory to those who died in the institution and were left behind, successfully reuniting hundreds with their fami...

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Episode 2 - The Mysterious Tragedy of 1942

November 4, 2025 • 28 mins

Who was responsible for the untimely death of 47 patients on one fateful day in 1942 at the Oregon State Hospital? This episode uncovers the tragic accident behind the deaths, explores the consequences of institutional neglect, and details the long search to identify the unclaimed victims and return them home.

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Episode 3 - The Plath Family and The Bell Jar

November 11, 2025 • 32 mins

Independent genealogy researcher Phyllis Zegers uncovers a startling connection among the thousands of unclaimed ashes at the old psychiatric facility Oregon State Hospital. With the help of Ancestry genealogists, the remains of a forgotten patient, Ernestine Plath, are identified as those of the paternal grandmother of famed poet Sylvia Plath, whose novel The Bell Jar chronicles a young woman’s struggle with mental illness and her...

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Episode 4 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

November 18, 2025 • 27 mins

In 1975, Dr. Dean Brooks, superintendent of Oregon State Hospital, made the controversial decision to allow a Hollywood crew to film on-site at OSH. The film crew of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) observed patients receiving electroshock therapy and participating in group therapy sessions, and even spent the night in the hospital wards. Believing it would spark a vital conversation about mental illness and the abuse of powe...

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Episode 5 - The Ashes of Addison Kidd

November 25, 2025 • 31 mins

“July 5th, 1910. Kid, Addison. Colored. Number 1681. Sits all day with head down. If spoken to, answers only… in whispers.” This was the description from a doctor’s evaluation of Addison Kidd, one of the few Black patients at Oregon State Hospital around the turn of the 20th century. Kidd’s story has largely been lost to time… until now. Kidd lived at OSH from 1904 to 1931. He was transferred there from the Oregon State Peniten...

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Episode 6 - Meet The Randalls (Finale)

December 2, 2025 • 35 mins

Thomas Randall passed away at Oregon State Hospital in 1967. He had suffered from epilepsy since receiving a head injury in his youth, and in a last-ditch effort for treatment, had checked himself into OSH. Randall’s ashes were among those stored for decades in what became known as the “Room of Forgotten Souls”. Years later, his children Becky and Tim made a shocking discovery: they found three half-sisters: Sue, Pam, and Debbie...

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Behind The Screen: Unclaimed (Epilogue)

December 9, 2025 • 46 mins

Join Ancestry's Lisa Elzey and volunteer genealogist Phyllis Zegers as they peel back the curtain and explore what went into making "Unclaimed". An Oregon resident and key researcher in the making of the podcast, Phyllis Zegers brings new insight into the history of Oregon State Hospital's "Room of Forgotten Souls", and more in this special epilogue. You can also watch the video version of this episode on Ancestry's YouTube ch...

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