News summary
- One of the oldest mummies in the US is being properly buried after 128 years.
- The man arrested for robbery died in prison in 1895 and was accidentally mummified.
- Pennsylvania state authorities have not been able to contact the man’s relatives.
- Because of this, Stoneman Willie’s body was uncovered at a local funeral home.
Stoneman Willie was mummified 128 years ago Kia Johnson / Portal 10/01/2023
One of the oldest mummies in the United States has been on display at a local funeral home in the small town of Reading, Pennsylvania, for 128 years. But that’s about to change as the funeral home prepares a ceremonial farewell and burial for the unknown man known to locals as Stoneman Willie.
Since his death on November 19, 1895, the Auman Funeral Home has displayed the remains of a thief who died of kidney failure in a local prison and was accidentally mummified by an undertaker who was experimenting with new embalming techniques.
Because he gave authorities a fictitious name upon his arrest, Stoneman Willie’s true identity remained hidden and local authorities were unable to locate any relatives. The funeral home, which originally tried to embalm him while searching for a next of kin, eventually asked the state for permission to keep the body rather than bury it, saying it wanted to oversee the experimental embalming process.
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More than a hundred years later, and with the help of technology and a thorough search of historical documents, the funeral home finally believes it has identified Stoneman Willie and will reveal his name on the grave later this week. But first it joined forces with the city of Reading to pay tribute to the man who has been part of the town’s folklore and identity for generations.
On Sunday (1st), residents took to the streets to celebrate the 275th anniversary of Reading’s founding with a colorful parade that included a motorcycle hearse carrying Willie’s coffin.
Willie will be seen attending his final public farewell at Auman Funeral Home throughout the week. Next Saturday (7) he will make his final journey through the streets of Reading and will be buried in a local cemetery where his real name will finally be engraved on his gravestone.
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