The oldest mummy in the United States, displayed in a funeral home in Pennsylvania, will finally be laid to rest. The mummy named "Stoneman Willie" is set to receive a proper burial after he was accidentally mummified for over a century.
Oldest Mummy in the U.S.A. Is Set To Receive Proper Burial
America's oldest mummy, which has spent the past 128 years on display inside a Pennsylvania funeral house, will soon be buried appropriately. The man's true identity is unknown since he used a false name when he was detained for pickpocketing more than a century ago.
Theodor Auman, a mortician, was experimenting with cutting-edge vascular embalming and accidentally mummified "Stoneman Willie," a drunk who passed away from renal failure in a nearby jail on Nov. 19, 1895. His body will be given final rites before being transported in a procession to the neighboring Forest Hills Memorial Park for burial on Oct. 7.
As he lies inside a casket in the funeral home, the gaunt guy is dressed in a black suit with a bowtie. His skin has turned leathery, yet his hair and teeth remain.
According to funeral director Kyle Blankenbiller, they don't refer to Stoneman Willie as a mummy but their friend Willie. He added that Stoneman Willie has become such an iconic figure and a legendary element of Reading's past and present.
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Who Is Stoneman Willie?
Willie's real identity has been a mystery for more than a century. The mustachioed 37-year-old, who had been charged with intoxication and had been accused of stealing, reportedly refused to reveal his genuine identity at the time of his death to protect his family's reputation.
Local historian George M. Meiser XI claims the remains belonged to an alleged burglar who gave the alias James Penn when he was apprehended for burglary in West Reading, Pennsylvania, in October 1895. The "alleged Philadelphia crook" was hauled into prison after being found under a bed in a local boardinghouse with a gold watch, razor, and "small sum of money" on him - none of which reportedly belonged to him.
According to local media, Willie passed away the following month after succumbing to severe delirium, suffering from "gastritis" that turned into "acute uremia," and refusing to be identified until the very end out of humiliation for his family. Meiser asserts that he most likely passed away from advanced alcoholism.
When it was almost over for Willie, he was questioned about his family. He admitted his name was not James Penn but would not provide it. He added that he was a single man from Ireland who had relatives who lived in New York State. He said he wouldn't reveal the location since he didn't want them shamed.
The Auman's Funeral Home has already identified Stoneman Willie using old records and will announce his name when they bury the body later this week.
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