Stoneman: Man kept in mortuary for 128 years finally set for proper burial

A mummified man known as Stoneman Willie, displayed at Auman’s Funeral Home in Reading, Pennsylvania for 128 years, is finally set to receive a proper burial.

According to Reuters, Stoneman Willie, an unidentified man, was an alcoholic who passed away due to kidney failure in a local jail on November 19, 1895. Following his death, a mortician experimenting with new embalming techniques accidentally mummified him.

Stoneman Willie, dressed in a suit with a bow tie, was displayed in a coffin with a red sash across his chest. His hair and teeth were intact, and his skin had taken on a leathery appearance.

The man’s true identity remained unknown for many years because he had provided a fake name when arrested for pickpocketing. Local officials were unable to locate his relatives.

Auman’s Funeral Home had sought permission from the state to keep the body to monitor the experimental embalming process. However, they have now identified Stoneman Willie using historical documents and will reveal his name when they lay him to rest.

The Funeral Director, Kyle Blankenbiller, referred to him as “our friend Willie” and mentioned that he has become an icon and a storied part of Reading’s past and present.

Ahead of the funeral, the city of Reading planned to memorialize Stoneman Willie, who has been part of the city’s folklore for generations. Local residents celebrated Reading’s 275th anniversary, including a colorful parade with a motorcycle hearse carrying Willie’s casket.

For the week leading up to the funeral, Stoneman Willie was displayed at Auman’s Funeral Home. On the day of the funeral, he would make his final journey through the streets of Reading and be buried at a local cemetery, with his real name inscribed on his tombstone.