Stoneman Willie: Mummified Man to Be Buried After 128 Years on Display

A mummified man who has been on display at Auman’s Funeral Home in Reading, Pennsylvania, for 128 years, is finally going to be buried properly.

The man, who was nicknamed Stoneman Willie by the locals, died of kidney failure in a jail cell on November 19, 1895, after being arrested for picking pockets.

The man’s identity was unknown for many years, as he had given a fake name when arrested. He was accidentally mummified by a mortician who was experimenting with new embalming techniques.

The funeral home had obtained permission from the state to keep the body instead of burying it, to monitor the experimental embalming process.

The man, who was dressed in a suit with a bow tie, had a red sash across his chest and his hair and teeth intact. His skin had taken on a leathery appearance. He was displayed in a coffin at the funeral home, where he became an icon and a storied part of Reading’s past and present.

The Funeral Director, Kyle Blankenbiller, said: “We don’t refer to him as a mummy. We refer to him as our friend Willie.”

But Auman’s Funeral Home says it has now identified Stoneman Willie using historical documents and will reveal his name later this week when they lay the body to rest.

The city of Reading will also memorialise the man who has been part of the city’s folklore for generations. All this week, Willie will be on display at Auman’s Funeral Home, and on Saturday, he will make his final journey through the streets of Reading and will be buried at a local cemetery, where his real name will finally be inscribed on his tombstone.

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