Bio: Altenloh, Henry Eduard Robert (Cremated Remains - 1983)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Altenloh, Shiell, Mazourek, Gesche, Lukes, Knoff, Matousek

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 4/21/1983

Altenloh, Henry Eduard Robert (Cremated Remains - 1983)

Henry Eduard Robert Altenloh, who died 54 years ago, is finally going home. In a bizarre, and sometimes humorous, sojourn, the cremated remains of Altenloh are moving this week from Neillsville to Texas. But that was only after they remained safely stored in the home of Don and Joan Shiell for 20 years.

To the Shiell’s, the urned ashes were a mystery that was solved last week when the final pieces began fitting in a decades-old puzzle.

It was in 1963, when Mrs. Adolph Mazourek of the Town of Washburn approached Joan Shiell, then serving as an elementary teacher in the Washburn School. Mrs. Mazourek told her that she had a can of ashes in her attic and that they were the cremated remains of someone she didn’t know. The ashes were giving the Mazourek children nightmares, Joan recalled. Joan and her husband Don, who was also teaching at the school, agreed to take the askes, which arrived in a metal container and encased in a cardboard box. On the box was the name “Henry Altenloh.” Added was the death date of January 20, 1929, and the cremation date of January 24, 1929.

The name and dates meant little to the Shiell’s. Neighborhood gossip had Henry is “an old DP (displaced person), a doctor and from Lithuania,” Don said, How the ashes got into the Mazourek home remained a mystery.

After the arrival of the container, Don and Joan contacted Lowell Gesche, then a new mortician in Neillsville, and discussed the possibility or returning the remains to Lithuania for burial. The plans never materialized. Don even toyed with purchasing a small plot at the city cemetery for the remains, but that also never occurred.

The remains remained at the Washburn School until 1967 when the school closed. The Shiell’s, with their new found responsibility, brought the container with them and placed it in their Grand Avenue apartment. Later that year when they purchased a State Street home they brought “Henry,” as they fondly called him, with them.

“Henry” remained safely at the Shiell residence ever since then. The Shiell’s continued to be involved in education—she still is an elementary teacher, and he is now the high school guidance counselor.

Could It Be Deja Vu”

The mystery of “Henry” began being solved on Friday and Saturday, April 8 and 9. On that Friday, High School Principal Henry Lukes had his lunch disturbed by a long distance phone call. A person from Houston, Texas, asked if the school still had the ashes of his grandfather? That was not the kind of conversation that Lukes usually has on the phone. He told the caller that he didn’t think so and left it at that.

The next day, Lukes and his wife and several other couples from Neillsville went to the Milwaukee area for the wedding of the son of John and Helen Knoff of Neillsville. During the reception, Lukes began telling a group of friends about the “strange call” he had received the day before.

Don and Joan Shiell were also attending that wedding. Don overheard part of Lukes’ conversation. Luke reiterated the story of a “guy looking for his grandfather.” Don asked, “What guy is that?” Lukes replied, giving the Altenloh name. I think I’ve got him,” Don quickly replied, much to the surprise of all.

Don quickly went to Joan and asked, “Do we still have Henry?” “Henry who?” she asked. “Our DP doctor,” Don said. Son and Joan couldn’t remember if “Henry” was even still around. When they returned to Neillsville on Sunday, a quick search located the dusty cardboard box and the metal container.

On Tuesday, April 12, Don made contact with Scott Altenloh of Houston Texas. He was the caller and he turned out to be the grandson of “Henry.” An exchange of information was made, giving “Henry” new depth and life. From simple gray ashes cane the history of a man, Shiell recalled. On Thursday evening, the ashes were packaged for shipment to Houston. UPS left Friday and “Henry” was going home to his family.

Scott Altenloh had always known that his grandfather’s ashes were in the Neillsville area. But years had passed and the interest in his roots only surfaced occasionally. At Easter in a visit to his father, Robert Altenloh, 65, of Goldthwaite, Texas, family history surfaced, and the remains of Henry Altenloh came into the conversation. A few days later, Scott’s wife chided him to call the school. He did. And the mystery for the Shiell’s unraveled.

Scott said when asked about the search and final discovery, “I think it’s just fantastic.”

A call was made by The Press to Houston early this week. Scott was helpful in putting in the final missing pieces.

The Altenloh family were residents of the Town of Washburn, arriving in 1956. They remained until 1959 when they moved to Houston. With them they had brought the ashes of Robert’s father and Scott’s grandfather here. The ashes were stored in the attic. When the family departed, the container remained behind. Scott said that his father had told Albert Matousek, to take the ashes and spread them in a field. “That would be a nice and serene resting place for him,” Scott said his father recalled. The ashes never were dumped, and they stayed in the farmhouse until being moved to the Washburn School.

Scott attended elementary schools in the rural areas, including the Washburn School. (And this is the end of the story that I could copy from. The rest of the story was missing. Dmk)