Jamie Pellew of the Honesdale Area is pleading with the person who took her dad’s ashes from an unlocked car in the Route 6 Plaza, Monday, to return them, no questions asked.

Jamie says she and her mom, Marlene had just picked up the ashes from the Hessling Funeral Home on Main Street in Honesdale, including several vials of ashes made into keepsake jewelry. They made the trip to the KMart in Texas Township so her mom could buy a chain to place hers on. Jamie says they couldn’t have been in the store more than 20 minutes, when they returned to find the passenger door ajar and the dark green shopping bag missing. “We noticed he was gone. It was just unbelievable. That was the only thing in the car they took. Nothing else was touched,” Jamie said. “We just want it back. We don’t want to press charges against anybody. We just want him back.”

A report released by Trooper Bogarowski, Pennsylvania State Police at Honesdale, says the victim’s tan Buick Century was parked in the center lot, in front of KMart, with the windows open when the theft occurred, sometime between 1:30 and 1:50 p.m. A pack of Marlboro cigarettes was also taken from the car.   

     
“I’ve never heard of this happening before,” says funeral director Brendan Murray.  A monetary reward is being offered by the Hessling Funeral Home for return of the remains. “It’s just heartbreaking. My heart just goes out to the family,” says Mary Hessling, funeral home secretary/ treasurer. Hessling says she fears that whoever took the remains will discard them once they realize what they are. If found, please contact the Hessling Funeral Home at 253-1190.

Other Plaza stores help
Jamie said stores at the Route 6 Plaza have also offered to accept the package, no questions asked. Jamie says the Route 6 Plaza has been extremely helpful, having searched their dumpsters in case someone threw the package away. “Someone might have realized what it was and just tossed it in the garbage. That’s what we don’t want,” Jamie said. 

Jamie’s dad,  James Pellew, passed away on May 19 at the age of 64. Jamie says her dad had the best personality. “He was a fun-loving guy. He was always cracking jokes,” she said. And he loved to play the guitar, having been in country bands throughout his twenties and thirties. The first band he was every part of included his mom and dad.

Jamie says her mom was having a hard enough time dealing with his death, “And now this. It’s just unbelievable. She can’t accept it ...It doesn’t seem real. We lost him and now it’s like we lost him again,” Jamie said.