Founder of Roswell's UFO Museum quietly passes away
Updated: 05/01/2015 7:53 PM | Created: 05/01/2015 7:43 PM By: Lauren Hansard, KOB Eyewitness News 4
A prominent person in Roswell recently died. He was buried before a lot of people even knew he was gone.
Glenn Dennis said he was one of the witnesses of the 1947 UFO crash near Roswell. He passed away on Tuesday and was laid to rest sometime this week.
While Dennis’ family has chosen not to come forward with the details of his death, KOB took a look back at his legacy.
He was a founder of Roswell's famous UFO Museum.
His claim to fame? He claims someone called him about needing sealed caskets.
At the time, he was working at Ballard Funeral home. He also claims a nurse confided in him about seeing alien bodies.
Over the years, his stories have been featured in several books written about the UFO crash.
In early 1990, he and Lieutenant Walter Haut got together with realtor Max Littell to form the UFO Museum.
"Of course most of us thought to ourselves, 'why would you do that?'” said former Roswell Mayor Bill Owen. “How many people could ever have an interest in coming to where Roswell is to see a UFO museum?"
Owen was on city council when the museum was founded.
He says Dennis had a vision for the museum, believing it would be a success even when others doubted it.
"They certainly had the foresight and the dedication and the dream to make this museum happen, and of course they did. Roswell is the beneficiary of their early work and their early desire to see something made of this incident," said Owen.
Now the UFO Museum sees 180,000 visitors every year from around the world and has sparked the city’s tourism industry.
Owen says Dennis contributed to Roswell greatly and will be missed.
"[He] was a great person to have involved within our community and he will be greatly missed,” said Owen. “He certainly contributed many great things, many great ideas. He will be missed for sure."
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