Haunted Houses and Family Ghosts of Kentucky

Part 2: Family Ghosts

Fa.mily GhoSt'S 1. ~~A Dead MOlher~s Returnu Jefferson County My aunt Ann worked at St. Mary's Hospital for some thirty-three years. During her last year there, my great-uncle Burl had to be hospitalized, and he nearly died before the doctors were able to determine what was ailing him. One night after Ann's shift was finished, she popped by his room to say good night, and at the end ofhis bed stood a frail little.Indian woman dressed in a black dress. She had the snowiest white head ofhair that you ever saw. My aunt said, "Excuse me, ma'am, but I believe visiting hours are over." The little woman just looked up at my aunt and smiled warmly. She then walked around behind the draw curtain that hung around the bed and vanished. My aunt was totally convinced that she had personally been working for too many hours and needed a rest. The next day before her shift began, she went back to the room to say good morning. My uncle was feeling so much better that the doctor had said that he could go home in probably a day or so. They still had not discovered the reason for his sickness at that point, nor his rapid recovery from a terribly high fever. He told my aunt, said, "I had the nicest dream last night. Mama came by to see me and told me that I would get well now, and she told me that she loved me." Aunt Ann just stood there for a second, then asked, "What did Grandma Long look like? She died while I was very young. I don't remember her all that well." 226 William Lynwood Montell He responded to her, "She was a tiny little woman, part Indian, with the whitest head of hair that you ever saw." Uncle Burl quickly recovered from his sickness and was allowed to go home. 2. ~~The Spirit of a Deceased Auntn Simpson County My aunt Lisa Weissinger died a year ago. Things got weird when that happened. One night about three weeks after her death, when I was going to bed I began to cry. Oh, I missed her so very much. I then began praying that I would see her again. Almost immediately, I sensed a cool wind with a sweet fragrance. I went on to bed about ten o'clock, sensing a presence there in the room with me. I opened my eyes as a white figure was approaching me. I then saw the kind and gentle face of my aunt smiling at me. Then, the next thing I knew, my aunt was standing there looking down at me. She bent down over me, and I began to shiver with fear, but I didn't chicken out. I just closed my eyes. The next thing I remember is a gentle kiss on my right cheek. I opened my eyes in time to see her walking out ofmy room on her way to my brother Travis' room. I went back to sleep hearing a sweet humming sound downstairs in the living room, as the rocking chair rocked. I was no longer afraid, for I knew that it was the spirit of my aunt. She loved us as much as we loved her. 3 ~~M JJ . om GJdwell County Three years ago I experienced the most terrifYing dream that I will hopefully ever have. I woke up with a taste ofsalty tears in my mouth, and with sweat running down my face and neck. I was walking through a field of flowers, flowers of all varieties. I bent down to pick a yellow rose, which was my mom's favorite flower. As I did so, I heard this creaking sound. I turned to look, and would you believe it, I saw this casket over in the middle of the field of flowers. I walked over and opened the top, and there lay Mom inside of it. She looked as if she were in a very peaceful sleep. I picked a yellow rose and tried to awaken her. When I touched Mom, Family Ghosts 227 she was as cold as ice. I began screaming for her to wake up, but she would not open her eyes. Then, the casket lid started closing of its own accord. I was terrified at the thought that I would never see...