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Paragenealogy - a case history
Let me start off by saying that I know some of you aren't going to like the combination of paranormal and genealogy. Whether it be because of your ethnic background or religious background. Let me also say that I mean this lady or her family no disrespect. And believe me I mean you no disrespect either.
The paranormal part of this story is how myself and five other people were attracted to this lady's grave. The genealogy part is my research to determine who she was and possibly why I was attracted to her.
I moved to York Co. PA in May 2008. In the middle of June I did a paranormal investigation with some friends from a local paranormal group. They showed me how to use divining rods (dowsing rods) to contact spirits. One night in August I was at Barlow's Knoll on the Gettysburg Battlefield testing my rods with a local sensitive. The rods would not work because they kept pulling to the left. The Almshouse Cemetery is located there.
The next week in the daytime I went to the cemetery with my rods and asked if the spirit that pulled my rods towards the cemetery the previous week was still there and to cross my rods if so. The rods crossed. I then asked the spirit to make the rods point to where they were. The rods swung around to point to a tombstone. I moved around the cemetery and asked the rods to point where the spirit was and each time they pointed back to the same stone. During the rest of the summer I was there numerous times and the rods pointed to the same stone. Five times while I was there others came to photograph the same stone. I asked if they were relatives. Each one said they were attracted to her stone, but were not relatives.
The lady's name is Rebecca Little who died 1882. Her maiden name was Wyble or Weible. She was married to Sam Little and they lived in Straban Twp., Adams Co. PA They had two daughters Ann and Ruth. Ann died in the Almshouse too in 1880. Ruth married. I do not know where she or her family nor do I know where Sam Little are buried. I posted a message on the Wyble page on rootsweb and a relative replied saying it was an interesting story but he knew of no psychic or paranormal powers in the family.
I have Wolford relatives in Adams Co. Just last week I discovered a David Little married a Wolford. I wonder if Rebecca and I are related.
Last week when I was there, I noticed the flowers I put on her grave earlier in the summer were still there and now there is an American flag. ( I wonder the significance.)
In all over the last 3 summers I have been to the cemetery 25 times to say hello. 24 of the times the rods pointed to her stone. The one time they did not, the rods pointed to her daughter Ann's stone.
Let me reiterate. I mean no disrespect to Rebecca or Ann or their family. I mean no disrespect to anyone who may be offended by reading this.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jim Avery on
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I have been thinking about this and think this is what is happening. For some reason the family is not buried together. Rebecca is buried with her father's second wife Sally (Sadie) Wible at Evergreen Cemetery. Rebecca died in 1882 and Sadie in 1890. However her daughter Ann had died in 1880 and is buried at the Almshouse Cemetery. Rebecca has a stone at the Almshouse but is not buried there. Her husband Samuel Little died in 1911 and is not buried either at the Almshouse nor at Evergreen Cemetery. He is in Row G of the Pennsylvania Section at the National Cemetery
I believe what is happening is that although Rebecca's physical body rests in Evergreen, with her relatives and under her stepmother's body, her spirit prefers to be at the Almshouse where her daughter is buried.
Since I last posted, I have been to the area where she is buried at Evergreen with my Mag Lite. There was so much energy there with the light flashing off and on, it was impossible to make any sense of it. The second time I was there I could get no response. I haven't been back to the Almshouse.
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Permalink Reply by Sarah Anthony on
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Hi Jim, This is indeed becoming more, and more interesting.
Is it possible that her body was moved from Almshouse to Evergreen Cemetery two days later? And if so, some residue of her body remain in the Almshouse grave which might explain why her spirit is reaching out to you.
Since she died of consumption, she might have been buried quickly. How far apart are these two cometeries? Also, it was not unusual for families to move a body from one family plot to another.
Have you droused the Evergreen plot? Since drousing can indicate a male or female, wonder how it reacts to two in a grave? Would this be called a "stacked grave"?"
I hope you get some good leads, and are having fun! Sarah
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Today I was in Gettysburg for a Living History Tour but they didn't need me so I went to three cemeteries. First I went to Evergreen Cemetery and found that Rebecca Little actually does have a tombstone although the date and year are off by one. March 31, 1883. Correct date is March 30, 1882 as shown on the marker at the Almshouse Cemetery and the burial permit. While at Evergreen I had my Mag Lites and placed them next to her marker and got no response. The wording on the marker says Rebecca J. Little, daughter of Joseph and Rebecca Wible. No mention of her husband.
Next I went to the National Cemetery to look for Samuel Little. He is in the first row of the Pennsylvania graves under a bigt shade tree. Lots of "Unknowns" around him. I placed the Mag Lites next to his grave and no response from him.
Lastly I went to the Almshouse Cemetery. Someone had taken the flowers from Ann's grave and moved htem to another grave. I moved them back. I put one light down by Ann's marker and asked that she turn it on, but it did not come on until I was ready to leave. I put one light on Rebecca's grave and asked that she turn it on. It took some coaxing but she turned it on. She affirmed that she much more wanted to be called Becky than Rebecca. She also confirmed my belief that although she was physically buried at Evergreen, her spirit spends time at the Almshouse because she is more comfortable there due to her daughter Ann being buried there.
Sarah asked that I take my rods to Evergreen. I didn't do that because there are people around and may not understand. I was on foot today. Maybe sometime when I have my car I will take them.
Any suggestions where to take this next? I am wondering if maybe Becky and her husband were divorced and that's why he is not mentioned on her tombstone.
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I look forward to reading more :)
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This past Saturday before going to work in Gettysburg doing a Paranormal Night - 6 hour long ghost hunt, I was meditating. I have meditated before but never about Rebecca. When I meditate. my angels usually appear. I have actually had an encounter with an angel in a cemetery in New Hampshire, but when I meditate between one and three angels appear. Last Saturday was no different. But my thoughts turned to Rebecca Little and something weird happened. I felt a tear roll down my cheek. If anyone knows the significance of that please let me know.
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Jim, I have been thinking about meditating and angelic encounters. Are you walking, or resting, and if resting, are your eyes closed? How do they manifest themselves to you?
When you wrote of Ghosts, I think you said you felt coldness, and the hair on your arms might stand up.
Unless your inner spirit was really connecting with Rebecca in a deeply spiritual manner, I have no idea about the tear. Were you feeling great sadness or peaceful, or did you feel that you were in her aura?
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Hi Sarah Thanks for your comments and questions. I will try to answer them here. Let me say first this is not an exact science and is based on personal experiences.
Several years ago I had an unexpected encounter with an angel in a cemetery in New Hampshire. I was a volunteer for Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness and my thing was to photograph tombstones for people. On this particular afternoon after finding the tombstones I had been requested to photograph, I walked the rest of the cemetery mainly looking for others with those names to photograph too. As I was looking I came upon the marker for a woman I knew to be a murder victim. Her killer had been a serial killer whom had not been caught. I kneeled down and said a prayer for her, I felt something wrap their arms (or wings?) around me from behind. It was the most comforting feeling I have ever experienced. When I stood up I photographed her marker and there was a shadow of a wing over one corner. Now what I don't know is if that angel is associated with her or with me.
In her book Inner Castles, St Theresa of Avilla describes her encounter with an angel and her feeling was remarkably like mine, except I wasn't levitated.
When I meditate, it is resting and listening to music. I initially went to formal meditation on Tuesday nights at our church where we relaxed and listened to music and a leader walked us through the meditation process. But I stopped going to that because I was working most Tuesdays. Whether I am meditating on my own or at church, my angelic encounters are always the same. I have my eyes shut and the room gets hot. I "see" them as yellow shadows against a dark background just drifting around. I hope that has answered your question about me and angels.
You asked about ghosts. I prefer to call them spirits. The coldness people experience are when spirits are manifesting or forming, they draw energy out of the atmosphere creating hotspots or cold spots. Usually cold. That is also why cameras and voice recorders go dead. The hair on your arm or back of your neck might stand up. You could also smell strange unexpected smells. Lights might come on unexpectedly on request. Things might move. People are afraid of them because of the fear of the unknown. I have not encountered any spirits I would term evil. But a small caveat to go with that. I do not provoke spirits. or make them angry.
I don't think I was connecting with Rebecca while I was meditating, just thought of her for some reason. I just had that peaceful feeling that comes with meditation.
Thanks again for your comments.
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Thank you for your detailed response. It gives me more to think about in relation to meditation. My mind is always too "busy" to settle down to meditate. However as a classical pianist, I can lose myself in recalling pieces I learned in the past and can play for hours. But mostly, I am lost in what I think the composer was feeling, and feel myself drawn into those feelings. It is nearly impossible for me to empty my mind and let it go where it will in a totally quiet environment.
The Spirit world is an interesting one, and I am visiting a centuries old cemetery in Beaufort, NC soon. I feel very comfortable and at peace there, even though I have no family resting under those beautiful live oak trees.
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Rebecca had her chance to be famous today. So journalism students from Penn State were doing a project interviewing people associated with the ghost culture as they call it in Gettysburg. Last night they ran into a bunch of my co-workers at the Farnsworth House and I told them about Paragenealogy and they were interested.
The one fellow came out to the Almshouse Cemetery and filmed me using my rods and maglights talking to Rebecca. She responded really well with the rods, but she didn't do as well with the lights. I don't know what they are going to do with this.
But it is good to know that people are interested in this.
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Hi Jim,
Had you thought that the filming lights might have blocked her receiving your mag light, or may have confused her?
I bet you had a great time and good for Rebecca!! Let us know what happens. Sarah
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Hi Sarah - thanks for your response. I hadn't thought about the electronics used during the filming. There were no lights on the camera. Actually they used a Nikon D800 digital SLR which shoots video as well as still pictures. They had me miked and the cameraman / producer had a wireless headset to listen to what was said by me. Rebecca was real active in responding to questions using the rods, but that was about 100 feet from her tombstone. The Mag Lights were right at her tombstone.
I will have to ask the fellow who runs the International Ghost Hunters Society what he thinks about electronic interference and will post his response here.
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I am visiting in a NC costal town which is rich in history. In the news this am is this clip:
Spirit Hunters of the Southeast obtains evidence of paranormal activity through a detailed process that includes developing a historical synopsis with information on the physical site, residents and any significant documented events.
Using an array of equipment to gather evidence, including IR night vision video cameras, 35 mm digital cameras, digital recorders, MEL-EMF meters and an SB-7/Spiritbox, the latter allowing real-time interaction with the site’s inhabitants, the Spirit Hunters of the Southeast found much that they will share in their presentations.
Ms. Nance of North Carolina holds a degree in cultural anthropology and archaeology and for 20 years has done social research for a medical school. Her interest in the paranormal began in early childhood.
Ms. Field, who lives in Georgia, has experience in the legal field and information technology and spent her childhood living in a haunted house, which peaked her curiosity in the paranormal.
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