The Genealogy & Family History Social Network
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.
Views: 3308
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Susi (Susan C Jones) Pentico on
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Jim your awesome.. Thanks for this post. I want to come visit next month. I bet we could fill books with stories.
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Permalink Reply by Sarah Anthony on
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Jim, have you had any more activity?
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I don't have much to add except I am very excited to find that others are interested in the combination of genealogy and the paranormal. I thought I was the only one!
As far as Gettysburg, It is home away from home for us, my husband is a history buff and we used to be reenactors (union). There is a picture of us in a book by Tom Keels called "Philadelphia Cemeteries and Graveyards" pg 34 I believe, at a wreath laying ceremony in Laurel Hill Cemetery for General Meade.
The Almshouse cemetery in Gettysburg has always captured me for some reason, I have walked back and forth many times, but have never actuall connected with anyone that i can remember.
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Permalink Reply by Jim Avery on
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Hi Dolores - thanks for posting. Gettysburg is an interesting place and I love working at the Farnsworth House investigating the house as well as the area near the middle school where there was a lot of bloodshed on the second day of fighting. Picking up on actual people who fought there is an additional bonus. Sometimes you pick up a first name but when you can hear a full name and then connect them to someone who fought there, that is an additional bonus. One such name is Michael Gorman who we heard as part of an EVP. Maybe this winter I can do some more research on him and post it here. Again thanks for posting. I am usually in the chatroom in the evenings if you want to stop and talk a bit.
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Hello - I haven't been out to where Rebecca or her daughter was buried since last fall so nothing really new. We are almost up to 1700 views of this thread. Not bad for something not in the mainstream of genealogy. Yesterday I was at a paranormal convention in Gettysburg and had some questions to ask about my ghost hunts in Gettysburg (I work at the Farnsworth House) and I bought some ghost hunting equipment and a book. I mentioned to several people my interest in what I call paragenealogy. Some people suggested a guidebook to paragenealogy, but I don't think that will happen. At least any time soon. Some of the people in the chatroom on here want me to do a talk about paragenealogy. I am going to do that before we get really busy. I will post the date and time on here.
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Jim, a friend from another site visited Gettysburg with his son & grandchildren a couple of weeks ago. They visited the Farnsworth house and went on the ghost tour. I asked if he met you and he replied about an experience he had there with his late wife, and I am sharing it.
"We had dinner at Farnsworth (served in period costume, game pie!) Also did a 'ghost tour' (attic and cellar as well as walking tour)
Deb and I LOVED that place (401 bullet holes) - base for confederate sharpshooters - reputed to be the 2nd most haunted inn in America.
Once met a couple that left there in the middle of the night! That meant Deb and I HAD to stay there! No staff, one other couple. Before we went to sleep we heard things moving in the attic above us. I awoke when I felt someone on the bed, Deb woke to a Confederate dressed in butternut uniform sitting on the foot of the bed.
I have a picture I took in the hallway when we left, when I downloaded it there were three orbs on the ceiling!
Don't know your friend, too bad I am sure it would have been wonderful to speak with him."
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Last Saturday night we had a 6 hour Paranorml Night at the Farnsworth HOuse in Gettysburg. A couple attendingsaid they had been to the Almshouse Cemetery and were attracted to some of the graves. I told them about this site and my Forum Post. I asked the to go back out and see if they could contact Rebecca. I haven't heard back yet. They said when they were leaving "someone" closed the gate behind them.
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I hope the gate was not slammed, just gently closed. What is the name of the FB page you told me about & I visited but did not save. It is fun when others share our interests and contribute. I hope they have contacted Rebecca. Is there a season, or temperature more favorable to contacting the spirits?
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Wow over 2000 views, Thanks to those who looked at this. Since I have been working alot at the Farnsworth House in Gettysburg doing Ghost Hunts I haven't had much time for paragenealogy research. I am going over this afternoon for a possible history tour. If no one shows up I may walk up to Evergreen Cemetery where Rebecca is really buried not too far from her husband, Sam Little who is buried in the National Cemetery. Today is the day when the veil between this world and the spirit world is thinnest.
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I was out to the Almshouse Cemetery on Sunday. Someone had placed colorful artificial flowers on each grave. They had also placed large American flags on each veteran's grave and a smaller flag on each soldier's widows grave. The people buried there are buried in the order they died, not by family. It is really beautiful. I stopped at Rebecca's grave and there was a lady there drawn to her grave. I told her about my research and placed my mag lights there. I made the comment about the cemetery being beautiful and the one light came on. It has been a while since I was there and I guess her spirit still remembers me.
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Permalink Reply by rottenralf on
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Jim - I have a theory I want to throw by you. Last night I was having a dream about helping a girl who lives east of town fill out a college application. This was odd enough because I have no idea who she was and I never went to college so know nothing about college applications. Then this totally unrelated theory hit me. It is a little disjointed so I'll do it in sections. You know when you go to Farnsworth and the battle grounds the ghosts you are in contact are soldiers, the little boy, etc. You don't seem to have any 79 year guys who died peacefully in their sleep. It seems to be painful or distressful deaths that create ghosts. Now it is generally accepted that the soul separates from the body at death and it is that spirit you are being in contact with. Following so far? What if someone who is in so much pain and/or distress actually has their soul detach from their body before the death is 100% complete? Either because of the unnaturalness of their death or they are willing themselves to die because of the pain? What if that means there is a smidgen of life left, 1% ½% maybe less. Might that trace of life is attached to the soul and prevents them from moving on and at the same time can't reattach to the body which is in no condition to accept it and getting worse by the second. Could this be the reason they are still between worlds? Now I have never heard of this theory until I dreamed it up last night. Have you heard anything like this before? Does it redline you crazy meter? Do you think it makes sense. I know there is no way to prove or disprove it, I just want to know if you think it is rational.
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