Spooky Relations

Had this tale reached me a couple of weeks earlier it would have been perfect timing for Halloween, but better late than never, right? Sure, I could have kept it under my hat until next year, but this bit of family weirdness can’t wait. There’s not much to the story, really, and certainly everyone has heard more eerie or horrific tales, but I’m absolutely floored that this sort of thing took place in my family. Dad’s side of the family consisted of miners and farmers, conservative Ohio folk that were known for their dignity and moral propriety. It’s their upstanding demeanor and quiet reserve that makes this tale of the occult truly extraordinary.
My grandmother, Goldie Stevens (born Goldie Parker), was almost seventy in 1957, the year I was born, but I got to know her well enough to see her as guiding force behind dad’s strength of character. Goldie passed on in 1979, and my grandfather, Homer Stevens, died in 1961. I was too young to remember my grandfather, but from all accounts he too was possessed of a character that was beyond reproach. Not much was known of the Stevens or Parkers beyond my grandparents generation, and no prospects for further information were in sight until a few weeks ago. In the course of doing our genealogy research my sister Carol has corresponded with our aunt Dorothy Jean, hoping to add a generation or two to the family tree. Little was gained in that regard, but instead what surfaced was a number of priceless family anecdotes. This one, set somewhere around the year 1900, is centered around Goldie’s childhood and the family pastime, playing with a Ouija Board.
I would describe myself as an open-minded skeptic. I have always had an interest in the paranormal, although my appreciation for “spooky stuff” lies in its entertainment value, not as a field of study. Many of my generation loved being scared by spook shows and monster movies in their youth, and it’s in the same spirit (pardon the pun) that I enjoy watching the show Ghost Hunters today. Ouija Boards are a well-known tool for communicating with the beyond, and it should be said that while they have acquired a rather sinister “dark arts” connotation, just a few years ago they were looked on as something not too far removed from board games like Monopoly or Scrabble. Ouija Boards were a game, one that even respectable folk could indulge in without guilt. More insight into the board’s use during this time is quoted here from Wikipedia:

The first undisputed use of the talking boards came with the Modern Spiritualist Movement in The United States in the mid-19th century. Methods of divination at that time used various ways to spell out messages, including swinging a pendulum over a plate that had letters around the edge or using an entire table to indicate letters drawn on the floor. Often used was a small wooden tablet supported on casters. This tablet, called a planchette, was affixed with a pencil that would write out messages in a fashion similar to automatic writing. These methods may predate modern Spiritualism.
During the late 1800s, planchettes were widely sold as a novelty. The businessmen Elijah Bond and Charles Kennard had the idea to patent a planchette sold with a board on which the alphabet was printed. The patentees filed on May 28, 1890 for patent protection and thus had invented the first Ouija board.

It appears that the family often used such a board, but on one particular occasion got an unexpected response. When Goldie’s father, Henry G. Parker (1840-1914), inquired as to the well-being of one of his older daughters, asking, “How is Pearl?” The pointer (the planchette) began to travel, seemingly guided by an unseen force. It indicated the letters P-E-A-R-L, but the pointer continued. More letters were selected, until the entire message had been relayed:  Pearl is dead.  Henry didn’t hesitate, grabbing his coat and hat and rushing to Pearl’s nearby place of residence. But this only confirmed what he had already been told, as his daughter had indeed passed on. The Ouija board was put away and never used again.
That sounds for all the world like one of those urban myths, those creepy stories retold a zillion times with the names and locations changed as needed. I cannot confirm this story, nor can I convince anyone as to the integrity of the parties involved. All I can say is that my aunt’s character is, to my eyes, beyond reproach. She isn’t the sort to fabricate such a tale, and frankly I’m a little surprised that she even repeated it. Dorothy Jean heard this from her mother Goldie, who was there when the event took place. How I would love to hear Goldie’s account of the event.
So Goldie told my aunt the story. Wouldn’t she have also told my father? And why wouldn’t he have told me? Even if he didn’t want to spook me with it when I was young, wouldn’t the story have come to mind just a couple of years ago as we watched Ghost Hunters together?! My dad was the most trustworthy individual I’ve ever known, and if he had recounted the event with conviction I would believe it. As it is we’re left with only a story, one with minimal details and no evidence of proof whatsoever. But it was told by a highly credible family member, and, as is my way, I’m going to keep an open mind.