This rather long but (I hope) interesting post is an excerpt from Ina's letter to Vance of January 12, 1936. I thought "Ghost Hunters" Hallie and Nick (and the rest of you blog followers) might like to read what Grandma Ina had to say about the spirit world. Shirley Jean, Ethel's daughter, was born in June of 1926 and thus is nine years old. Apparently Ethel had written Ina (her mother) about this experience, and the letter is being passed through the family with the understanding that Grandpa Jack is to be left out of the loop.
"Well, I'm so glad that you got to read of Shirley Jean's strange experiences! Write me what you think, but remember Dad doesn't know anything about it, though I see no reason why he shouldn't but Ethel asked me to not let him. He'd never peep and would take it in the right way, if you follow me. I waited till I could be alone before reading it and then was thrilled and fascinated. It is hard to express one's feelings in the matter. I don't doubt what she saw and heard in the least and don't think it exists only in her imagination either. Her imagination couldn't carry out such things. That one of us should contact the spirit world that way seems rather overwhelming, doesn't it? I think Ernest and Ethel are being very sensible about it. I think it will be better if Shirley Jean outgrows this gift. You never can tell where such things will lead not what burdens they may bring – broken health and a broken life, maybe, but it isn't in our hands. I've known of such cases before but never such a clear experience and so much of it.
"Charley Gurnsey used to see events that happened many miles away. This was when he was no older than Shirley Jean, if as old. He'd become hysterical, laugh and cry and then tell of something he saw. Later his folks could verify it. They never talked much about it, and used to try to get him over these spells as soon as possible. His foolish sister and the one next younger than she used to see a black cat asleep on the foot of their bed. The foolish girl tried to make it go away. No one else in the family could see it except the younger sister. Well, this was when they were along about Shirley Jean's age and if any of them ever saw things when they grew older, we never heard of it. Charley used to tell some tall stories about "hunches," but we never believed him, though of course it may have been the truth.
"Do you remember that once when you were young, I think four to six or even seven years old, you were alone in the twilight at the old house. I was up at the old hen house, and the rest all out somewhere. You came to me and told me of seeing a woman at the house. I asked you where she was and you told me. It was over in the southeast corner, though you didn't describe it that way. I asked how she was dressed and you said in white. Remember? I just passed it off, as I didn't want you to think anything of it. Once, when Earle was I think about seven, and we all slept in the main room, he saw a woman all in white sitting on the side of my bed and looking out of the window. The head of my bed was in the southwest corner then and he was sleeping in the trundle bed. He was badly frightened and hid under the covers. Next day he asked me if I'd been up in the night. Well, I couldn't be sure I hadn't been but thought I'd not, but I was purposely vague to him and passed it off. It was not the rule for me to be up at night and yet I occasionally was up to see after the cat or children and never recall their being frightened, so I always thought it a little queer. Of course this was several years before your experience and I don't know that you'd ever heard of it, for I tried not to let things like that be talked of before youngsters and tried to carry off Earl's woman as nothing anyway. Well, there a lots of queer things in the world, but why should anyone be skeptical about a spirit world that we all profess to believe in? I don't believe in spiritualism as it is generally practiced, though I've always believe there was something in it, but so often the evil creeps in and see how Shirley Jean was tormented. You know Joe and Eula Hill had to leave an apartment in Los Angeles because the spirits caused such a disturbance, made so much noise, etc. Mr. Hill told us that confidentially after he and Mrs. Hill came back from California. Well, we are all curious about the spirit world, but from all I can learn those professed spiritualists are not doing themselves nor anyone else much good. However, I don't know a great deal about them but have known some rank characters who were 'good spiritualists.'"
"Well, it is too large a subject to discuss on paper anyway."
I'm pretty sure I can hear my dad chortling away. KW
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