Welcome To Illinois: Wonder In Watseka.

The ancient belief in reincarnation has been steadly gaining ground over the last one hundred years in the western part of the world as an alternative to explain what happens to the human soul after death. Many in the United States have virtually left the christian idea of death, judgement and punishment or reward behind to embrace the ancient doctrine which is a tenent of faith for millions of Hindus and Buddhists the world over. I suppose it is a more pleasant idea to come back as an elephant than running the risk of burning in a sea of fire for eternity and a day. It is a nice idea but as with anything pertaining to matters of the paranormal or supernatural is there any proof to back up such a belief. I believe there just may be, and that proof came in the form of a young girl living right here in good old Illinois.

Watseka, a small town in southwest Illinois, was pretty much like any other small town in nineteenth century Illinois, boring as hell. I can tell you from experience as a native born son of the Prairie state, not much has changed. It would seem that the only thing to do on a Saturday night was get drunk, tip cows and screw, sorry I digress. In 1876, that boredom would change for the southern Illinois town when something odd ocurred to the Vennum family that would forever change the way many viewed life after death.

Little twelve year old, Lurancy Vennum, by all appearances seemed to be like any other girld her age. She played with friends, pulled pranks on her older siblings and undoubtably dreamed of the day when she would walk down the aisle and marry the man that she loved. Unfortuanately all that would change shortly after her thirteenth birthday. Lurancy, began to complain to her mother of excruciating stomach pains that would oftentimes cause her to black out. When she awoke from one of her pain induced black outs she told all who were seeing to her safety that she experienced strange visions of angels who came to her and spoke of incredible things that she found difficult to articulate to anyone. Terrified by what her daughter was telling her, the Vennums called for the local doctor to examine their young daughter.

The first time the doctor was sent for, Lurancy, was coming out of one of her mystifying black outs to find the doctor sitting over her. After a complete examination, the doctor took the Vennums aside and reported that he could find nothing physically wrong with their daughter. She showed no signs of epilepsy or any other fainting disease for that matter. The doctor further explained that whatever was effecting the thriteen year old may be something purely in the mind or perhaps she was just succumbing to a swoon, something young girls were prone to do. The Vennum’s were pleased with the doctor’s diagnosis and the doctor headed out the door not knowing that the worst was yet to come.

As the days came and went the strange condition of Lurancy Vennum, appeared to be getting much worse. The quiet of the Vennum household would oftentimes be disturbed in the middle of the night by the screams and cries of Lurancy as she fought with some invisible assailant in her bed. When Lurancy’s family burst through the door they found their little girl sitting on her bed covered in sweat with her bedclothes flung across the room. Lurancy, who was truly terrified, would tell them bizarre tales of evil spirits that flew into her open window and screamed at her as well as show her terrifying images of souls writhing in eternal torment in a sea of fire. By now the Vennum’s were at a loss of what to do for their little girl and they began to fear the worst. They feared their sweet faced little girl was in the process of losing her mind.

Once again the local doctor was sent for and he once again examined the young girl. After inspecting the girl, the doctor told her parents that according to his professional opinion little Lurancy, was going mad and should be admitted to an insane asylum. Let the reader understand insane asylums of the 19th century are nothing like the psychiatric hospitals of today. Folks who were sent to an asylum were either forgotten about and died in their own filth or were subjucted to barbarous experiments that really did nothing but make the patient worse. The Vennum’s were well aware of this fact and would do no such thing, they would care for the daughter and endure anything that should come there way.

For a few weeks the madness of Lurancy Vennum subsided and she went about acting as she normally did, perfectly sane until one day when she was helping her mother hang the laundry on the line in the backyard. Lurancy, began to slip into a strange trance and she began to babble incoherently until a gruff masculine voice issued from her mouth. Mrs. Vennum, rushed to her daughter’s side and called for her husband for his help. Mr. Vennum burst through the back door and run up to his wife who had her arms around the young girl to keep her falling down. “Get the hell away from me you hypocrites.” The gruff male voice yelled when Mr. Vennum reached his wife and little girl. “I don’t need your help”, the voice further said. “You are nothing but pigs to me.” Upon hearing the voice the Vennums began to suspect that their daughter was not going mad but some spirit was using their daughter to speak.

During this time, the new faith of Spiritualism was gaining ground in that part of the United States and those who heard of Lurancy Vennum and the strange voices that came through her was a sign that a powerful medium was in the midst of their small midwestern town. Hundreds from all over the countryside flocked to the Vennum house in the hopes that perhaps they could receive a message from a dearly departed friend or family member that had left this earthly plane. One day as Lurancy was channeling a spirit for a family friend a new voice that had never been heard before began to emerge and Lurancy seemed to take on the personality of this new spirit. Lurancy, or the spirit, began to sob and said that she was Mary Roff, and she was afraid and wanted her mom and dad immediately.

Across town, Mr and Mrs Asa Roff, got word of the strange events transpiring at the Vennum household and the spirit of their young daughter who had committed suicide fifteen years earlier, was demanding to see them. When the Roff’s arrived that the Vennum household, Lurancy jumped up and threw her arms around Mr Roff and said, “Oh Daddy, I missed you so.” Mr Roff pushed the strange girl away from him and after a long look into her eyes began to cry and shouted, “Thanks be to God, this young girl is my daughter, Mary.”

Although the Roff’s were firm believers that the dead could contact the living they still needed proof that this was their daughter inhabiting the body of Lurancy Vennum. After a long talk with Lurancy’s parents, the Vennums agreed to allow Lurancy to go and temporarily live with the Roffs to see if there was any truth to the strange goings on.

Upon arrival at the Roff household, Lurancy ran through the door to find numerous Roff family members present. As she burst through the door, Lurancy greeted Mary’s siblings and Mary’s grandmother with the special pet names that only Mary Roff would know. After a brief chat with the astounded family members, Lurancy ran straight to Mary’s room and flung herself on the bed in a special way the Roff’s said their daughter used to do. Lurancy jumped up from the bed and tried on Mary’s favorite hat and scarf. Lurancy turned to the Roff’s and said with tears in her eyes, “Mommy, Daddy, I’m so sorry for what I did. Will you please forgive me?” The Roff’s hugged the young girl and were delighted to see that their young girl was returned to them even if she did not look like their Mary. The Roff’s were convinced this was their daughter, Mary Roff.

After a few months of living with the Roffs and becoming a true member of the family Lurancy/Mary woke up and began to cry uncontrollably. Mr Roff raced to his daughter’s side and asked, “Mary, what ever is the problem.” Lurancy/Mary looked up at the old man and stammered out, “I’m not Mary, my name is Lurancy Vennum.” Asa Roff could feel his heart breaking inside of him and after a long moment of looking at the young girl who once claimed to be his daughter he did the only thing that he could, he returned Lurancy Vennum to her family. Mary Roff left the young girl never to return again.

When we look back at this strange case many questions come to mind. Was Lurancy a powerful medium who was able to hold the spirit of a dead girl and become her completely? Or was Lurancy merely faking and taking vengence on her parents for something they had done? Or was this a true case of a reincarnated soul who was able to come forth and take over it’s new body? It is entirely possible that Lurancy Vennum was a medium and the spirit of Mary Roff was strong enough to take possession of her body for a time. And as for faking, why what would Lurancy have to gain? By all accounts Lurancy Vennum was a happy well adjusted girl and the Vennum Household was a happy and loving one. So that would leave the reincarnation possibility.

I am reminded of a case that came out of India a few years ago where a young boy claimed to be a criminal who was murdered. The young boy claimed to have terrible nightmares of a bunch of men ganging up on him and shooting him in the head. The young boy complained of horrible headaches and was born with a strange birthmark that to all appearances looked like a bullett wound on his forhead. When the young boy was taken to the village of the man he claimed to be and greeted all the dead man’s relatives and friends as if the boy had known them his whole life. This very true story is much like the strange case that came out of southern Illinois. Perhaps when we die some great judge in the sky does not pass down a guilty or innocent verdict. Perhaps the strange case of Lurancy Vennum is proof that we come back time and time again to get things right. Maybe.

Rick. Hale
t_seeker@hotmail.com