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Unknown Woman Haunting My Grandmother's Home

 

When my maternal grandmother and (late) grandfather were first married, they purchased a several acre lot on the street where my grandmother spent her childhood. They built their own home using inexpensive bricks recovered from the rubble of the Chicago fire, and if you care to look, you can easily see harsh scorch marks along the exterior of the home.

Also, in the back bedroom, there is a trunk containing a collection of uniform buttons from the Civil War (both armies) and a LOT of Native American artifacts, all collected over time by my grandmother on her walks through the property and along the road towards Mobile Bay. We invited an archaeologist to pay a visit, and he dated most of the artifacts as being between 3,000 and 5,000 years old along with a hand full being from the Creek tribe that used to inhabit the area.

It's a lovely home that I've spent as much time in as my own. I even lived there for several months after my grandmother had hip surgery, and there isn't a doubt in my mind or anyone else's that the house is haunted.

The first time anyone saw our "woman in white" in her entirety, my mother was a teenager. She was sleeping in her bedroom when she was woken up by their new puppy barking and growling at the foot of her bed. After several minutes, she sat up to see what was happening. When she turned on the bedside lamp, a young woman dressed in a dated, white nightgown was standing at the foot of her bed, making eye contact without blinking. My mother screamed for her parents and hid her face from the "intruder." When my grandfather opened up her bedroom door, he saw nothing. My mother peaked through her hands and saw that the woman was gone. My grandfather dismissed it as a dream, but my mother was terrified. She laid in bed awake all night with her lamp on and the puppy growling at something invisible at the foot of her bed. She never announced herself to my mother again.

Since, my grandmother and I and some of our friends have had plenty of run-ins with the ghost. Once, when only my grandmother and I were home, I was cleaning the bathroom when I heard someone run down the hallway. I peaked my head through the doorway to see what could be going on, and when I did, a tower of smoke stretching from the floor to the ceiling and as big around as myself flew so quickly all up the hallway and so close to my face that wind moved my hair. As soon as it passed me, the smoke totally disappeared. I told my grandmother about it, and she very calmly and nonchalantly explained to me that for years there had been a tower of smoke that would drift up and down her hallway in the early afternoon.

Another time, I saw her as plainly as I can see anyone else. We had company in town for the holidays, and while we were watching a movie, I peered to my right and saw her standing where the hallway meets the living room. White nightgown, blonde hair, young and thin. She was leaning against the wall and smiling sweetly at the fun my younger cousins were having. She didn't even seem to notice that I'd seen her, and no one else had noticed her (I asked them several days later). She eventually turned into the kitchen and was gone.

Sometimes she reacts to family photos. As in, we will hang a photo and the next day find it sitting in a chair. Once, when we hung a photo of my great-great grandmother, the door to the wardrobe below it would open on its own for several days following. It hadn't done it before, and it hasn't done it since.

Sometimes I feel her standing beside me or behind me while I'm cleaning, like she's making sure everything stays where it belongs. During such moments, I've told her I'll make sure nothing bad happens to anything I'm cleaning. A few times, I've felt someone move my hair or heard something fall in response. Most of us have seen her enter our bedrooms at night or woken up to see her sitting on the edge of our beds, watching us while we sleep. As frightened as my mother was of her, I don't feel anything hostile or negative when she's around. She seems sweet, almost protective. I'm not sure where she came from, but if anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, christabelle, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will participate in the discussion and I need help with what I have experienced.

Triskaideka (2 stories) (388 posts)
 
9 years ago (2015-07-19)
I instantly thought that she is probably tied to the bricks. I wonder how many homes she visits. She probably misses the potential life she could have had, and visits your home to see a happy family. If I were her, I'd rotate through homes and stick around only the happy ones, or maybe even protect kids in abusive homes and scare the crap out of the parents. That kind of thing. Even better, protect the abused, then after a long day of work, visit a nice home, smile and feel accomplished, then go have a snack and take a nap.
christabelle (2 stories) (5 posts)
 
9 years ago (2015-07-17)
Hecate,
The image was of my great-great grandmother, his grandmother. But there is a picture of his mother that refuses to stay on any of the walls, no matter what frame we put it in. (Just mentioning that because it's interesting... I knew his mother in life. She and I were so, so close, and the ghost was around for decades before she passed in 2006.) Also, I know you meant your statement good naturedly:)

Red,
Surprisingly, none of us have ever thought of the idea of the smoke being from that fire. We've always assumed it was her. Interesting thought!

Appreciatively,
Christa
RedWolf (31 stories) (1292 posts)
 
9 years ago (2015-07-17)
Christa
Thanks for sharing this great story. With recycling the bricks, Civil War buttons, and Native American artifacts I'm surprised your grandmother didn't have a houseful of ghosts. She could have become rich if she sold all of the artifacts and even the Civil War buttons.
I think if your grandmother recognized the woman I'm sure she would have told you.
Since the bricks come from the Chicago fire maybe the spirit is Mrs. O'Leary 😆. The smoke may also be because of the bricks that were reclaimed from the Chicago fire.
Regards
Red
Hecate0 (4 stories) (418 posts)
 
9 years ago (2015-07-17)
Christabelle, I wish it had been a sister, and I mean that respectfully. It would simplify things better. 😊 But I was also nudged by the great-grandmother picture and door banging. Was that his mother? See where I am going with this?

Hecate
christabelle (2 stories) (5 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-07-17)
Hecate,
My grandmother's brother passed away surprisingly young and suddenly from a heart attack years ago.
Hecate0 (4 stories) (418 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-07-17)
Christa, I agree with Tweed and Abhijeet about the bricks and artifacts as possibilities. But I kept getting the feeling that your grandmother had a sibling die early. Is that possible? Could she be something like that, around still protecting the family in the house? Just another thought.

Thanks for sharing.

Hecate
christabelle (2 stories) (5 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-07-17)
Thanks for your comments and ideas, you guys! I've often wondered if she is tied to the bricks myself.
TPA_Abhijeet (guest)
 
9 years ago (2015-07-16)
Thanks for sharing this wonderful story
Its nice that the presence isn't harmful

You told that the house was built from bricks of building in Chicago Fire. I don't know much about it. I think that she might have died in that fire and came back to see remains of her house which was now part of your grandfather's house (Bricks).

Other reasons might be due to collection of objects from Civil war, Native American artifacts and other things which were
collected by your grandmother
Tweed (33 stories) (2475 posts)
 
9 years ago (2015-07-16)
Christa, thanks for sharing this wonderful story.

Maybe she simply followed some of the rubble (bricks) of what was once her home. Decided that your Grandparents place was a nice place to be and watch over people.
As it became clear in your story that she is a nice presence, I thought that your Mother waking up and seeing her unblinking eyes might have been the woman's surprised reaction. As in the woman was surprised that she had scared your Mother.

Thanks again for sharing this.

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