Miss Bertha's House

lilhemi · Orb Joined: Aug 01, 2007 Posts: 17

I'm really nervous about posting this, as I haven't said much about it to anyone outside of my family. I've lived in my house for almost 2 years. I moved in during Labor Day weekend 2005. The house was built around 1925, and all I knew about it when I bought it was that it had been a rental house for several years but was for sale & empty for almost two years.
My kids were camping w/thre dad that weekend (I'm a divorced single mom) so I spent my first night in the house alone (except for my dog & 2 cats ). After the friends helping me move left, I went to my old house & picked up my pets. They were nervous in a new place, but soon settled down. (The dog & one of the cats were adults when we got them so I had seen how they react to a new home & strange animals.) After I went to bed they went crazy, running all through the house, fur standing on end, & Cleo (my dog) was barking & whining. I was nervous anyway. I've never had much experience of ghosts, but I've always managed to avoid living in places where they might be. Looking back, I can see that some things I've experienced might point toward me being "sensitve"-I might post some later. I had almost every light in the house on, & I tried to ignore the animals & sleep. Every time I dozed off, I woke up with the impression someone was standing by my bed yelling at me. I thought I was dreaming, because the voice seemed to be a sort of humming, with no clear words. I had the feeling that someone was very upset that I was there, & frustrated that I couldn't understand them & wouldn't leave. This went on for most of the night, til about 4 or so I finally got some sleep. I was scared, but told myself it was just stress from the move. The next two nights were about the same, except I stayed up as long as possible to avoid it. I also started hearing the humming at night (& sometimes during the day)when I was wide awake. It was more of a vibration than a sound, & sometimes it changed from humming to sound like someone singing one note & holding it for long periods of time.
When the kids came back they didn't hear anything, so I didn't mention it to them.
Months went by, & still heard the "singing." It usually started between 11:30 & 12, & lasted til about 2 or 2:30. Then it would stop. Most of the time I would be asleep, and it would wake me up several times. Then it, always between 1:30 & 2, it would get really loud, & it would feel as if someone hit the bed one time , hard enough to make it shake. Then it would fade off & eventually stop.
It's no fun to wake up to a loud noise right in your ear & feel the bed shake & no one's there. Both kids would be sound asleep, all the animals accounted for & asleep (usually Cleo would be asleep on the bed- when it shook she would look scared & head for the couch). It was always worse if I left a lot of lights on.
One day I was home alone, bending down to put dishes away in a base cabinet. There's a wall corner cabinet above it that sticks out over the base, & I'd already bumped my head on it several times before. I was standing stand up when I felt something touch the top of my head & gently but firmly push me back down. I looked up to see if one of the cats was sitting on the counter, but they weren't even in the kitchen. I was a little freaked out, but not really scared.
There's a railroad track about a mile away, and if the house is really quiet you can barely hear the train whistle. One Saturday night me, my kids, & my fiancee (who doesn't live with us) were in the living room watching TV. The air was on, the TV volume was up, & we were talking. Suddenly there was a loud sound like an airhorn being blown in the doorway of the kitchen. The kids jumped & asked what it was, & my fiancee said , it's just the train. But we've never heard the train that loud, even with absolute quiet in the house. I could tell my fiancee was a little shaken, but he doesn't want to admit it. When I tell him about what goes on in the house he just laughs at me.
Countless times I've heard a TV or radio, gone to cut it off, only to find nothing on at all.
My fiancee gave me a huge upright piano that was made in 1920. Right away I began hearing it played when I was alone or at night.
The kids are always sound asleep, sometimes the cover is even over the keys.One night last summer I was lying in bed (trying to ignore the humming) when my daughter (12 then) came into my room & asked to sleep in my bed. She finally told me she'd heard something that sounded like her violin being played. Since then she hears the sounds, has seen things move in her room like someone brushed by them, and has seen things out of the corner of her eyes. She sleeps with 2 fans and the TV on. My son (11 now) doesn't seem to notice anything strange. My daughter & I both have been wearing headphones & heard someone singing along with the music.
It's as if this ghost (yes, I finally admitted it, to myself, anyway,) uses other sounds like the train whistle, and the piano & violin, to try & communicate. Has anyone ever heard this before?
There are some other strange things, like several DVD boxes disapearing from where I put them minutes before and reapearing in the same spot after I' looked for them for 30 minutes - even looking in that spot over & over. There's also a closet door that opens or shuts at odd times. (I was trying to take pictures of the house to send to some friends & the closet kept popping open. I said, pleas stay shut for the picture, & it did. There were orbs all in the pics of the dining room & my daughter's room, which really freaked us out until I found out they're usually just dust w/ digital cameras. The batteries always die when I try to photograph the kitchen, except when I ask if I can take a pic.)
Once I told my daughter that if we had a ghost the pets would act strange,& that night my dog & one cat started acting weird. Cleo would stare at my bedroom door & shake, then run past it w/ her tail between her legs. Since that night she won't sleep on my bed if I turn the light out. The older cat at & stared at the same spot with his fur raised,and all 3 followed something with their eyes. The younger cat sits by the kitchen door & acts like he's beeing petted - it's really strange to watch.
I began to get the feeling that there was the spirit of an elderly lady who loved the house, didn't want to leave it, & didn't like other people being there. After doing some online research, I went in the dining room (seems to be her favorite spot, along w/ the kitchen), & feeling like an idiot, I told her she should move to the light & cross over. She didn't seem to like that, because there was a lot of noise & "negative" feelings for a while. So then I told her that I knew she loved the house, but I did too & I'd take care of it for her. One night, after being woken up a few times, I said, please stop singing at me, & waking me up, I've got to sleep. After that (about 6 months ago, I guess) things started to quiet down. I feel like she's either used to us & approves us, or she's sort of quietly drifting away. Sometimes it seems like she forgets we're here, then it's suddenly, oh, there you are, and sings a little to remind us she's around.
I was recently able to find out some history, & it confirms what I felt. An elderly lady named Bertha (I won't post her last name as I don't want to offend any of her family) lived here. She had at least one son, who died in 96. Her husband Otis died in March of 1934 when he was 35 Sad

. I don't know if they built the house, or how he died or where. I don't think I ever felt a male presence. She lived here as a widow for nearly 50 years, then had to go to a nursing home where she died in 1984 at 88 years old. I found out that she refused to sell the house & until she died it was empty & overgrown. Her son lived here for a while, then it went through 2 different owners in a short period of time. After that it was a rental house, but no one stayed in it very long. One of my neighbors said people would move in, stay a few months, then leave. (I think I know why!) When I finally confirmed her name (it was actually yesterday) I felt a surge of peace. Immediately in my mind she became Miss Bertha. When I got home from work I went into the dining room & said, Miss Bertha, thanks for sharing your house with us. I feel like she wants her home cared for, & wants to be remembered. I'm going to try to find out more, & maybe find some pictures. I would love to know if she was musically gifted.
I'm sorry this is so long. It's a relief to be able to share with others who won't think I'm crazy. I'd be interested to hear anyone's opinions or impressions. Thanks for reading! Very Happy

GaGal · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject:

Awesome story Lilhemi! It sounds like she may have been jealous of you living in her house. Once you told her that you loved the house and wanted to take care if it, she wasnt as "active".

Thanks for sharing!

farmy · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 6:35 pm Post subject:

wow! I know just how you feel... we has something like that happen when we moved into our 1845 farm house... once i told the last owner we were not going to let the developers get it & it would remain a farm... he finally left... glad you are sticking it out!

lilhemi · Orb Joined: Aug 01, 2007 Posts: 17

Thanks for the comments. Over the weekend my son told me he sees a misty figure in the kitchen at night- right in the spot where someone touched my head. He likes to sleep in the floor beside my bed, and he says that sometimes when he looks through my door into the kitchen there's someone standing there. Then my daughter said she smells tobacco smoke in her room alot - not from a cigarrette, but from a pipe. I've smelled cigarrette smoke sometimes. I forgot to mention that there's a strong smell of charred wood in the dining room. There's a small burnt place on the floor ( hardwood) around the fireplace, but the fireplaces haven't been used in years, and they are coal grates. The smell sometimes gets stronger, but it never completely goes away.
Anyway, I told the kids not to be afraid, and then I talked to our ghost, (I always feel like an idiot when I do that!!) and said please stop scaring the kids, it's ok if you don't want to leave, just don't appear or anything. I got a really peaceful feeling even before I'd finished talking. (I left the stove light on for my son, so I don't know if there's still any figure in the kitchen at night.Then Sunday morning I went to get something out of the dining room closet, which usually opens by itself and stays ajar no matter how often you shut it. The door was closed tight, which surprised me, and I couldn't get it open. I thought the wood was swollen, but tere are gaps all way around & no reason I could see for it to be stuck. I pulled back w/ all my weight, still wouldn't budge. It finally opened after I said, Please open the door, I need to get something. Then I pulled & it popped right open. I sort of think that closing the door was Miss Bertha's way of saying she'd leave us alone.
This is all so new to me. I still feel like I'm crazy for believing there's a ghost here.

fluffyluggage · Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 5:43 am Post subject:

You should NOT feel crazy. On this website, at least, there are a lot of skeptics, but there are also a lot of believers, sensitives, and even mediums here. You have to do what you have to do to protect yourself and your family, and this is a great place to learn that. Kudos to you for recognizing what you think is going on and trying to cope with it and helping your kids to feel more comfortable with living in your house. Even if by some chance you are wrong and the things going on can be explained, you are making yourself and your family feel better, and you are all getting along much better in the house. I, for one, believe you, and I think you have solved your own mystery. Check out the other forums to learn about other people and see their profiles, you'll learn a lot more about how other people think and feel about ghosts and other paranormal phenomena and you won't feel alone anymore, I promise! Wink

lilhemi · Orb Joined: Aug 01, 2007 Posts: 17

Happy Thangsgiving, everyone! I had to bump this & tell everyone what happened last night. When my ghost wants my attention she flips the trashcan lid. I've heard it many times, & usually I can see that no one else is near it and my animals are all in view. (you should see the look on my bf's face when he hears it- he doesn't believe in ghosts) Last night about 11 I was sitting in bed reading ( wide awake, cause I was also eating ice cream, shame on me!) The trashcan is beside the fridge right outside my door. Some movement caught my eye, and I turned my head, looking straight at the trash can, & watched the lid slowly tilt by itself (it's one with the lid hinged on little pins, so it can actually spin around.) It opened all the way & stayed there.
I looked at it for a couple of minutes & nothing else happened, so I got up & shut it. Then I tried to make it stay up by itself, but it wouldn't. The only way it will stay open is if something in the can is wedged up under it - which was not the case last night (new, almost empty bag.)
I wasn't scared like I once would have been, but it's an unbelievable feeling to see something like that. I should mention that my son was asleep in his room, my daughter was in another room at the computer, & both cats & the dog were on my bed with me.
I told the ghost goodnight, and got back into bed.
Needless to say, I won't be repeating this to anyone except you guys!
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eeek_the_kat · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:46 pm Post subject:

Absolutely amazing story. Have you tried to document (video/audio recording) any of the events?
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lilhemi · Orb Joined: Aug 01, 2007 Posts: 17

Not yet - the only things that show up in my pics are orbs, & they've only shown up since I started using a digital camera. My daughter has a camcorder, but I honestly never thought about setting it up & seeing what it catches. I plan to buy a digital recorder soon, & try to pick up some evps. (Even though I can't stand to listen to them- they scare the crap out of me for some reason! Shocked

I've just gradually gone from being scared to just sort of accepting things that go on around my house. For a long time I couldn't sleep if I was alone in the house. I guess I'm just getting to the point of wanting to document & investigate.
I'm still trying to come to terms with what I saw last night. If somebody told me the same thing, I doubt I would have believed them! But, I know what I saw, & I know I was wide awake.
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Come to the Darkside...we have cookies!!

lilhemi · Orb Joined: Aug 01, 2007 Posts: 17

The only other time I actually saw anything like that was when I was about 11. We were touring the Biltmore House in Asheville NC. In one of the bedrooms was a wardrobe (armoire) with glass in the doors, and sheer white curtains behind the glass. Everyone walked through the room, but I was walking slower & looking at everything.
I was just about to walk out the door when I turned back for one more look. One of the curtains moved like it was being pulled back by someone inside the wardrobe. It didn't flutter like in a draft, it looked like a hand was pulling back that one section of curtain.
I yelled for my dad, & told him what happened, but he just said I imagined it. He walked back out, and it did it again.
I told everyone what I saw, but no one believed me. But, I knew what I saw.
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Come to the Darkside...we have cookies!!

Kristin · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:57 pm Post subject:

That's an interesting story, Lilhemi. Sounds like you're learning to deal with it just fine. It also sounds like you may be sensitive, as these things present themselves in your presence. Keep us posted. If you have the means, I suggest you try to capture the kitchen scene on video, as that's where the most occurs. You've seen things already as have your children, so this will frighten you the least when you review it. You also have some validation to show to others, if needed.Then later, you can try to record some evp... Don't feel crazy. I'm impressed that you're dealing with it so well, those things can be unnerving when you're laying there in bed eating ice cream or just going about your business.