Roff Home Investigation- The Watseka Wonder

300 East Sheridan Street,Watseka IL 60970

29 October, 2022

Description

Come out and investigate with Graveside Paranormal and see for yourself the story of the Watseka Wonder the first documented case of possession in the United States. Graveside Paranormal’s equipment will be available for use. You are welcome to bring your own equipment as well. Ms. Michelle Ward a seasoned investigator will provide you with help in your investigation at the Roff Home. All of the evidence you gather from your investigation either audio or video will be emailed to you so you can personally go through the evidence. A ghost hunters delicacy will be provided for you. Pizza , soda and cookies. Please show up at 7:00 pm for check in with Michelle. Tickets: $95 per person Location: 300 E Sheridan St, Watseka, IL 60970 Investigation: 7:00 check-in 8:00 investigation start 4:00a.m. end of investigation. The Watseka Wonder: A Case of Possession or a Spiritual Miracle? A young woman by the name of Mary Roff exhibited signs of trances and speaking with the spiritual realm from the age of 6 months to her untimely death at the young age of 18. Mary was placed in a asylum during the summer of 1865. Her life had been at times shear terror physically, mentally and spiritually. Mary would go into clairvoyant trances and began speaking with unseen spirits. She began to harm herself by cutting her arms and placing leeches on her temples to rid herself of the pain. Regrettably Mary's mother and father had to admit her to an asylum and forever have to live with the pain of losing there daughter. The story does not end there. Fast forward to 1877 and another young girl by the name of Lurancy Vennum from the same town in Watseka Illinois began to manifest similar clairvoyant trances like that of Mary Roff. At age 14, Lurancy Vennum claimed to communicate with the spirit world just as Mary Roff had claimed. Lurancy would be asleep for days after some of these episodes of communicating with the spirit realm. It was recommended that Lurancy should be sent away to an insane asylum. During the winter of 1878, Mary Roff's father, Asa Roff, heard of the story of Lurancy Vennum and recognized the similarities between her story and that of his daughter Mary. Asa Roff was a devote practitioner of Spiritualism and agreed to meet with the Vennum family in an attempt to convince the Vennum's to not send Lurancy to an asylum . Asa called for Spiritualist Physician, Dr. E. Winchester Stevens, to examine Lurancy Vennum. Dr.Stevens was a practitioner of hypnotism and placed Lurancy into a trance to help figure out what spirits if any dwelled in this young woman. Lurancy then became possessed by the spirit of a young girl identifying herself as Mary Roff, the lost daughter of Asa Roff. The spirit of Mary Roff who inhabited the body of Lurancy began to recognize people that she knew in her prior life. She knew names and nicknames of family members whom Lurancy Vennum would have no knowledge. Thru the permission of the Vennum family, Asa Roff had Lurancy live with them at The Roff Home while the spirit of Mary Roff inhabited her body. The Spirit of Mary Roff told everyone that Lurancy was in Heaven with Angels for healing but would eventually return to her body once she was completely healed. For over 100 days the spirit of Mary Roff lived in the body of Lurancy Vennum. On May 7th, Mary Roff in the body of Lurancy Vennum announced that Lurancy’s soul was returning to her body on May 22nd. Lurancy soon returned to her body and lived a long life after the Spiritual Healing and never spoke a word of the incident. Did this Possession not only heal Lurancy Vennum but bring forgiveness to Asa Roff and his wife for placing there daughter Mary Roff in a asylum and bringing on her untimely death? Could there of been more than one soul saved in this Spirtual event in Watseka Illinois? Asa Roff a devote spiritualist conducted many seances in the home and ghost hunters have caught a lot of evidence of possible lingering spirits that still reside or come thru the Roff House to this day.