Vandal desecrated tombstones litter the Mt. Olive Cemetery near Lucas, OH which contains the gravesite of Mary Jane Hendrickson from which have been launched some unbelievable tales of the paranormal.
MARY JANE’S GRAVE
...Some haunting Halloween folklore
Deep in the heavily wooded bowels of Monroe Township down near Malabar Farm lies the origin of some of the county’s most enduring folklore. Or, could these many stories possibly be true?
Somewhere in desolate Mt. Olive Cemetery are the interred remains of Mary Jane Hendrickson. Legend has it Mary was buried there in 1898 after she was burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft.
Or, was it 1793 as one history has it, when she was hanged then buried for the same offense.
A large pine tree near her grave has been known to bleed; many times, according to oft repeated tales.
One version of her story holds she was not a witch as often alleged and did not die by being burned at the stake—or hanged. She was the servant of a man who owned a large quantity of area property and after she had served him many years he gave her a piece of land near the cemetery where she lived the reclusive and simple life of an herbalist.
Another story adds, all unusual sightings near the grave are the result of a nearby Indian burial ground from which spirits are dismayed by the noisy visitors.
Then there is this story: Supposedly one night four guys went down there and three of them had been drinking. The drinkers peed on the big pine tree behind her grave. On their way home the three guys that peed on her tree died in a car accident, but the one guy who didn’t pee on her tree lived.
Then there is this: In 1992 a visitor to the cemetery was driving a new Camaro down the road to the cemetery when he saw what he thought was a ghost, and, his car died. After the ghost disappeared in the woods, his car restarted.
Who knows; creepy hocus pocus or truly unexplainable phenomena? I’m inclined to believe the former, but, each time I chuckle with indifference to this silliness, the hair on my arms stands up and the lights dim.
Hmmmm.
Ed. Note: Perhaps a fitting, final chapter to this lore would be documented stories of Mary Jane paying personal visits to the miscreants who have vandalized her final resting place.
MARY JANE’S GRAVE
...Some haunting Halloween folklore
Deep in the heavily wooded bowels of Monroe Township down near Malabar Farm lies the origin of some of the county’s most enduring folklore. Or, could these many stories possibly be true?
Somewhere in desolate Mt. Olive Cemetery are the interred remains of Mary Jane Hendrickson. Legend has it Mary was buried there in 1898 after she was burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft.
Or, was it 1793 as one history has it, when she was hanged then buried for the same offense.
A large pine tree near her grave has been known to bleed; many times, according to oft repeated tales.
One version of her story holds she was not a witch as often alleged and did not die by being burned at the stake—or hanged. She was the servant of a man who owned a large quantity of area property and after she had served him many years he gave her a piece of land near the cemetery where she lived the reclusive and simple life of an herbalist.
Another story adds, all unusual sightings near the grave are the result of a nearby Indian burial ground from which spirits are dismayed by the noisy visitors.
Then there is this story: Supposedly one night four guys went down there and three of them had been drinking. The drinkers peed on the big pine tree behind her grave. On their way home the three guys that peed on her tree died in a car accident, but the one guy who didn’t pee on her tree lived.
Then there is this: In 1992 a visitor to the cemetery was driving a new Camaro down the road to the cemetery when he saw what he thought was a ghost, and, his car died. After the ghost disappeared in the woods, his car restarted.
Who knows; creepy hocus pocus or truly unexplainable phenomena? I’m inclined to believe the former, but, each time I chuckle with indifference to this silliness, the hair on my arms stands up and the lights dim.
Hmmmm.
Ed. Note: Perhaps a fitting, final chapter to this lore would be documented stories of Mary Jane paying personal visits to the miscreants who have vandalized her final resting place.
1 comment:
Can you describe the location of this grave site. Is it up on top of a hill ? In an area referred to as Jelico ? I think I've been there in my much earlier haunts.
How was the birthday and the visit with the family.
Denny
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