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Della & Melvin Shafer
Hatteberg's People
Reporter: Larry Hatteberg
| May 23,2004--On Hatteberg’s People, Della and Melvin Shafer of Haysville are fascinated with history. Now they’ve been helping the city of Wellington identify grave sites at one of the older Wellington cemeteries. |
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But one technique they use to find old graves is called grave ‘dousing’ or grave ‘witching’. Intrigued? So was I.
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“And there’s a grave.”
It is the old Pioneer Cemetery on Wellington’s East side. Graves, many long forgotten have become both a history lesson and psuedo science project for Melvin and Della Shafer.
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“We’ve been in Genealogy since about the middle ‘80’s.”
They belong to the Sumner County Historical Society and this cemetery was their project. To clean it up, repair it and to find unmarked graves.
“And there’s a grave.”
Melvin demonstrates a technique called ‘grave dousing’.
“They are crossing. We’re standing right on a grave.” |
It’s similar to how some claim to find underground water. Two metal rods held horizontal to the ground….and when they cross….the Shafer’s believe a body is down below.
“I just believe it’s some kind of a force that isn’t yet understood.”
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While some are believers…other’s think they are crazy.
Sub 41 “And then in 1874 there were three men hung down on Slate Creek and they were according the old stories buried in the southwest corner of the cemeteries. No markings.
Melvin is dousing in the area they are sure those bodies are buried.
Sub 41 “I’m pretty sure of it. I can’t image that’s it’s anything else but….”
In their unusual method of finding graves and their study of history they believe is a major part of the history preservation process.
Sub 42 – “You know, we’re down to the place now where there is not very much written and old records of things happing and at least this helps preserve some of it.”
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The remaining headstones in this old cemetery are worn and cold. But the Shafers say their technique is putting warm clues on cold graves.
In Wellington, I’m Larry Hatteberg.
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Larry’s Note: For more information contact the Sumner County Historical & Genealogical Society, PO Box 402, Wellington, KS 67152.
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| Web Site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ksscgs/ |
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