The Old Pillsbury Funeral Home - Lisbon, NH

The Old Pillsbury Funeral Home

Lisbon, NH
With NEPI – Anthony, Lewkis, Nancy, Michelle, Faith, Dustin (part time investigator) and introducing our newest trainee, Amy.
Special Guests – Dave and Kathie

First let me give a special thanks to Amy Ruccio for giving us the opportunity to investigate this old funeral home and also I would like to welcome her to the NEPI family as well as she is going to start training with us. Hope it works out and welcome to the team.

Our story takes place on Main Street of Lisbon, NH where Dave and his mother, Kathie, have experienced some activity at their home. Their home is where the Pillsbury Funeral Home used to be, until Dave renovated it to this spectacular house. He used to be in the funeral home business, owning various ones in Memphis, Tennessee as well as one in Littleton at one point. He tried to continue the one in Lisbon, but he said that he just couldn’t do it. He retired from the business and now calls it his home when he gets back from traveling the world as a flight attendant.

Dave started out as what he calls the “the biggest skeptic you could find.” If you asked him previous to this investigation if he believed in spirits, he would say no. He also said that being in the business of dealing with deceased people that one would think he’s had an experience or two. He hasn’t, until now that is. Before we get to his experiences and the investigation, let’s go over some bullet points of the history of the home.

The history is courtesy of Dave who has done his research quite well, so it was very helpful to this article. The house was built in 1875 by Herbert Moulton who owned what is now DCI, which was then called Parker and Young Manufacturing, which was at one point the largest manufacturer of piano soundboards. The interesting fact of this home was that a lot of the house was built from the wood of what is now DCI. The home was a wedding gift to Herbert’s first wife, Carolyn, whom would die in the home. His second wife didn’t want the house which was for his deceased wife, so he built another mansion. If you’ve seen this home you wouldn’t think it is a mansion, but in that time period, this home was considered a mansion for the area of Lisbon. In the early 1900’s, Herbert would sell the home to the Atwood family, who turned the home into a boarding house. In the 1920’s there was a fire where there were some deaths. The Atwood family decided to not restore it and it laid vacate for a number of years before Tom Pillsbury turned it into a funeral home in 1950. Dave would buy the home from Tom and when he tried to renovate it, problems rose at his businesses in Memphis, so he had to go back there to rebuild the business. Eventually he would close and sell all his businesses and move back to Lisbon. The only problem was that this home was cleaning out all of his cash, so he tried to sell it, but it wouldn’t sell. He decided that maybe he’ll just keep it and eventually finish it.   

Some ghost hunters would say that renovating a home can be a fire starter for spiritual activity and that’s what Dave was thinking, but eventually we would find out that it wasn’t the case at all, but I’ll get to that a little later. Let’s start from the beginning and work our way down, like we usually do. NEPI likes to break into groups, this time we went with a boys’ team and girls’ team. Dave would join up with various groups during the investigation.

 

(Anthony and Michelle setting up the DVR equipment. Just look at this place!)

 

(Oh sure, mistakes happen at investigations. You may break a twenty dollar vase, accidentally step onto a five dollar DVD. This place? I was on edge the whole time. It wasn't for the spirit claims either. It was because if I broke anything here, I'd be screwed!)

 

 The boys’ team would start out in the cellar where Anthony says he thought he saw shadows and heard voices. I had my Real Time Digital Recorder going, but didn’t hear anything. We would go back to the first floor where we went to the bar area and sat down and tried to get more answers. After spending nearly twenty minutes in this room, something would spark Dustin’s interest to go into the other room. I and Lewkis followed him and tried to see or hear what Dustin was witnessing. Upon returning back to the room where we just were, Dustin said he thought he heard a musical instrument like a violin playing in the other room. There was a radio on when we first met with the clients, but we made sure he turned off the radio once the investigation started.

We were then joined by the girls who said they felt a presence and could see the same shadow figure that Anthony was saying he saw in the cellar. The ladies also said that they felt that this spirit is actually intelligent rather than residual. After a short break the boys and girls would switch, with the boys having the upstairs quarters and the ladies having the downstairs. Around this time we started to do the Ghost Box (the P-SB7). In previous investigations we were not getting accurate or no responses, but this time it was talking and giving us intelligent responses to our questions. Dave would join us and this is where the investigation started to get uncomfortable for Dave.

Dave asked what the spirits names are and we got a Chris. What’s funny is that Anthony has this app on his iPod that acts like a “ghost detector” as well as an Ovillus like program. Personally I am very wary of this device and think it’s just a prop, but what’s funny is that just before, maybe seconds, the app said the name “Christian” and that’s when the ghost box said the name “Chris.” Is it coincidence or are they interconnected somehow? This would only get stranger later in the evening. But what we found out from the ghost box, through Dave’s questions, was that the spirit who we believe we got in contact with is not resentful about what Dave did to the house, but of his lifestyle. This was most probably a punch in the gut for Dave as he was noticeably uncomfortably after he got the response of yes, the spirit is resentful towards Dave’s lifestyle and his preferences.

After that we were not getting any responses from the box and I tried getting answers, but for some odd reason I was focused on Dave’s closet. Just when I was going to put my head back to the box, I saw this shadow walk past the door frame, stop for a brief moment, and then disappear. Anthony was roaming around at this point, but he was not in this room. This shadow was black like it had a presence of its own. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as shadow people or shadow figure. What’s funny is that Kathie said that one of her experiences was seeing the shadow of a male, but with a bowl like cap. I will kid you not that this shadow looked like it had a bowl like head as if it was wearing a hat described like Kathie’s.

Anthony and Dustin came back from browsing different rooms around the area. Specifically the room where Dave had his experience. He has said that every time he is near this room, which serves as a guest room, he feels very uncomfortable and rushes past the room to try and avoid it. This room would play as a highlight for the night for Anthony and Dustin. They said they were in the room and light was coming in from the window. This was until, as they say, the room abruptly turned pitch black as if the light from the window was blocked. They said that after the light came back into the room and the uneasy feeling they just had vanished.

After this we decided to call the girls up and have a Pendulum session where we would get interesting results. One of the first questions asked was if the spirit we got in contact with is name Chris or Christian and it spun yes. The main question was if Chris would harm Kathie and it said no. But when Nancy asked if Chris would harm Dave, it said yes. Dave obviously didn’t like it, but he said he was going to stand his ground and that this is his house and there’s nothing the spirit can do about it. He apologized to the spirit that he may not like Dave’s lifestyle, but that’s how Dave is and there’s nothing that can change that.

We decided to pack up and bid Dave and Kathie farewell. Hopefully it’s just for now and I’m sure I speak for the rest of NEPI where I think it would be beneficial to do a follow up investigation to see if the spirits are still there or have come to terms with Dave.

 

(Oh yeah and a freaky photo just for the hell of it. I saw this while peeking around the corner and my heart skipped a beat!)

 

That’s all for this edition of Scared Sheetless. Sorry for being absent last edition, it’s been a pretty hectic week with being sick with the flu and losing two family members in a matter of a week doesn’t help either. As always, thanks for reading and happy hauntings!

Do you think you have ghosts? Give NEPI a call and get in contact with Anthony by calling him at 603-444-7142. It’s free of charge and instead of reading about it, you’ll get to see us in action. 

Paranormal Gadgets: RT-EVP

Paranormal Gadgets: RT-EVP

 

As years have gone by paranormal investigation equipment has advanced over the past few years with some breakthrough equipment. We’ve talked about using regular audio digital recorders to speak to the dead; we’ve also discussed how you can tamper with a radio to try and contact spirits as well. But there’s another device on the ghost market where you can hear spirit voices in real time. It’s called the RT (Real Time) EVP.

How is this different from other audio devices? It uses a playback mode, can be anywhere from 1 second to 60 seconds, and it plays back what has already been said. The theory with this is simple, ask your questions, and see if you get a response back in real time. This device is great as you can hear the responses right then and there and don’t really need to worry about listening to countless hours of audio evidence. Though I do not advise this, you should always go over evidence after an investigation as you could’ve missed something.

Has NEPI got any evidence from using the RT? We’ve only really used it at one location and that was at the Sugar Hill Inn. I discussed this in a previous article (see “Shock, Awe, and Possession”), but the short answer is no, we didn’t get any evidence using it. I recently used it at my house and heard footsteps in the kitchen, which is located next to my room. There was nobody home at the time and I do have a cat, but these were human footsteps. We have a few investigations coming up in April, so I hope to really use the RT-EVP and hopefully be able to elaborate more on this device in later articles. I think it would be a very sufficient and essential device in the world of paranormal investigation very soon.

 

The pros of this device are many: real time answers to your questions; you get a spirit box; the newer model (2^nd Generation) has a white noise amp in it (which is supposed to help spirits gain more energy); it’s easy to transfer your audio files on your computer via USB port. The only real big con I have is that the instruction manual isn’t really user friendly. I follow directions harshly to begin with, but even Anthony, who’s a wiz with equipment, had trouble learning the basics of it. We got it down pact now, but that’s just by fiddling with it. I do highly recommend it to any aspiring ghost hunters out there. Be warned, it is pricey, unless you’re stupid with your money such as I.

Shock, Awe, and Possession - Sugar Hill, NH

Shock, Awe, and Possession
Return to Sugar Hill Inn
Sugar Hill, NH

Special Guests: NEPI-Anthony Ardolino, Nancy Fortin, Phyllis Ardolino, Michelle Lafontaine, Keegan, Lewkis, and Faith MacBean; along with Val Fortin, Chris Loveday, and Gregg Dumont

From Scared Sheetless article: Shock, Awe, and Peace

"'April 17^th, 2010 will most likely live in infamy with me as well as the rest of the North Eastern Paranormal Investigations(NEPI)as it was just a night of full shock, awe, and peace. It was just one of those events where in one word you can not describe to anyone what it was like. One of those events where you just say, “You had to be there.'"

Until now...

We returned to the Sugar Hill Inn on Sunday, November 11th, 2012. Now that is the new day that will live in infamy with NEPI. However, unlike last time, where we felt at peace; towards the end, there was just so much tension and negative energy.

Let me start from the beginning:

We arrive at around 7:30 at the Inn, ready to relive the night from two years ago, ready to help those spirits in need, and let their voices be heard. We were accompanied by Chris Loveday; host of Shadows of the Night, and Gregg Dumont; owner of KillerReviews.com and Wegga Productions. Very nice fellows, with an equal interest to the paranormal. This was actually Gregg's first investigation, hopefully he learned a thing or two from the NEPI gang.

We split up into teams, as we always do during big investigations like this; Anthony, Gregg, and Chris; Phyllis and Faith; Lewkis was walking around, taking pictures; while me, Michelle, and Nancy were in the Bette Davis room. For those who don't know, Davis was one of the most famous actresses of her era (1930's to 1980's). A career that spanned well over fifty years. She got her first big break, when a Universal Studios talent scout saw her in the Broadway play, Broken Dishes. They got her for a screening test and her career took off after that. However, in 1939, she wanted a break. She was exhausted and the Lowell, Massachusetts native wanted to return back to the northeast. Davis owned a house in Bath, NH as well as rented a room at the Sugar Hill Inn. Would NEPI be able to get in contact with her?

We asked if there was any spirits there, and it said yes. We then asked if it was an adult female, and it said, yes. We tried to pinpoint of who it could be and I suggested, ask if it is Bette Davis. Nancy didn't believe that it could be her, because even though she was noted of being a big patron of the Inn, she did pass away in France. I egged Nancy on to ask though and we got a yes, it is Bette Davis. We asked her questions, such as was she in the movie, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? A 1962 thriller. We got a yes. Nancy then asked if she was in an episode of Bonanza and it said yes. And for Gunsmoke, we got a no. However, upon further research, it shows Bette as starring in an episode of Gunsmoke and not Bonanza. After some time communicating with Bette, we told her thank you and if she wanted to say goodbye by stroking our hair or something along those lines, she could. Michelle said, she felt at peace and it was as if she felt like someone was hugging her; I felt a warm spot on my back. Could it be the spirit of Bette Davis?

We went into another room, just two doors down from the Davis room. It was calm, at first. We got no response from the Pendulum, but I felt cold. Really cold. Like an air conditioner was blowing right on me. Nancy asked if there is a spirit attached to me and it started to go to yes. We then asked if the spirit is a female, it said no; a male, it said yes. It made me wonder. On October 22nd of this year, I lost my grandfather, Richard Paradie, after a long battle with sickness. A man who was stronger than death and gave Death itself one hell of a fight, I figured his spirit would be strong enough to do what it wants. I wanted to know who it was and asked Nancy to ask if it was him, it said yes. I asked him questions I was pretty sure of what the answers would be: I asked him if he was mad that I haven't walked lately and if he was mad I was smoking again, both times it sung fast enough the chain was hitting Nancy's fingertips. It also looked at times as if it was vibrating; something that has never happened on any investigation. I asked if he was watching over me, Tyler, and Tazia (his grandchildren), it said yes. Lewkis came in and we
stopped the Pendulum and after that, I got warm again. I felt like he was gone, for the time being. He, if it was him, wouldn't make another appearance the rest of the night.

We then went downstairs to the bar area to do a Ghost Box session. This is where we were joined by Val, Phyllis, and Faith. We were getting some pretty interesting results with this session. Names that included: Martin, Arthur, and at one point, we even heard the name Fortin. Nancy and Val's last name is Fortin. Later on, we would hear both their names; Nancy on more than one occasion. Could this spirit be referring to them, seeing as they work there? We actually heard the name, Martin, on at least three different occasions. As quickly as the talking came, it ceased. We then proceeded to do what we were all anxiously waiting for - Glass Swirling.

For those who don't know, Glass Swirling works similar to an Ouija Board, however, you don't have letters and you use a glass, rather than a Planchett. The participants put their fingers on the bottom of the glass and tell the spirits, that they are allowed to use our energy freely, as long as they mean us no harm. It took awhile, but the glass started to really move. We asked if there was an afterlife and again, like in April of 2010, it made an 8, which means eternal life. This is the fourth time this has happened to us in an investigation; two of which that were not at the Inn. Could this be evidence that the afterlife really exists?

As we were doing this, Anthony, Chris, and Gregg came into the room. Chris was saying how he felt like this little girl was following them from room to room upstairs. He also said he saw a shadow crawl under one of our cameras, as if to stay out sight. Their meters were also going off, but they said, it was as if a spirit would try to get in contact, when something would come in and stop them. Anthony said this could be either a protective spirit thinking we are harming them or a bully. We are very compassionate about clients and spirits, but not bullies. We give them a taste of their own medicine. Chris and Gregg bid farewell and left back for home in Manchester. The fun was just beginning for us.

We went back to Glass Swirling and Val started to have a little too much fun with the spirits. He started saying he was bored and for the spirits to start liven things up a bit. The glass started to take off, going in circles, weird directions, and going fast. He then asked if he was "P*ssing them off" and sure enough, it kept on going, at full speed. Anthony asked if the spirits had the [another word for courage] to slam a door. Nothing happened. Now, nobody is guilty, because we were all egging them on, but you shouldn't do this in any investigation, because you leave yourself open for something really bad to happen...we would learn this the hard way pretty soon.

Getting out the Ghost Box, while doing a Pendulum session, it wouldn't take long before an event would happen that we've only seen on TV. The Pendulums were
swinging at full force, spinning in synch from Anthony's to Nancy's, we then got the name Ralph on the Ghost Box before fear struck in all of us. Michelle has well known habit of hiccupping during Pendulum sessions, it has become sort of the norm, but this wasn't ordinary. She started hiccupping faster and faster; she said, she didn't feel like herself. Suddenly she turned around and started doing a mix of hyperventilating, crying, and growling. Anthony recognized it right away for what it was...Michelle was being possessed by a spirit. Some people will say, Bull, but we would say not, you'd have to be there. She grabbed a hold of Val's jacket and Val said her stare was blank, she had saliva coming out, and she gasping for air. Anthony told her to tell whoever was trying to get in, to get out. I take no shame in saying that I got out of my seat, mostly because I was sitting right next to her, and I didn't want to be in the line of fire. We called in Phyllis, who's had experience in the field of Reiki. She did her thing to Michelle and Michelle turned around and said, she was fine. Simple as that. But this incident would scare the group into just abandoning the investigation. Which is understandable, but this is what we do, and we should know that consequences are expected for our actions.

Anthony, Michelle, and myself would continue. We went up into the old wing of the building to try out the RT-EVP. The RT-EVP is a experimental instrument that has a playback option, so you can actually hear the 'spirit voices' as you are doing EVP sessions. Anthony was amazed by it, because he thought he was getting direct responses. However, later, I would find out that the RT is so sensitive, it was getting the rest of the group talking downstairs. After this, we packed up and left, a piece of all of us wanting to stay and get more answers out of this marvelously mysterious place.

Until next time, this has been Scared Sheetless. Happy haunting, everybody.