By Wayne Thomas
WKTV Contributing Writer

When Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters were asked to investigate at one of our areas largest local cemeteries it didn’t seem special. Now consider the unique coincidence that my mother, father, grandmother and cousin are all buried in this particular cemetery. Due to a signed confidentiality agreement the name of this location must remain anonymous but here are the fun facts of the case.

 

The key word in this paranormal investigation was “creepy”: creepy stuff, creepy feelings in both the office located in the middle of the cemetery and the Mausoleum located near this office. The manager had been mysteriously scratched on her arm while at her desk in the office and saw a dark humanoid figure out of the corner of her eye while looking toward the hallway. She also heard ghost voices on multiple occasions.

Another employee reported seeing dark figures sitting in the break room and in the office hallway where he also heard footsteps and different unexplained voices several times. A disembodied male voice was heard saying “Hey” and a woman’s voice was heard saying, “Hello.” A younger woman and an older woman’s voice were heard, apparently the older woman wanting “Help.” Other unexplained noises were heard by both employees in the office area along with ghostly voices and apparitions seen in the hallway.

During the original investigation things got interesting later in the night between 12:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. as our K-2 EMF detectors started lighting up indicating increased electromagnetic fields. At the same time, we were hearing what sounded like responses to our questions known as EVP’s or Electronic Voice Phenomena heard through our P-SB7 paranormal Spirit Box. Spirits answering our questions and interacting with the living indicates what Ghost Hunters call an intelligent haunting where ghosts typically have some sort of unfinished business.

 

Through examination of evidence and a preponderance of the clues we noticed certain patterns and were able to draw several intriguing parallels to the original client testimony. We concluded in our report that, “We believe the spirits are drawing us to the north end of the office hallway. Our EMF detectors were pointing us in that same direction and on the next visit we need to take a better look at the north end of the office hallway.”

We returned about a month later and a clue was revealed. Located at the very north end of the hallway was a locked door to a closet, a sort of vault that held the cremated remains of deceased individuals. We learned the deceased were all in limbo, waiting to either be buried in the cemetery or for interment in the mausoleum. At this time we were also informed that behind this locked door were several sets of cremated ashes being stored because they remained unclaimed. Additionally we were told of funeral homes in our area with the same predicament and those claims were confirmed.

So how much of a wide spread problem had we uncovered? More than two million urns in funeral homes across North America are waiting to be collected. Thirty-one countries around the world practice cremation with 99% in Japan, 77% in the United Kingdom, as the United States approaches 60% with 1% unclaimed. (Michigan has about a 55 percent cremation rate.) The general consensus being, it’s important to find a final resting place for the deceased, not a funeral home. Different states have different rules as to how long they will store ashes before acting on them, sometimes burying them in mass graves.

Historically, with the exception of Buddhists favoring cremation, many religions were against cremation and regarded it as a less respectful way to deal with death. Obviously, a growing number of people now accept the process as a personal choice. Most agree that the cremains should be treated with the same dignity and respect as a traditional religious funeral or memorial service and placed in a permanent location for remembrance, like a columbaria in a church.

Ashes may be scattered with permission of a land owner, buried underground in a cemetery or even at sea. A modern choice is to plant a tree with the ashes and it’s relatively inexpensive. Have you inherited the cremated remains of a family member or someone you didn’t really know and have been storing them in the basement or a closet? Don’t underestimate the significance of the dignity and respect in the rituals and ceremonies surrounding the dead that all cultures and religions practice. To those spirits waiting in limbo for their final disposition, “Go in peace and be freed from your suffering, seek out the light.”