An UnHappy Mother's Day Ghost

Happy Mother's Day from Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State! On a previous Mother's Day blog, I wrote about the strong bond between mother and child, and how that bond could not be broken, even in death. Usually, this bond is a beautiful and loving phenomenon, as illustrated in the case of the Greenbrier Ghost. Mary Heaster was so convinced that her daughter, Zona reached out to her from beyond the grave to seek help in bringing her murderer to justice, that she publicly testified this information, leading to the conviction of Zona's husband. But, today's story is a little different. When this mother passed away, her spirit reached out to them...not in a protective or loving way....but in a pretty scary way. It almost sounds like she was desperately trying to take one child WITH her. 

Did this 'ghost mother' have ill intentions toward her son, or was the ball of fire that landed on his chest, making him sick, and then her apparition carrying him towards the door before flinging him down just her way of trying to warn the family of something? Maybe she WAS being protective of the young boy, and trying to get him to the doctor! This story appeared in the July 6, 1888 edition of the (Wheeling) Daily Register, but occurs just across the river into Belmont County, OH. 

Daily Register (Wheeling, WV)
06 July 1888

Motherhood and the Grave of Zona Heaster Shue

Happy Mother's Day from Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State!

If you follow my Facebook page, you've definitely seen this photo. It's been my banner photo for just about the entire time I've maintained this page. And, if you're familiar with West Virginia ghost lore, you probably know a little about the grave pictured. But...how is that all related to motherhood and why did I choose it as the focus of my Mother's Day post? For a few reasons...

Firstly, the story of the Greenbrier Ghost, while tragic, tells a beautiful tale between the bond between a mother and daughter that couldn't be broken, even in death. The story has been shared so many times, that I could never do it justice. However, the basic story goes as follows:  When young bride, Zona Heaster Shue, was found dead under mysterious circumstances, most people suspected her husband. However, it would take the convincing of her mother, who received several signs and then later dreamed that Zona came to her and told her that she was murdered, to bring a conviction.

Whether or not the mother actually received psychic messages or had her daughter come to her in dreams, the fact remains that she was astute enough to take her suspicions and make someone listen to her. You can read the whole story here: The Greenbrier Ghost

You can also read my blog post where I've transcribed the court testimony of Mary Heaster, as she stands firm on her belief that her daughter was murdered, and her ghost came to her in a dream. ARTICLE HERE

Secondly, this photo means 'motherhood' to me on a very personal level. It was taken during the summer of 2009. My mother, who has always supported my love of all things paranormal, and I went in search of the elusive grave of Zona, the Greenbrier Ghost. We had easily found the highway marker, but could NOT find the cemetery anywhere, lol. We drove around for a couple of hours down the creepiest, most desolate country roads, desperately trying to follow the flimsy directions I had found. It was actually a lot of fun, and gave me and my mom an excellent opportunity to spend the whole day together.

Further...you can't tell since I'm crouching down behind the stone...but this photo also shows my own journey into motherhood. I am about six months pregnant with my one and only son, Luke!

Luke and I went back during the summer of 2017 to recreate that photo with him on the outside! We had a much easier time finding the cemetery that time around! It was a nice little way to come full circle and pay our respects to WV's most famous ghost...and to remember her mother who wouldn't stop until justice was served for her child.