(NOT) Taking Psychic Relationship Advice: A Friday Funny

For my birthday last month, my husband and I had a tarot reading with the lovely Josey Rose, based out of the Crystal Lotus Shoppe in St. Albans. Both of our readings were extremely accurate, and extremely relevant to what we both needed to hear at the time. It was a very positive experience for both of us, but my husband had a few misgivings before the reading. He was convinced that the psychic was going to tell me that I should leave him...and he was convinced that if she did, I would actually follow up on it! 

I hope he knows that I'd never be so shallow as to leave him over a psychic reading. However, there's a good chance that if the reader was picking up clues from my higher self telling me what I needed to hear, well...that's another story, lol. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband and a strong marriage based on trust, love, and communication. So, we're good. In today's Friday Funny blog, I'll be sharing the story of another couple who ended up being good, but almost got divorced when a Spiritualist medium told the husband that he would find his 'dream woman.' 

From the 04 April 1914 edition of The Fairmont West Virginian: 

So, what happened was that a couple from Huntington, WV had filed for divorce. John W. Strauss, 83 years old, wanted to divorce his wife (who was 30 years younger) because he had alleged that she 'tantalized him by taking his clothing from the hooks and tossing them on the floor." It's not clear as to whether John sought the advice of a spiritualist medium before or after the initial request for a divorce was made, but at some point, he was told that if he were divorced, he'd find his dream woman---a blonde of unusual beauty. But, when he couldn't locate this replacement, he decided to work things out with his wife and NOT file for divorce.  Now, if he just wanted to divorce his wife because she threw his clothes on the floor, that's his prerogative. It's still kind of lame, and if that's the worst thing she does, then he should probably feel pretty lucky. But, I can see where that could rub on your last nerve until you finally snap. But, I don't think that's the reason. I think that was the EXCUSE he used to help justify why he wanted to leave a perfectly fine partner, thirty years his junior. I don't think he wanted to explicitly state that he was leaving his wife to wander the state in search of a beautiful blonde soul mate! 

Obviously, I would advise you against filing for divorce solely because a psychic told you there was someone better out there. Ending a relationship is a big decision, and shouldn't be taken lightly. Feel free to seek out the advice of a trusted reader if you want, but use some common sense. As you can see, Strauss never did find his beautiful blonde, but luckily for him, it seems as if his wife was willing to forgive him and take him back. I sincerely hope, though, that the rest of their marriage was filled with her throwing his crap on the floor every day of the year! 

Effie Fulton Brings Spiritualist Church to Huntington

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
14 March 1935

Over the years of researching the history behind haunted locations, I've stumbled across information that I have no idea how I found it. Sometimes, its information that specifically relates to a case I'm working on. I'll hit a research block, and then all of a sudden, the information or document I need pops up in the last place I'd expect. Other times, I'll be researching OTHER cases, and come across information for another location or topic, sometimes one that is new to me but immediately grabs my attention, and sometimes one that I've covered in the past but am still researching. After talking with other historians, paranormal researchers, and genealogists who have had similar experiences, I've come to the conclusion that someone or something has guided me to find this information. It can't all be coincidence and dumb luck; there are people on 'the other side' who desperately want their stories told. I think Effie Fulton is one of those people who don't want to be forgotten. 

Effie Leora Fulton was born on in Mercer County on September 12, 1878. She was the oldest of several children born to the Reverend Thomas Boyd Cook and Louisa Estas Thomas Cook, and in early records (such as census and marriage records) she actually goes by Leora Effa. On Effie's 17th birthday, she married her first husband, Joseph Marion Oaks/Oakes in Mercer County. Unfortunately, her husband would pass away in 1906 while living in Colorado, but not before Effie had given birth to three sons and three daughters. 

The Herald Dispatch
12 March 1935

It's not clear what brought Effie to study spiritualism. Her father, the Rev. Thomas Cook, was a devout Baptist preacher and God-fearing man. But, somewhere along the line, Effie realized that she had a gift of mediumship. She remarried, this time to a man named Joseph W. Fulton. I THINK she was still in Colorado at this time, but the couple soon moved back to Effie's place of birth, Mercer County, and settled in Matoaka, WV. 

Around 1914, Joseph W. and Effie came to Huntington, WV. Joseph worked as a conductor for the railroad, and Effie founded and served as the head pastor of the First Spiritualist Church of Huntington. While there is no mention of the Fultons or the church in the 1915 Polk City Directory, by 1920 the couple is listed as living at 1660 10th Avenue, and the church is located at 325 14th St. W, Huntington, WV. 

Approximate location of The First Spiritualist Church
325 14th St. West, Huntington
Image from Google Maps

Unfortunately, the site of the church is now a scary looking empty lot. Even more unfortunately, I can't seem to find much, if anything, about it. Thanks to the Polk City Directory, we have an address and a brief description of the location (southwest corner of 14th St. and Virginia Ave.) and obviously from obituaries, we know that it was founded by Effie Fulton around 1914, and she continued to be the leader of the congregation until her death. Aside from that, the only other mention I've seen is a brief sentence in an article written about a (slightly) less obscure medium from the Huntington area named Cliff Bias. It is noted that when Cliff was living in Huntington, he attended his first development circle with Effie at the Spiritualist Church. The 14 year old paid 25 cents to attend, but chose not to go back because he assumed he had wasted his money when he fell asleep and stayed asleep through the whole thing. However, the article notes that Cliff didn't actually fall asleep---he fell into a trance and vocally channeled a spirit. 

Throughout the 1920's, the Fultons lived at several different addresses in Huntington, but the church pretty much stayed at 325 14th St. W. Around 1928 something somewhat confusing happens. In the Polk City Directory for that year, Effie is listed as living at 1650 McGuffin Avenue and is widowed. However, further down the page, Jos W. is listed as living on 6th Avenue! I was quite confused, thinking maybe he had an adult son not only with his same name, but same occupation, or maybe that he had died, but there was a mix-up in the data reporting for the directory. But, I think I found what actually happened.

1928 Polk City Directory

Joseph W. Fulton passed away on May 3, 1930 after what looks like from his death certificate a pretty horrific accident. On his death certificate where marriage status is recorded, he's listed as being divorced. I guess it was less scandalous at that time for Effie to just tell the city directory people that she was widowed (which wasn't a lie; her first husband had died) rather than divorced. 

Mrs. Effie Fulton would join her two husbands in death on March 12, 1935. She passed away at her home at 1309 17th St. from complications due to pneumonia. Funeral services were held for her that evening in the home, and then her body was sent back to Mercer County the next day, where additional services were held at her mother's home before burial in the Athens Cemetery. Although she legally kept the last name Fulton, she was buried under the name Effie Cooke Oakes.  She was survived by her mother and her six children. 

Effie's Tombstone
Find-a-Grave, uploaded by D. Mack

I'm really surprised that information on the First Spiritualist Church of Huntington, WV wasn't more easily accessible, as to me, that seems like a pretty important piece of the city's history! I also wish that I could have found more research on Effie herself, as being both a medium AND the pastor/founder of a church seems like attributes that people would want to put out there. But, I'm thrilled that I just happened to stumble upon her obituary while looking up a newspaper article for another case. I have a feeling that there are plenty of hours of manually going through newspaper articles at the library for any mentions of the Spiritualist church and it's founder. Personally, I find the topic fascinating, and I'm looking forward to learning about Effie as a person, as well as Effie as a medium. I'd like to think that Effie reached out beyond the grave and chose me to be the one to tell her story...and I don't want to let her down! 

Further Reading and Sources:

Biography of Rev. Thomas Boyd Cook, written by grandson, William Lyons. Geni.com article. 

Clifford Bias: Trumpet Medium, by Travis Sanders. November 11, 2019

Effie Fulton Death Certificate. WV State Archives

JW Fulton Death Certificate. WV State Archives

Find-a-Grave Entry for Effie Cook Oakes

Marriage Record for Effie and J.M. Oakes (FamilySearch)

Madam Bess: Lewisburg's Clairvoyant

Mildred Carter Bess-Clairvoyant. Seated on the right. Source

Recently, I've been really interested in exploring a different side of West Virginia's paranormal history: the Spiritualism movement in the Mountain State, and, as an off-shoot of that topic---well known psychic mediums in our area. However, I was researching a completely different topic when I found a newspaper advertisement for 'Mildred Carter Bess--Clairvoyant' from Lewisburg, WV. On a whim, I did a quick Google search for Mrs. Bess, got a few hits, and felt compelled to share what little of her story I could piece together. 

Mildred Carter Bess was a prominent African-American citizen from Lewisburg, West Virginia. She was the daughter of Ed and Willie Carter, and although there are quite a few different birth dates given for her, it seems that she was born sometime between 1895 and 1900. Mildred was the wife of Forest Carter, and I actually found TWO marriage licenses for the couple on the WV Archives website. The first marriage certificate dates from September of 1920, when a 22 year old Mildred married 22 year old Forest (Forst) Bess in Lewisburg. The word 'void' is written in the top left corner of the document, then crossed out. The second marriage certificate is for the 1936 union of Forest Bess and Mildred Carter Bess, both 37 years old, in Greenbrier County. As the 1930 census lists a 26 year old DIVORCED Mildred Carter Bess living with her parents, Ed and Willie Carter, it would seem that the couple broke up, only to be remarried years later. Maybe that's why I felt an immediate draw to Mildred---my husband and I were together in our early 20's, separated, and then got married at 36. 

02 August 1937 edition of Raleigh Register

Anyway, the 1930 census also gives Mildred's occupation as medium/fortune teller, so it would seem that not only did Mildred discover her gift to contact the other side early in life, she made a career out of it fairly early in her life as well. Throughout the 1930's, her newspaper ad for a clairvoyant ran fairly regularly in The Raleigh Register, a newspaper from nearby Beckley, WV. She also ran ads in other newspapers around West Virginia and surrounding states offering readings by mail. All the client needed to do was send her their date of birth and $1. 

She was known to the local college girls, as 'Madam Bess,' and undoubtedly, she probably did plenty of business helping young ladies get a glimpse of their future husbands and/or career prospects. She was aided in her work by her crystal ball, which she kept covered when not in use. But 'Madam Bess' was much more to her community than just the local fortune teller.

Mildred Carter Bess was devout member of the John Wesley Methodist Church in Lewisburg, even donating at least one picture that hung on either side of the altar. She spent many years presenting a gold medal to the top-performing student at Bolling High School's graduation ceremony. She and her family are also strongly tied to one of Lewisburg's most historic businesses. 

25 January 1930 edition of Pittsburg Courier

In 1897, Mildred's father, Ed, purchased a building on what is now Washington Street. It is believed the building was built by slave labor, and could have been built as early as 1834. It served several purposes, including a post office, until 1891 when an African-American man named Frank Perkins purchased it and turned it into a barber shop. Ed Carter also ran a barber shop in the location until 1934. Although Carter remained owner of the building, he leased the barber shop to Jesse Lawrence McCoy and left the management of the property up to Mildred. 

Mildred had living quarters above and behind the barber shop, and up until 1934, she would have to enter through the shop itself. But, after it was leased to Mr. McCoy, she had a separate entrance put in. McCoy leased the barber up until shortly before his death in 1970, and over the decades, Mildred became close to the family. In 1991 McCoy's daughter, Mary A. Summerline published an article about her memories of growing up in her daddy's barber shop, and discusses her friendship with Mildred. As Mildred was a superstitious person who believed it meant good luck for a man to be the first visitor to one's home in the new year, each New Year's Day, Mr. McCoy would be sure to stop in early to pay her visit. 

Mary enjoyed visiting Mildred and would do so alone, or accompanied by her mother and/or sister. She notes that Mildred had an impressive piano (her mother had used it to give piano lessons) and they often bonded over piano music, after which Mildred often served juice and cookies. 

The barber shop is the blue building in the middle. Source

Forest passed away in 1951, and Mildred joined him in 1985. They are both buried in the Lewisburg-Bolling Cemetery. It doesn't appear that the couple had any children. However, Mildred's legacy lives on in the contributions she made to Lewisburg's African American community, and community of Lewisburg as a whole. And to me, her legacy lives on through a simple ad in a local newspaper offering the services of a clairvoyant.

As for the barber shop, it is now known as Flanagan's Barber Shop, owned by the Gene Flanagan family. Gene started working under Mr. McCoy in 1962 and took over the shop later on. The shop is still open today and is considered one of the oldest continually operated businesses in Lewisburg, and possibly the longest continually operated barber shop in the state. 

Additional Sources and Reading:

Daddy's Barbershop, by Mary A. Summerline. The Mountain Laurel, March 1991.

African American Genealogy-WV. Mildred P. Carter Bess. June 21, 2006.