July 4, 1877: It's Happening Again

We revisit Watseka and are introduced to Lurancy Vennum, a frail teen who hears voices and sees the dead during frightening fits. Between a mother’s terror and a town’s rumors, we explore whether grief, illness, or something unseen is calling Rancy’s name.

• Personal connection to Watseka and show updates
• Mary Roff’s sudden death and the mercy question
• Introduction to Lurancy Vennum and her family’s hardships
• Small town class divides and spiritualist rumors
• Rancy’s nighttime voices and escalating fear
• The parlor seizure
• Visions of dead relatives and private details revealed
• Lurinda’s denial, past trauma, and protective silence
• Invitation to share lantern and mystery light stories

Please email us the story at porchlightwispers at gmail.com
You could also go to the Small Town Whispers Facebook page and send us a message
If you or someone you know has a great story for Porch Light Whispers, please contact us
We cannot wait to hear your story

Transcript

The Question Of Mercy

The Vennum Family

Poverty, Loss, And Small Town Rumors

Voices In The Night Begin

Illness, Recovery, And A Frail Childhood

Speaker 2 0:11

Welcome to Small Town Whispers, where history, folklore, and the paranormal collide. I'm Bethany Yucuis Borden, and I lived in Watseka, Illinois from 1988 to 1999. For over a decade, I walked the same streets, saw the same houses, and even had friends connected to the story we're about to dive into. This isn't just history for me, it's personal. To everyone who has listened, subscribed, shared the show, left a review, or sent feedback, thank you. Every bit of support helps this story reach the people who are meant to hear it, and hopefully leads us to even more porchlight whispers along the way. We took a short break for the holidays, but I'm ready to dive back in, and I hope you are too. I've got some new cozy UCF gear, a proper office chair, and a game-changing mic stand. I'm officially set for many more late night editing sessions, and I'm not gonna lie, it's Thursday night. This thing's due tomorrow. But that's okay, it's already sounding better. When we last left the story, three words brought everything to a sudden halt. She was dead. Mary Roff, just nineteen years old, died suddenly in her own home before she could be taken to the Springfield Asylum, likely for good. It was shocking and unsettling, and it leaves us with a question that still lingers. Was her sudden death more merciful than the fate that awaited her? We'll never truly know. As part two begins, the focus shifts away from the Roff family and onto another household in Watseka. We are introduced to Lurancy Vennum, often called Rancy. By the way, that's V-E-N-N-U-M, as opposed to Snake Venom. She is 13 years old. She's not considered beautiful by conventional standards, but she does have striking wavy black hair inherited from her mother's side of the family. Her parents are Tom and Lurinda Vennum. Lurinda was born near South Bend, Indiana, while Tom came from a long line of German and Dutch farmers in Pennsylvania. Their paths eventually brought them to Iowa, where they met, married, and began a difficult life shaped by poverty, loss, and constant movement. After the birth of their first son, Henry, Tom struggled to provide, forcing the family to relocate again and again. A brief attempt at farming near Milford, Illinois, brought the birth of their second son, Bertram, who was often sickly. Lurancy was born there in 1864, just before the Civil War ended. Tragedy followed them closely. Another move to and from Iowa, another child, Laura, who died shortly after they arrived back in Illinois, near Watseka. Then another farm on the other side of Watseka. Another loss when Bertie passed away. Eventually, Lurinda insisted they leave farm life behind. They moved into town, renting a small house on the outskirts of Watseca. The children attended school sporadically. Lurinda joined the Methodist church but struggled to fit in. Her poverty, her husband's temper, and her isolation set her apart. The one person who seemed willing to speak to her was Lavinia Durst, though that attention came with whispers and gossip. The Venoms knew of the Roffs, but not personally. They lived in very different worlds. Still, rumors traveled easily in Watseka. Rumors of wealth, Spiritualism, and a daughter who had gone mad and died. In 1875, things briefly changed. Lorinda inherited money after her father's death. The family bought their home, invested in farmland, and for a time found stability. But Lurancy remained frail. She had survived measles in 1873, lying unconscious for two days, while Doc Pittwood warned she might not live. Her fever eventually broke. They reported she also had what they called fever ravings because they couldn't understand her. Once she recovered, she suffered frequent illness and weakness. She was given the upstairs bedroom so she could feel the sunlight and river breeze. Small comforts for a body that never seemed strong enough. And it is here, after loss, illness, whispers, and quiet suffering, that the story truly begins. Now that you're caught up, we return to Watseka, America's Most Extraordinary Case of Possession and Exorcism, part two on page 112. When Lurinda took a lantern and showed the girl there was no one, she still refused to believe it. Ma, there was someone there, and they kept calling my name.

Speaker 1 6:56

Rancy, Rancy. I'm afraid.

Speaker 2 7:01

Nonsense. There ain't nobody in here. But I heard them.

Speaker 1 7:05

It sounded like a whole lot of people.

Speaker 2 7:08

Young lady, I know you've been eating something you shouldn't.

Speaker 1 7:11

Can I stay with you? Just tonight.

Panic, Doubt, And A Mother’s Fear

Speaker 2 7:14

Well, your pa won't be coming home. Not after an afternoon of drinking with his friends at Ebert's barn. Come on. She pulled the coverlet down and Rancy got into bed. After Lurinda blew out the light, Rancy said, Ma, I really did hear someone calling my name. It was probably just God watching over you. Good night, and get some sleep. On the next night, July 5th, after everyone settled down for the night and the lamps were out, Rancy started yelling. She ran into her parents' bedroom. Ma They've come back.

Speaker 1 7:55

Those voices, the same ones as last night. They keep calling Rancy. Rancy. She started to cry.

The Seizure In The Parlor

Speaker 2 8:03

Ma I'm afraid. Come and see. Oh Rancy. There ain't nobody there. It's just your imagination. Come and see. See if you can hear them too. Tom's voice rose from the darkness beside her. Go and see what that goddamn trouble is. No use waking up the whole house. Lorinda got out of bed and lit the candle on the table. She led the way down the short corridor to the girls' bedroom. Rancy followed close behind her. You see, she said, holding up the candle, there ain't a soul in here. I knew there wasn't anybody here. Now you get back in that bed and let us all get some sleep. Ma, I don't want to be in here alone. Well you're not sleeping in here with me and your ma. Ma stay in here with me, please. A shudder ran down Lurinda's spine. Maybe Rancy was coming down with something. Maybe she hadn't been giving the child the attention she needed. Rancy was her only daughter, and she remembered her own mother never seemed to have enough love to spread around. Tom, I'm going to sleep in here with Rancy. They both laughed as they heard him snoring. Rancy, wrapped in her mother's arms, slept soundly that night. Five nights had gone by, and the voices hadn't returned. But on the afternoon of day six, something happened. La Rancy had been working on the rags that were stored in the front parlor. She'd torn them into strips, braided several into five or six foot lengths, and carefully sewn them back to form a circle. Lorinda came in from the backyard carrying fresh curtains in the parlor. Rancy, she said in passing, you had better commence getting supper. Your pa and Henry will be home before you know it. Rancy put down her sewing and closed her eyes.

Speaker 1 9:51

Ma, I feel bad. Real bad.

Rigid Hours And Strange Return

Second Fit And Sight Of The Dead

Speaker 2 9:54

Where? Right here. She put her hand over her heart and started to get up from her chair. She rose about halfway, then screamed. Her eyes closed and she began breathing loudly through her nose. She fell on the floor, her head barely missing the edge of the sofa. She pulled her legs up to her chest and then violently pushed them back. When she opened her eyes, she began foaming at the mouth. Only the white showed. She looked at her mother, and then she screamed. Lorinda dropped her curtains and rushed to her side. Rancy, what's happening? The girl flipped over onto her back, stretching her legs as far as they would go and pointing her toes at the ceiling. Then she raised her arms straight into the air for a few seconds before they fell heavily to the floor beside her. After that, she didn't move a muscle. Doc Pittwood was away, and Lorinda didn't want to call Doc Fowler. His solution to everything was leeches, and she couldn't stand the sight of those horrid things. So she and Tom hovered over Rancy as she applied cold compresses and prayed. Tom had carried Rancy up to her room and remarked that she felt like a cord of wood. She was so stiff and unmoving. She was rigid for five hours, returning to her senses around 11 PM. When her mother asked her how she felt, she said very strange. Then she fell asleep. Lurinda sat up all night watching her. The next morning, Rancy said she felt fine and took her breakfast with the family. Lurinda kept watching out the corner of her eye, waiting for what? She wasn't sure. But she watched. Suddenly Rancy slipped silently off her chair and fell onto the floor. Lurinda screamed and knelt beside her. Oh my god, Rancy, not again! Please, dear lord, not again. Rancy's arms and legs were twitching. Foam started to appear at the edges of her mouth, and her eyes were closed. Oh my god! Lurinda ran into the kitchen, returning with a wet cloth and a piece of ice she had taken from the ice chest. Rancy's body quivered and then stretched to its fullest. Her arms and legs became rigid and heavy. Lorinda tried to put Rancy's hands on her stomach, but she couldn't make them bend at the wrist or elbow. Rancy. Rancy, child, can you hear me? Ma? Ma's here, Rancy. Ma is right here. Ma. How strange I feel. Does it hurt? Tell me where it hurts. It don't hurt. She tried to shake her head but couldn't. I ain't hurt none. It's just strange. Lorinda pressed harder on the icy cloth. You just save your energy now. Don't try to talk till this goes away. But don't you want to hear? Hear? Hear what? Where I am. What I'm seeing. Lorinda smoothed her daughter's hair from her forehead. I know where you are. Here with me. You just relax and this will go away. Just like it did yesterday. How she wished Tom or Henry were here.

Speaker 1 13:22

No, Ma, I know I'm with you, but I'm also in another place. I'm seeing other things.

Speaker 2 13:29

Now, darling, I asked you not to use your energy. But Ma, it's so beautiful. She smiled. It seemed her mouth was the only part of her body she could control.

Speaker 1 13:43

Grandpa is here, Ma. He's looking at me. Grandpa Smith? asked Lurinda. Yes. And he is smiling and walking toward me.

Speaker 2 13:54

Now Lurancy, you know better than that. Your Grandpa Smith is dead and buried.

Speaker 1 14:00

He ain't dead, Ma. He's here. And he's smiling at me. He says to tell you hello.

Speaker 2 14:06

Oh my god! Lurinda pulled away from her daughter. The sickness had touched her brain.

Family Secrets And Denial

Speaker 1 14:13

And he says he didn't care that you and the others sold the farm. He says the people who bought it have made it even better. He says he's glad you bought this house. It was a smart move.

Speaker 2 14:24

No, you stop that, Lurancy. Lurinda got up and walked halfway across the room. You stop that fooling around with your ma. You know I don't like these things.

Speaker 1 14:36

But Grandpa Smith is here, Ma. And he says there's nothing to be scared of. And Ma, look, there's little Laura. And she's with Bertie. Ain't it nice to see Laura and Bertie again? That is devil talk.

Speaker 2 14:50

Devil talk. Your sister and brother are dead. She ran toward the upstairs door. I won't listen to this kind of talk. It ain't fair, Rancy. Lurinda broke into tears and ran up the stairs, closing her bedroom door after her. Lurancy stayed on the floor for another twenty minutes, smiling and talking with her long dead relatives. When Lurinda heard Rancy moving around downstairs, she came out of the bedroom and went into the kitchen. She splashed some cold water on her face and ran a comb through her long wavy hair. She didn't say anything to Rancy, didn't even look at her. After another hour had gone by and Rancy had returned to her rug braiding, Lurinda walked through the room on her way out the front door to the market. You feelin' alright, child? She asked over her shoulder. Lurancy didn't look up. When she had come to, she'd been lying on the floor. She didn't remember falling and didn't know how long she'd been lying there. But she knew that whatever had happened had upset her mother. It was best not to talk about it.

Speaker 1 16:01

Yes, Ma, I'm fine.

Speaker 2 16:03

You going to the store? Lurinda nodded and hurried from the house. She debated about telling Tom all the way to Culver's grocery and back again. Tom would be furious with Rancy for playing a trick like that on her and would probably punish her. Lorinda prided herself on being a strong woman, but she couldn't abide by anything to do with dead people. It was something she was terrified of as long as she could remember. Lurancy knew that. Why did she suddenly start playing those games? Years ago, when she was just a girl back in Iowa Territory, old man Hinkle had died, and kids said they saw his ghost walking around the barnyard. She was afraid of that place after that and wouldn't go near it. Not even on a dare. When her mother died, they laid her out in the parlor and friends came to pay their respects. Someone had requested a glass of water from Lurinda because they were feeling faint, and she had taken the glass pitcher to the well. On her way back, she saw her mother. Her mother, God rest her soul, was standing in the kitchen doorway looking at her. Lurinda screamed and dropped the pitcher. It broke into a dozen pieces, and Aunt Nell insisted she go to bed and stay there. When she told him about her mother, the doctor said it was her nerves and it was her imagination. The shock of the death had been too much for her. So he gave her some pills and she slept. When she awoke, the coffin was out of the house and in the ground. Lurancy knew that. Why did she do what she did? She wouldn't speak to Tom about it this time. But if Lurancy ever pulled anything like that again, she would get a licking. That was all there was to it.

Speaker 18:02

Now, join me under the porch light. The place where memories meet the present and voices from the past still linger in the dark. Tonight we listen not to the pages from a book, but to the people who have felt the unexplained and found the courage to share it. Welcome to Porchlight Whispers.

Speaker 2 18:27

Hey everyone. I felt so honored and privileged to hear some great firsthand stories last year. I am currently looking for more stories. Now, we seem to have a theme. We had some tales about Lanterns Lane in the Watseka area. We heard about the Ahoskie lights near Murfreesboro, North Carolina. And there are more. There's a tale about a light in Fayetteville, North Carolina that we still want to go investigate. So if you have a story about a lantern or a light that's specific to your area across the country or around the world, we want to hear it. Please email us the story at porchlightwispers at gmail.com. You're also more than welcome to tell it yourself. The people that share their stories record with their phones. They don't have to have fancy equipment. So it's very possible to share your story. You could also go to the Small Town Whispers Facebook page and send us a message. We'd love to connect. So again, if you or someone you know has a great story for Porch Light Whispers, please contact us. We cannot wait to hear your story. And thank you again to everybody who shared. Listen, we want to hear your voices. I hope you have a great week. Until next time.

Speaker 19:58

That was this week's edition. Of Porchlight Whispers. Do you have an experience of your own to tell? We want to hear your stories. Share your experience and let your small town whispers become part of ours.

Speaker 2 20:15

And with that, the porchlight dims, but the whispers stay with us. Join us again next time when another voice steps into the light.