A Restless Spirits last request

Living in the small community of Londonderry my mother "Aleatha "knew all the residents but had a few very close friends. A couple of these friends were Maggie and her husband Fred Cooper. 

When Lyle Harvey moved into the Baptist Church to take over the ministry he soon entered mom's small circle of friends. Everyone enjoyed his weekly visits to their homes as it was a social event and not a preaching session. He was a perfect fit as a minister and loyal friend would help anyone in need whether they were his church following or not.

It was around 1950 and the Cooper's were going through a very hard time. Their daughter Marguerite who was in her thirties was slowly dying from cancer. My mother tried to visit her friends more often as they nursed their child to give them moral support and help in any way she could. Lyle spent many hours there also giving Maggie and Fred spiritual support and praying for God to ease Marguerite's pain and help her cross over when the time came.

As time passed and the end drew near Maggie stopped putting Marguerite's dentures in her mouth. She was too ill to eat and she had lost so much weight they didn't fit properly any more. They tried to keep her as comfortable as possible but it took a real toll on Maggie and Fred to helplessly watch their daughter grow weaker with each passing day. Finally mom got the call she had been dreading and she dropped everything to rush to console her dear friends. 

The undertaker took Marguerite's body to the funeral home and her parents grieved with mom and Lyle and a few more people who showed up to comfort them. It was late when my mother and Lyle walked home together but before they parted ways plans were made to return to the Cooper's house the next day. It had been a long day but mom stayed up to bake as she knew her friends had more serious things on their minds than food.

The next day Lyle helped carry the food and they returned to help their friends. Mom or Lyle never expected what they were about to encounter when they walked through the door. Both Maggie and Fred were inconsolable, crying hysterically unable to speak. As mom made some tea Lyle succeeded to finally calm them down. After a hot cup of tea their composure slowly returned and they began to tell a tale that had scared them near to death.

Apparently after everyone had left the previous evening Maggie and Fred had retired for the night when they heard noises from Marguerite's bedroom. Jumping up Fred went to investigate thinking someone had entered the house and was trying to rob them. After searching the whole house and finding nothing wrong he went back to bed. As soon as he laid down the noises started again and this went on all night long. 

Neither he nor his wife got a wink of sleep and they could only think Marguerite was haunting them for some unknown reason. Fred stated that if this was the case he and Maggie would be driven crazy if they had to live the rest of their lives being haunted by their own child.

Lyle told them if the noise started that night to enter the room and ask what the spirit was looking for. He assured them there was nothing to be afraid of and then prayed asking God to help Maggie and Fred find what their daughter apparently wanted. By the time mom and Lyle left they were confident the Coopers would get an answer that night.

 Sure enough as soon as Maggie and Fred retired for the night the noises from Marguerite's room started again. The parents bravely entered the room and Fred asked quite loudly, "Marguerite what are you looking for?" As soon as he had asked the question a voice clearly stated, "My teeth!" Astonished they looked at each other and realized that in their grief they had forgotten to give the undertaker her dentures. Maggie spoke up and told her deceased daughter she would make sure she had her teeth the next day. Returning to their bed the house remained quiet and they managed to get some much needed rest.

My mother and Lyle accompanied the Cooper's to the undertakers the next day after hearing what had occurred the night before. Both Maggie and Fred could not thank Lyle enough for his words of wisdom. Upon explaining the details to the undertaker he said he had already prepared the body and could not open her mouth to put the dentures in as her lips had been glued shut. Shocked Maggie began to sob when my mother spoke up and said they didn't need to be in her mouth as long as they were buried with her. So the undertaker slipped them under the pillow in the coffin to which all agreed was the perfect place.

When they returned home the parents entered Marguerite's room and told her they had put her teeth under her pillow. Before leaving, my mother and Lyle both promised to return later that night if Marguerite came back. There were no late night phone calls as Fred and Maggie spent a quiet evening and slept undisturbed. The next day their daughter was buried and she must have been pleased to have her teeth as she never returned home again.

Although it had been a terrifying experience for the Cooper's they dealt with their fears with the help of two of their closest friends. The years passed and their friendship never faltered. When Lyle was relocated to another ministry he kept in touch by letters and phone calls. The only thing that separated these loyal friends was death and they're properly together drinking tea as I write this story.

Written by: Sherry L.


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