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This was another great event by Strange Escapes at the Belvoir Winery in Liberty, MO. Amy Bruni from Ghost Hunters and Kindred Spirits, along with Adam Berry from Ghost Hunters and Kindred Spirits, Dana and Greg Newkirk {curators of the Traveling Museum of the Paranormal and the Occult}, John Tenney{Researcher,Lecturer and an Author}, Mike Brody{comedian}, Grant Wilson from the Ghost Hunters, and Sarah Soderlund {Forensic Psychologist and a Psychic Medium} did a great job. The owners of the Winery have done an awesome job renovating this old Odd Fellows Home that was originally built in 1900. The Winery is now an Inn as well, with 9 rooms available to book. We were once again divided into several groups for the investigation of the Cemetery, Old Folks Home, Nursing Home, Hospital, and the Bunker. The morgue was off limits due to a flooded basement. There was no evidence review this time, so I will only have some of the evidence known to me. We started at the Cemetery with John Tenney. Besides all of the interesting stories he shared with us, there was no activity recorded. Next stop, was the Old Folks Home with Dana and Greg Newkirk, and of course Billy, a cursed artifact. During an EVP session with the previous group, Billy had played the knock knock joke for the first time ever. A woman in black was seen in the hallway. During our EVP session, one of the women was touched. When asked if the spirit there had done it, we heard a yes on the voice recorder. I was also able to capture a male voice on the staircase leading downstairs. The local paranormal group did a great job leading us to all the locations. Next, was the Nursing Home with Adam Berry. Adam had heard a door creak and slam earlier by the old chapel area. The next stop was the Old Hospital with Grant Wilson. The previous group had a great EVP session talking with Dr. Matthews, an old doctor at the hospital, a spirit named Tim, and 7 other spirits. Someone's hand was grabbed. We were able to capture some EVPs at the surgery area. The last area was the Bunker with Sarah Soderlund. She confirmed that there were several kid spirits there. They are known to turn on all the flashlights at the same time, and use the K2 meter as well. We did not get any flashlight action, but the K2 went off several times. The spirit kids love to sing, so Ring Around The Rosie and the ABC song really got the K2 going. All of these buildings have been investigated many times by different groups. The winery has public investigations in October, for those who dare to enter. Some of the things that are said to happen are: hearing voices, singing, laughter, and piano music, seeing apparitions, shadows, feeling of being watched, and physical contact. Due to the deterioration of the buildings, animals can easily enter, as we witnessed first hand, when a raccoon appeared out of nowhere running around in the dark hallways. That being said, some of the shadows, noises, and growls heard can very well be caused by different animals in the building. Not everything one sees or hears is paranormal. In a place like this, sometimes ones' mind gets the best of them. There is a fairly large neighborhood nearby, so voices can carry as well. The hospital area is said to be most active. Jesse Leimkuehler, who runs the place, saw an apparition of a little boy in red shirt, blue knickers, and brown boots by the womens' bathroom fireplace. He also saw a woman in a big dress in the library area. The doors open and close in the old orphans' rooms. In the Old Folks Home, he saw someone peeking out of one of the rooms. Outside one of the ballrooms, he heard someone talking to his daughter when no one else was there. As there was no separation of the mentally ill from the other patients in the Old Hospital, some of the spirits there remain as they were while living. One has to practice caution when investigating any place with such history. Always be respectful wherever you are, and always clear after you leave. Tell the spirits they are not to follow you home. Psychic Jane Stewart did a quick distant review of some of these buildings. In the Odd Fellows Home, she was drawn to all the floors on the right side. She saw a very disturbed blonde woman, whose hair was shaven on one side and long on the other. There were also 2 dark haired young male spirits that looked like twins, but weren't. She also saw several male spirits with very bad teeth, one older than the rest who seemed challenged, wearing lose fitting, dirty clothes. Many of the men had severe impulse control issues with men, and were easily agitated. At the Cemetery, Jane saw lot of ghosts, but there were 2 that stood out: A girl in her 20's wearing a slip or a nightdress. She was barefoot, and her name is possibly Jessica. Also, a little boy whose name might be Billy or Bobby. In the Bunker, she picked up lot of movement by 2 male spirits. In the Hospital, she was hearing the word "ghosts" in the corridors. There were also lot of clanking noises caused by workers. Most places have some residual energy. Different psychics pick up different things, and when at the location, they can pick up more. Spirit activity can change daily, and spirits do travel, so the same spirit isn't necessarily there every day. One thing is for sure. The Belvoir Winery is haunted. But hauntings aside, it is a great place for events, parties, and great wine.
History:
The Independent Order of The Odd Fellows{IOOF}, one of the largest orders in the U.S., was founded in 1819. They bought the Old Reed Springs Hotel {later called the Winner Hotel} and the land in Liberty, MO in 1895. The hotel was built on the Reed Sulphur Springs site to try and profit from the healing waters, as they had done in Excelsior Springs. The hotel burned down in 1900, and the Odd Fellows Home was built in place. The building is Jacobethan Revival Style, which was used as a guide later to build the other structures on the 170 acres (originally 240 acres). The main building was used as the Administration Building, but it was built to take care of the members and their families of the order. It was one of the two existing homes in the state. It became an orphanage till 1951, after which no children lived there, a home for the elderly, and the poor. With the majority of occupants being kids, a school building was built in 1904, as it was important for the order to give the children a good education. In 1907-1908, the Old Folks Building was built. In 1923, the IOOF built a much needed hospital. It was the only hospital at the time in the area. Eventually, it became outdated, and in 1951, the decision was made to tear down the school building, as the amount of kids had declined, and the classes had been moved to the Admin Building. A newer Hospital/Nursing Home was built in place in 1955, with a brick passage way to the Old Folks Building. IOOF decided to allow paying, non-members to the hospital at this time. The Odd Fellows Home was self supporting through farm work. There was also a cemetery for the IOOF members on the property. Those with no other arrangements were buried there, and also some who had requested it. The cemetery was relocated in 1911 to its current location. Nearly 600 people are buried there, and it is still in use today. However, there has been no burials since 1993. One body was exhumed. The Odd Fellows Home was placed in National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Dr. Bean and his wife, Marsha, purchased the property in 1993, and it is still in the family. They have turned it into a beautiful Winery and Event Center with 9 rooms to book. The time has taken its toll on the remaining buildings that have become deteriorated and dangerous, but that hasn't stopped the curious from hoping to catch a glimpse of the many ghosts that still call it home. For a more detailed history and some great old pictures, check out the state historical survey report of the Old Fellows Home District.