Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Neighbors Describe Their Resident Ghosts

It's not unusual to find houses around northern Colorado that seem to be the home of a few haunted things: the Windsor farmhouse where the family can't keep a Christmas tree because a ghost keeps throwing it outside; the rocking chair ghost in Eaton, where family members have seen the old ghostly woman rocking late into the night.

Northern Colorado has its share of apparitions, things-that-go-bump-in-the-night, wisps and mysterious vapors. But now there are reports from the residents of three houses, side-by-side in a Greeley neighborhood, that each house has its own set of ghosts.

The families live in east-central Greeley, and have asked that their addresses not be released. But they wanted to talk about their ghostly experiences.

Gerry Park

From the day she walked into her home 16 years ago, Park "felt something." Her husband felt "the presence" also.

"It was a feeling at first that we weren't alone in the house," Park said. "Then, from time-to-time, we've seen them."

She said a "ghost family" -- a man and woman and two children -- have been seen in her house several times over the years. They stay mainly in the basement, but "things" have happened upstairs, Park said. "One evening, we were sitting in the living room watching TV," Park explained, "and there was a Big Wheel tricycle in the dining room. Suddenly, the trike just started rolling, and came out of the dining room into the living room."

Park's adult daughter had problems in the past with the "father" of the family, and he's terrified her, seeming to chase her from the basement. She told her mother that the man was evil.

Liz Hoffman

"They live in the attic of our house, and we're so used to them, they really don't frighten us. You just learn to live with the ghosts."

But last summer, while Hoffman and friends were sitting outside on a summer evening, they saw something floating out of the attic vents of the house. They were like streaks of light, Hoffman said, and her neighbor, Gerry Park shot a photo. "We've also found that many times, if you take a picture of our house," Hoffman said, "you'll get orbs of light on the photo."

Hoffman lives in the center of the three allegedly haunted houses in north-central Greeley. None of the people living in the houses wanted the addresses released because they are concerned about people coming to their homes to search for their ghostly residents.

Marjorie Park

The third resident on the block said she has seen the shadows and heard the noises her children talk about, but she doesn't let them bother her. "My kids say there are ghosts in my house, but I've lived here 40 years and haven't seen a real one yet," Marjorie Park said.

Gerry Park is her daughter-in-law.

Marjorie said there might be ghosts living in her house but she won't let them frighten her. "I just don't pay any attention to the shadows and noises."

The three houses were placed on the basements and foundations about 40 to 60 years ago, according to Greeley records. The area was farm for many years, but then when it was sold, the three houses were brought in from other areas.

The entire area, southwest of Jerry's Market, is filled with homes and complete neighborhoods now. And three houses who may have extra, ghostly residents.