S. Avon Store Rd. (township of Avon, WI.)
Website: Avon Cemetery Burial Records
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Directions: Take Highway 11 south, from Broadhead. Turn left on Highway 81 east. Take a right
on S. Avon Store Road. The cemetery will be on the left-hand side.
Avon Cemetery is a small cemetery located just southeast of Broadhead. The first
known burial, was held in 1848.
Nellie Brace was 15 years old, when she contracted scarlet fever (some say it was typhoid-but scarlet fever is what's listed in the obit). She died on March 3rd, 1917, and was buried the next day.Because scarlet fever is extremely contagious, Nellie was given a hasty burial, with no funeral (only the doctor and undertaker were present).
So why would Nellie Brace be haunting Avon Cemetery? It is believed, by some, that due to a lack of anytype of funeral service, there was no blessing of Nellie Brace's spirit. This means that Nellie is buried in unconsecrated (or unholy) ground. She also has no marker showing where she is buried (unknown why). Add to that, the fact she was barely a young woman (still going through puberty), who endured a horrible, agonizing death, and you have the makings for a haunting.
How do we know that it is Nellie Brace haunting the cemetery grounds? According to witnesses (usually teenagers visiting the cemetery after dark), a spirit appeared to them, and told them, that her name is Nellie Brace (pretty straight forward). Now granted, the reports are from teenagers who were probably out "partying" a little before visiting the cemetery, but without a headstone, or anykind of marker, how did they know Nellie's full name? Urban legend? Perhaps, but is her story that different from those of other children buried at Avon (and there are a number of children, and young adults buried in Avon), that do have markers, and can be easily verified.
Just a thought.
...Nellie Brace's obituary from the Broadhead Independent (3/1917).
....(:28) Brief view of the Avon Cemetery
***Below are recordings I made at Avon Cemetery, on 4/28/09 & 6/5/09. Most of the EVP's are very short, and were barely adudible, but they did seem to respond to my questions, or comments. Whether they're voices from the "great beyond", or mere coincidences, I'll let you be the judge.
On 4/28/09, I went to Avon Cemetery. It was sunny (in the low 70's-high 60's). I was the only one in the cemetery, at the time, but there was a school fieldtrip going on in the woods farther behind the cemetery.
On this trip to the cemetery, the only odd thing that I caught on my recorder, was this brief humming sound. Not sure what it is.
....(Strange hum)
On 6/5/09, I entered the Avon Cemetery. It was mostly sunny. Windy, & and in the low 70's. I was the only one in the cemetery, at the time (the joy of country cemeteries).
When I began the session, I introduced myself. After saying that my name was "Rob". A few seconds later, there is a soft voice, that can be heard. After listening to it several times, I believe it is saying "Hi".
....(orig. full length) ....(edited-just the voice "Hi")
In this section, I was explaining that I had come from Madison, just to be there. As I was starting to say "I heard...", there is a soft voice, that can be heard. I believe it is saying. "Why?" (as a response to my coming down all the way from Madison).
....(orig. full length) ....(edited-just the voice "Why?")
In this section, I was walking around the cemetery, and in the silence, I caught a voice that sounded like it was saying, "Kill This Guy". Hopefully, I'm wrong about this one.
....("Kill this guy.")
Nellie Brace has no gravestone, so I decided to walk towards the spot where other Brace family members are buried (thinking that Nellie would be buried in the family plot), and ask her (Nellie), if this was where she was buried. I started to ask, "Are you buried somewhere in here?" A split-second after saying "here?", there is a sound. When I slowed the soud down, it sounds like a female voice say "Uh-huh". You can be the judge.
....(orig. full length) ....(edited/slowed down-just the voice "Uh-huh")
I decided to leave the recorder on one of the stones (in the Brace family plot), and walk away for about 10 minutes. When I checked the recorder, later, I found it to be relatively quiet except for this tapping noise that started a few minutes before I returned. Again, I was the only one in the cemetery, & I have no idea where this tapping noise came from, or what caused it.
....(Tapping noise)
As I was getting ready to leave, I thanked anyone who was there, for letting me visit the cemetery, and for talking to me (if they had talked to me through the recorder). I started to say "Again, uh...", after the "uh" there is a brief noise in the background. In reviewing the recording, I believe it is a voice saying "Thank you.". Either copying me, or actually thanking me for coming.
....(orig. full length) ....(edited-just the voice "Thank you.")
...Nellie Brace's obituary from the Broadhead Independent (3/1917).