Sometimes ghosts grab sheets, throw rocks, break dishes, make loud noises, and the list goes on. Ghosts are not usually portrayed as helpful roommates but rather (sometimes entertaining) nuisances.
The ghost of the Kubis household in Rice Lake, Wisconsin (1925) was a special kind of ghost: she cooked and cleaned!
This domestic goddess ghost slung “an awfully wicked mop” and baked biscuits that were “nothing short of a poem.” The poetic biscuits were “so nice and brown and just the right texture.”
She was also consistent: her shift always started at midnight.
The biscuits would not make up for the fact that the house was getting too crowded. Not satisfied with the list of cleaning tasks, the ghost started to get a bit too social. One night she climbed in bed with the two Kubis daughters (Helen, age 13, and Armilla, age 11). Another night, she stood very close to Mrs. Kubis while she was replenishing the kitchen fire.
After Mrs. Kubis described the ghost to the neighbors, they shared a photo of Mrs. Axol Pickman, the previous owner of the Kubis home. The photo was a spitting image of the ghost! Further, Mrs. Pickman once told the neighbors she would return after death. It must have been her.
The Kubis family ended up moving out, because the house was cold (that’s the polite answer).
I wonder if Mrs. Pickman is still cleaning the house (and if the house is on Zillow)?
Sources
- Battle Creek Enquirer, Battle Creek, Michigan, March 12, 1925.
- The Escanaba Daily Press, Escanaba, Michigan, March 05, 1925.