August is here and I would think that the children and teachers are so excited to be back in school. I also believe that Bigfoot is real.
The full moon will be on August 19th and of all things the name is the Sturgeon moon. The name came from the largest freshwater fish in North America which in late summer became plentiful and easy to catch. These fish were plentiful in the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Basin. Also, the August full moon was known as Harvest moon by the Dakota tribe and the Lakota knew it as the Moon of Ripening, and others the Corn Moon which all make sense.
First, thanks to all the people that helped me with this article.
This event happened in August 1980. Yes, 44 years ago this month. It was a sunny August morning and an elderly couple, along with their neighbor decided it would be a great morning to hunt mushrooms in the woods behind their home. Now, they didn’t live in the deep mountains,matter of fact, you could throw a rock to highway 259 from their front door. Just a few hundred yards up the road was a well-established store with a restaurant and gas pumps. We could almost call this downtown Bergton. As the family and friend focused on their mushroom hunt, morning turned to noon, and the husband thought it’s about time to head back to the house, so he yelled for his wife that it was time to head back home. He called out several times but no response. “Hmm, where is she at, maybe she headed back down to the house. That would be the only place she could be!
When they returned home, his wife was nowhere to be found. Where could she be, and what to do next.
The only thing to do was to call for help. So, what started as a normal Monday morning now has changed into something much different, and the call went in to 911at approximately 1:30 PM
Missing Woman, Bergton area. Of course, the Rescue Squad, Fire Department, and Sheriff’s Department responded along with concerned neighbors, and a search began. Eventually search dog teams joined.
As the sun faded behind the mountains so did the hope that she would be found before dark. You see this was before helicopters had night vision. Fleer cameras were not available for small squads, so the search was called off till morning. The next morning the search continued, and the word had spread. The community turned out to help. All day long the search continued, but no results. Darkness fell, and the search was called till daylight the next morning.
As the third day ends, the only things that have been found were mushrooms and rattlesnakes. Church Mountain was famous for its rocks and rattlers.
But to make the best of a bad situation, the searchers started bringing bread bags along to carry out the mushrooms they found while searching for the lady.
One humorous story was that a deputy gave a bag of mushrooms to an out-of-town Eyewitness Newsman saying, “Try these. They are delicious!”
The next day he asked, “How did you like them?
The newsman replied, “They were horrible!” He didn’t know he had to wash and fry them. You see this had turned into a National News event, crews as far away as Washington started arriving to cover the story. As the search enters day four there were some suspicions that foul play may be involved, but after questioning the husband, all suspicions were soon erased, and they had a woman that had wandered off.
But where could an 80-year-old woman who walked with the help of a cane have gone? Yes, 80 years old! Day four was the first time any sign was found. Her yellow egg basket, partially filled with mushrooms, was found about a mile and a half away from their home. How is this possible? Now the searchers know they need to expand the search area, and as darkness falls on the fourth day plans are made for a five-person search party to come from the Shenandoah County side and cross the mountain and search down the mountain.
Early Saturday the search continues, and the five-man team crossed the top and started down the mountain. It was here they came across a local man and as they talked, they found that an area not clear on the map may have not been searched. This would be the area to focus on.
After more searching they came across a spring, and Praise God there she was. Weak but alive. “Don’t worry. We will take care of you and get you to the hospital.”
She sweetly replied, “Oh I’m too dirty to go to the hospital.” She had got her ankle caught between two rocks and could not get loose, two miles from her home. Search party members later said that they had underestimated the lady and her ability to roam the mountains. They radioed she had been found and the approximate area they were bringing her out. This area was close to the white house along 259 known then as the Turner Sandy home.
I want to say this was a miracle, and miracles come from God. The lady told rescuers that on that Saturday while laying in the rocks that she held a regular prayer session with God, and after that session she was at peace because it was revealed to her that day she would be found. Later, as she told of her experience, she said that a woman led her to the water and told her to use the snuff can she had to dip the water. She went on to say that the woman would come and stay with her at night and leave in the morning assuring her she would return that evening. At times she referred to the woman as an Angel. Yes, a miracle that an 80-year-old women walks over 2 miles through snake infested rocks and brush, and to be found five days later weak, but alive and for what she endured, well. It was said when the Rescue Squad took her in the Hospital one of the members replied here is a very special lady. My space is used up but next month I will have more on the family and this event.
Memory of Grace Vaughan
7/10/1900-4/13/1995 94 years old
Until Next Time
Believe it or not
Ronnie
