Branson Hauntings
Branson Hauntings
By Lee Prosser
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing (January 2010)
Pages: 160 – Price: $14.99
Ghostvillage.com author interview
Lee Prosser has been experiencing the supernatural since childhood. Growing up a sensitive, Prosser always had a gift for picking up on subtleties in the environment. An avid artist and writer, he’s authored numerous books. He’s also a columnist and book reviewer for Ghostvillage.com. We recently caught up with Prosser to discussing his delightful new book, Branson Hauntings.
What made you choose Branson, Missouri, as the subject and focus of your new ghostly book?
Lee Prosser: Branson, Missouri, was always a short drive from where I lived, and easily reached from Springfield, Missouri, in less than forty-five minutes. To drive there, involved different stops along the way to see things that appealed to the occupants of our car — my mother Marjorie drove the car, whereas my Uncle Willard David Firestone, my Grandmother Archie T. Firestone, and I were the passengers. There was always some lively conversation going on inside the car, and my mother could concentrate on her driving as well as her rapid-fire talking without a mishap! My mother, Marjorie, could always carry on a lively conversation, while speaking about different topics, and jump from one to the other and back again with perfect ease! She has not changed in that aspect and still talks a mile a minute! When I became older, and could drive my own car or go with people who had cars or pick-up trucks, I found many happy weekends and summer outings spent in the area of Branson. I saw some strange things that stayed with me for a lifetime, and the paranormal appeal of that small city has never left me, nor did its UFO activities. I have always treasured the memories of my times visiting this lake country area, and still do. Coombs Ferry is not far from Branson, and remains among my favorite paranormal locations to visit, and its ghosts are still there. I have other vivid memories of this part of Missouri, many! One reason I selected Branson to write about is its enduring location as a paranormal location for hauntings and other occurrences! I also like to eat at the restaurants in the area. The food is delicious. My wife, Deb and I made a total of 29 trips to Branson, Missouri, during my writing of the book! Each visit was different and unusual in some way, and enjoyable
What is about rail lines and train tracks that make us talk about ghosts like the one seen around Branson?
Rail lines, railroads, and trains all seem to be a natural magnet for attracting paranormal happenings. Railways are a conduit for energy, and they can serve as a psychic connection to energy. Spirits, whether good or bad, positive or negative, are drawn to energy in these situations. There are generally many ghosts in such areas, and some are more visible than others for one reason or another. This area of Branson has ghosts around its railways, and they have been there a long time. As a point of reference, I would venture to say that during the height of the Branson tourist season there are ghosts who may mingle with the crowds in the manner of an intelligent haunting but the tourists think it is another tourist talking or bumping into them and simply dismiss the incidents as such. When it comes to the paranormal, many things can happen, and do. All you have to do is be alert, sensitive, and patient, and if the paranormal occurrence is going to happen to you, then it will, and if it does not, there are other times to come! With training, encouragement, and guidance, every person is capable of becoming a paranormal sensitive. To do this only requires that you relearn the skills you are naturally born with but taught to dismiss by society. It is that simple and direct, really it is.
Do you have a favorite Branson haunt? If so, which one and why?
I think all of the haunted places have an appeal, some more so than others. I liked the encounters I experienced at the eating places most of all, and also, those around the river that flows with such vigor past the city! I also found the visit to the small village setting of Hollister a nice situation for encounters. Old Matt’s Cabin and Inspiration Tower were other memorable places of ghostly hauntings. Branson has so many hauntings, it is hard to select the one most enjoyable!
Your wife, Deb accompanied you on some of your research trips to Branson. Did she enjoy riding shotgun with you on your ghostly journey?
Yes, she did! Deb is a wonderful wife and companion, and she is a paranormal sensitive like myself. I know now that it is her ability as a sensitive to the paranormal and ghosts that attracted me to her after we first met. She can see many things, and successfully does. We make a fine pair, as the saying goes, in all things as a husband and wife team. When it comes to discovering and encountering paranormal occurrences, ghosts, and UFOs, we enjoy doing so! We love exploring old abandoned churches, graveyards, woods, mining areas, forgotten cemeteries, old book shops, flea markets, deserted houses in ruins, caves, old city streets, movie theaters, and old city sites that are abandoned. Mostly anything that piques our interest and suggests looking into! We come across some of the strangest things, and many intelligent hauntings. The older Deb and I become, the more such intelligent hauntings seem to actively seek us out. Young children in our world culture generally can communicate with ghosts until acculturation settles in by the prevalent social order, then they are told to forget such things, which is a sad affair. My late Uncle Willard David Firestone saw to it my sensitive abilities were honed and kept intact throughout my childhood. He was probably one of the most unbiased individuals I have known in this lifetime. I know that Uncle Willard and I have been together during many lifetimes, and in this one, he was the mentor and I the learner.
Did you ever encounter a ghost that scared you in Branson?
No. Neither Deb or I had bad encounters. Each encounter was interesting in its own way.
Who are some of the prominent ghosts of this Missouri town?
Nobody came right out and told me I am the ghost of such and such, and how do you do? But I did get hints of first names, often, and this was enough. On ghost hunting expeditions I am happy with whatever information I can gather, and that does include names. I am more interested in the encounter itself rather than the name of the ghost involved, and some past information always surfaces in an intelligent haunting, if not a full name. It is more often the case of securing a name from an intelligent haunting than a residual haunting. An intelligent haunting is by its very nature a connection or contact — an intimate encounter — where a living person connects with a spirit. Another way of expressing this is to say it is the touching of a soul within a living body with that of a departed soul, and the communication that can come from such a moment.
Were the people of Branson forthcoming when discussing their ghosts
People seemed hesitant, but did talk. Some did not want their identity revealed because they thought people would say they escaped from the funny farm. I respect anybody who will honestly talk to me about ghosts, paranormal happenings, and UFO phenomena. I also respect their privacy to not have their identity known. I think it goes with being a survivor in today’s world of eavesdropping and government information gathering. And besides, a lot of people do not want to share some paranormal incident and be made fun of for doing so! I have always believed it is not my objective to prove or disprove such claims of the unknown, but instead, to listen, document, and write down what I am told, or have personally encountered. Respect for people is an important commodity when listening to them discuss their personal paranormal experiences. Respect for what you encounter is important, too, and it may be possible you help a ghost cross over in one of your encounters. It happens.
Did you have any personal encounters with ghosts while in Branson?
Yes, definitely, but please read my book, Branson Hauntings, and share in my journey to learn more about these intimate encounters! I would say that the section in the book covering Coombs Ferry (pages 84 – 98) is one of the most involved encounters with ghosts I had while writing the book, and also for me personally, one of the most satisfying experiences of ghost investigation during my life. I have an affinity for ghosts, and these ghosts at Coombs Ferry had a personal affinity for me, too. When you read this section of the book, you will also see that ghosts had an affinity for my wife, Deb. The Coombs Ferry area is full of intelligent hauntings. There have also been UFO sightings in the area over years.
If you could have lunch with just one figure from Branson history who would it be and why?
I would have to have lunch with each of them! But to mention just one would be to overlook the presence of the others. I love children and I love listening to children. I feel I would enjoy having lunch with the children ghosts I encountered, most of all. I enjoy connecting with the children ghosts — there I’ve said it again! And the answer to why that is so is because I appreciate the blunt, unfettered honesty of children who most often say things the way they see it! The ghosts of children I encountered during my Branson haunting investigations came from a more pleasant and straight-forward time where 21st Century mind games do not come into play! I would return and visit with those ghost children again, soon. I would listen with them and enjoy listening to what they have to say to me, and whatever they wish to share. I am a listener. Being a listener is my approach as a paranormal sensitive.
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