By Cathy Kimmel
Special to The Review
Some people feel the chills at the mention of a ghost, but for Stitch in Time owner Linda Lee, she thinks of hers as a daughter.
For the second time in approximately a year, Motor City Ghost Hunters came out to investigate in Lee’s shop, which is located in the historic Canterbury Village, last month.
Motor City Ghost Hunters, also known as MCGH, first visited Lee’s establishment last September after a member of the group paid Lee a visit..
‘It just so happens that one of the members of MCGH came to my shop because he had a feeling there was some activity in the shop,? she said. ‘I was so excited when he told me who he was.?
‘I jumped at the chance to have John and his team come to the shop,? Lee added.
At that time, Lee and her daughters said they had experienced several paranormal experiences in the building, including opening and closing doors, sounds of unexplained footsteps and laughter, equipment turning on by itself and items being moved around.
During the first visit, according to MCGH founder John McCormick, they found the spirit of a nine-year-old girl named Sarah.
‘On our first visit, we caught her voice saying ‘I am nine,?? said McCormick, adding that unexplainable music can also be heard in the background.
He said that Sarah had felt a bond with Lee and her teenage daughters, which is why she frequently made herself known to them.
‘Linda is a warm and loving mother and has two daughters that Sarah felt comfortable with,? he said, noting that Lee and her family experience activity in their home now also as it seems Sarah travels home with them. ‘She has been accepted as just another member of their family.?
At the first visit last year, MCGH members said they also found evidence of two other spirits who were brought into the store as they were attached to furniture Lee acquired ? John, who was attached to a sofa, and Samuel, who was attached to an antique sideboard. Both men died suddenly of heart related issues and refused to move on.
Lee, who was thrilled to find out some information about the paranormal experiences that were occurring to her and her daughters, decided to call on MCGH a second time after relocating her business to another building in Canterbury Village.
‘I wanted to make sure that Sarah understood that I didn’t leave her,? Lee explained, ‘and that the shop just moved and I wanted her to go with me. I also wanted to see if there were any new ghosts in the new shop.?
On MCGH’s most recent visit, besides investigating the old shop, the new shop and another store, Sacred Sisters, two of the group’s sensitives communicated with Sarah about the move, explaining that Lee wanted her to move into the new building with them.
It seems as if they found success with a phone call from Lee the day after the investigation.
‘Linda called me to say she just saw the door knob move at the new store just like Sarah used to do at the old store,? McCormick said.
Even though ghosts are somewhat a taboo for some, Lee couldn’t be happier about her decision to call MCGH.
‘They are the best group of people I have ever met in my life,? she said ?[They] have become family to me and my family. They love what they do and it comes from the heart.?
‘They helped me in my shop and showed me that I had a little girl ghost who died when she was nine-years-old and since I moved into the shop, she looks at me as if I am her mom and my daughters are her sisters,? Lee added. ‘I would have never had known that without them. They helped me talk to Sarah and helped Sarah talk to me. It was a really great thing.?
Finding out about Sarah hasn’t just been great for Lee and her daughters, but customers have really enjoyed it also. According to Lee, she has had several customers come in to say hello to Sarah, John and Samuel, including a young girl whose parents brought her into the shop to visit Sarah.
‘She also gave me a letter she wrote to Sarah asking her to be her friend,? Lee added.
Lee describes the whole experience as very positive and recommends that others experiencing the paranormal contact MCGH.
‘They do not do what they do for money, they do it because it is what they love to do,? she said. ‘They will help anyone who calls them.?
MCGH investigates both homes and commercial establishments free of charge. For more information, they can be visited online at www.motorcityghosthunters.com, which also includes evidence from several of their investigations, including last year’s visit to Stitch in Time. They can be reached by phone at 313-516-3001.