December 13, 2014 Myself along with my good friend Rob Wlodarski returned to Strathearn Ranch in Simi Valley California. Thirteen investigators plus docents were present this evening. During the investigation in August we focused on the De Leguerra Adobe and the addition which was added on by the Strathearn family. The addition is essentially a two story house. The original adobe contains the kitchen area, along with the pantry and dining room. The addition contains the Music Room, family parlor and the upstairs bedrooms and a very nice, large veranda/ porch and large front yard.
In the previous investigation our focus had been this original adobe and addition. Primarily the Music Room. This time we would do a focused EVP and ITC session in the church known as the Saint Rose of Lima.
From Simi History.com
In 1902 on a lot donated by Thomas Bard the Presbyterians were able to build their own church.
Sharing the community with these Presbyterians were people of the Protestant faith. Before this church was built, the congregations would meet in a colony house. According to Simi History.com, neither congregation could afford a full time minister and most people would attend which ever service had a minister that Sunday. Eventually the little church became home to a Catholic congregation.
Also according to Simi History.com the diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles purchased the church. The website is not clear in their description as to who named it the Saint Rose of Lima.
http://www.simihistory.com/#!church/c1t31
According to the history given on http://www.marypages.com/RoseofLima.htm
Isabel Flores de Oliva was given the nickname Rose by her mother when one day as she was a baby in the cradle it was witnessed by her mother and several other women in attendance, a beautiful rose suddenly appeared in the air and touched the face of Isabel and then vanished. Isabel adopted the name Rose at her confirmation. By the young age of 20 she was conferred the third order of the habit of Saint Dominic in the year 1606.
Rose cared for the sick and the hungry in her community and would bring them to her home to care for them. She was also dedicated to helping the Incas. During her last few years of life she set up a room in her house for homeless children. According to this site, Rose took her inspiration by the example of Saint Catherine of Siena, who had as special calling to help the Indians and evangelize them.
Rose passed away at the young age of 31.
The story of Saint Rose of Lima has little or nothing to do with the church located at Strathearn Historical park other than the Catholic congregation named the Church after her. I just thought you might like an understanding of who she was.
During our investigation of the church, divining rods were utilized to possibly establish some contact with spirits who were present. Prior to the divining rods being utilized the session was a very basic EVP session.
Author and long time paranormal investigator Rob Wlodarski asked if there was a priest present in the church. Immediately after Rob's question there was an audible squeak or squeal from the back of the congregation room which several of us heard. From my review of my audio at this point that a small, feint voice was heard to say "Hello" at the time of this squeak or squeal. The EVP itself is not considered "Class A" and hard to hear so I will not post it here for your listening.
After each of us were questioned as to whether or not someone within the group had made that sound I asked "so nobody made that sound?" and then there is an EVP that says "Hello, it was me". Again not a "Class A" EVP and hard to hear so I will not post it here.
In the previous investigation our focus had been this original adobe and addition. Primarily the Music Room. This time we would do a focused EVP and ITC session in the church known as the Saint Rose of Lima.
From Simi History.com
In 1902 on a lot donated by Thomas Bard the Presbyterians were able to build their own church.
Sharing the community with these Presbyterians were people of the Protestant faith. Before this church was built, the congregations would meet in a colony house. According to Simi History.com, neither congregation could afford a full time minister and most people would attend which ever service had a minister that Sunday. Eventually the little church became home to a Catholic congregation.
Also according to Simi History.com the diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles purchased the church. The website is not clear in their description as to who named it the Saint Rose of Lima.
http://www.simihistory.com/#!church/c1t31
According to the history given on http://www.marypages.com/RoseofLima.htm
Isabel Flores de Oliva was given the nickname Rose by her mother when one day as she was a baby in the cradle it was witnessed by her mother and several other women in attendance, a beautiful rose suddenly appeared in the air and touched the face of Isabel and then vanished. Isabel adopted the name Rose at her confirmation. By the young age of 20 she was conferred the third order of the habit of Saint Dominic in the year 1606.
Rose cared for the sick and the hungry in her community and would bring them to her home to care for them. She was also dedicated to helping the Incas. During her last few years of life she set up a room in her house for homeless children. According to this site, Rose took her inspiration by the example of Saint Catherine of Siena, who had as special calling to help the Indians and evangelize them.
Rose passed away at the young age of 31.
The story of Saint Rose of Lima has little or nothing to do with the church located at Strathearn Historical park other than the Catholic congregation named the Church after her. I just thought you might like an understanding of who she was.
During our investigation of the church, divining rods were utilized to possibly establish some contact with spirits who were present. Prior to the divining rods being utilized the session was a very basic EVP session.
Author and long time paranormal investigator Rob Wlodarski asked if there was a priest present in the church. Immediately after Rob's question there was an audible squeak or squeal from the back of the congregation room which several of us heard. From my review of my audio at this point that a small, feint voice was heard to say "Hello" at the time of this squeak or squeal. The EVP itself is not considered "Class A" and hard to hear so I will not post it here for your listening.
After each of us were questioned as to whether or not someone within the group had made that sound I asked "so nobody made that sound?" and then there is an EVP that says "Hello, it was me". Again not a "Class A" EVP and hard to hear so I will not post it here.
Photo taken by myself Gerald Reynolds of some of our group in the congregation room inside The Saint Rose of Lima Church. This was about the time the Squeak or Squeal was heard. The pink light next to the window is just an effect caused by the sunlight and this picture being taken with a full spectrum camera. It is not paranormal.
Rob and I were utilizing divining rods for a Question and Answer session with what is perhaps the spirit of a deceased priest. Clare is talking to the priest in Spanish and he is answering via the divining rods. There is an unknown voice after Clare asks a question that says "Nobody can" followed by a female voice that asks "What's the matter with you"
Rob and I were utilizing divining rods for a Question and Answer session with what is perhaps the spirit of a deceased priest. Clare is talking to the priest in Spanish and he is answering via the divining rods. There is an unknown voice after Clare asks a question that says "Nobody can" followed by a female voice that asks "What's the matter with you"
Photo by Gerald S. Reynolds, December 13, 2014, The Rose of Saint Lima Church.
Adobe 1.5 Spectral View of EVP "You Must Leave" by Gerald S. Reynolds, December 13, 2014
We had an idea of utilizing the old church bell as tickler device in hopes we could get a response. We did!
As the bell rang, then one of our investigators verbally acted to call in the congregation into the church for services to begin, there is a very clear, deep male voice which says "You must leave".
As the bell rang, then one of our investigators verbally acted to call in the congregation into the church for services to begin, there is a very clear, deep male voice which says "You must leave".
While we were conducting this session to connect and communicate with perhaps the spirit of the priest of the church, one of the other investigators asked if we could use the spirit box. There is a strange female like voice that asks "who is he?".
we began utilizing the PSB-7 Spirit box and asked for a name. There is two unknown voices within the white noise. One says "Please give us your name" It does not sound like anyone from our team. Then a much more raspy voice says "I hear you". A male voice of what sounded like a young man says a name that sounds like "Alec or Alex Whitt" The clearest response is "Alec or Alex Whitt". I will post the audio but bear in mind the first two responses are difficult to hear so you may have to listen several times. They are repeated.
The investigator asks that the spirit use the Spirit box and there is a response which sounds like somebody singing "I don't have to do what he says". Just prior to this there is a male voice who almost sings "I don't care what you say".
A female via the PSB-7 Spirit Box says "Let it be". There were no further responses via the spirit box after this point.
After we finished with The Saint Rose of Lima church, Robert Honings, one of our investigators and I did a two man EVP and PSB-7 Spirit Box session in the Music Room of the Adobe/Addition of the de Leguerra / Strathearn house. Our aim was to contact Strathearn family members. Here are the names of the Strathearn family, supplied to me by Rob Wlodarski. Robert P. Strathearn; Mary Gray Lamb Strathearn; Robert Jr.; Jessie; James; Marion; George; Isabella; and David (born in the Strathearn House
Robert Jr was a talented musician from what I am told. During this session I mistakenly referred to him as John. For that I apologize Robert.
Strong female presence here as you will hear in the captured audio. Its either one of the daughters or the mother Mary.
Robert Jr was a talented musician from what I am told. During this session I mistakenly referred to him as John. For that I apologize Robert.
Strong female presence here as you will hear in the captured audio. Its either one of the daughters or the mother Mary.
The Music Room of the Strathearn House, photo taken by Gerald S. Reynolds, August 2014
My fellow investigator Robert Honings began reading from a list of family names from both the De Leguerra family and the Strathearn family. At this point there voice which says "Wont you go home?" after he reads the name of Maria De Leguerra.
At one point I mention that my phone is drained of energy and I cannot use my Echovox App. There is a response by a male voice who says "What's wrong with that?"
Spectral View from my Adobe 1.5 software of the EVP "Whats wrong with that" The vocal marks to the left are from me. The highlighted marks to the right are the EVP.
I decided to take some pictures and I verbally noted this. After doing so, an EVP is captured of a male voice saying "Aim it towards him".
Spectral view from Adobe 1.5 of the EVP "Aim it towards him" My vocal marks are on the left and the EVP is highlighted on the right.
We asked about what they are having for dinner or if they have had dinner and if there was anyone upstairs. We asked if they were going to Church on Sunday. At 7:48 there is a male voice that says "Walk with me".
Spectral View form Adobe 1.5 of the EVP "Walk with me". My vocal marks are to the left and the EVP is highlighted to the extreme right.
At this point we decided to utilize the PSB-7 Spirit box and see if we could capture any responses that way. The PSB-7 Spirit box can be very noisy and maybe a little disconcerting to the spirits. In past investigations, I have actually heard a spirit beg to have the box turned off. Upon advice from well known Investigator and Medium Chris Fleming I most commonly set the PSB-7 at 150 MHz on FM band with a backwards sweep. I have had some success with these settings and these are the settings I used in this investigation.
More personal subjects were addressed at this point in regards to the spirits who were present. Asking for confirmation from Robert Strathearn Senior, the patriarch of the Strathearn family. Questions about his job, age, and why they choose to remain in the house.
When I attempted to directly contact the father, Robert Strathearn Sr., there was a female voice responding on the spirit box who I assume may have been his wife Mary. The response was "I wish you would leave". According to fellow investigator Rob Wlodarski, Mary has always been known to be very friendly.
More personal subjects were addressed at this point in regards to the spirits who were present. Asking for confirmation from Robert Strathearn Senior, the patriarch of the Strathearn family. Questions about his job, age, and why they choose to remain in the house.
When I attempted to directly contact the father, Robert Strathearn Sr., there was a female voice responding on the spirit box who I assume may have been his wife Mary. The response was "I wish you would leave". According to fellow investigator Rob Wlodarski, Mary has always been known to be very friendly.
If this is Mary, she was not very pleased we were there. However she was cooperative. I asked how old are you and she responded "52". Immediately after she said "52" a younger sounding male says "I am 30".
I asked Robert Sr. about the type of work he did, "What was your job?" the response I received was a very funny and humorous "What job?!"
I attempted to talk to Robert Sr. again and there is male response that says "I'm dead". Followed by another voice that says "ghost".
I asked Robert Sr. about the type of work he did, "What was your job?" the response I received was a very funny and humorous "What job?!"
I attempted to talk to Robert Sr. again and there is male response that says "I'm dead". Followed by another voice that says "ghost".
My last question for this session was "Why do you stay in this house?" and "Why don't you move on?" I assured them I was not trying to chase them out of their house but, I simply wanted to know why they had not moved on. We heard from "Edward" and they he "Likes it" To our knowledge Edward is not a family member and his name was not on the list of names we were given by Rob Wlodarski. Still, he is there.
PSB-7 Spirit Box response from Edward and why does he stay in this house? "I like it"
According to Wikipedia the Strathearn family owned this home from 1892 until 1969.
The ranch was once the location of a Chumash Indian villiage and then in 1842 the 92,000 acre ranch was acquired by Don Jose De La Guerra y Noriega. During the 1880s the ranch was owned by a family of French Basque sheep herders named Jauregues. This information is courtesy of www.nps.gov/nr/travel/ca/ca16.htm.
We look forward to coming back and investigating further. In hope of making contact with those who lived here in the past.
The ranch was once the location of a Chumash Indian villiage and then in 1842 the 92,000 acre ranch was acquired by Don Jose De La Guerra y Noriega. During the 1880s the ranch was owned by a family of French Basque sheep herders named Jauregues. This information is courtesy of www.nps.gov/nr/travel/ca/ca16.htm.
We look forward to coming back and investigating further. In hope of making contact with those who lived here in the past.
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