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The Watseka Wonder – The Double Life of Lurancy Venum

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Mary Lurancy Vennum was born in April 1864 in Milford, a small town near Watseka in eastern Illinois. She had an ordinary, remarkable childhood until she was 13. Then, in July 1877, she told her family: “There were persons in my room last night, and they called ‘Rancy! Rancy!’ and I felt their breath on my face.”

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A few days later Laurancy had had a seizure, followed by another. She announced that she could see heaven, angels, and people who were now dead but whom she had known. Her distressed family anxiously sought medical advice and were grateful when their friends Mr. and Mrs. Roff recommended Dr. E. W. Stevens of Janesville, Wisconsin

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A Disturbing Spirit

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On January 3, 1878, Mr. Roff brought Stevens to the Vennums’ home. Lurancy had become increasingly disturbed and seemed to be having a continual inner struggle. With great difficulty Stevens calmed the girl down. She then told him that a spirit called Mary Roff exclaimed: “That is my daughter Mary Roff. Why? She has been in heaven 12 years. Yes, let her come; we’ll be glad to let her come.”

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Mary Roff had died in July 1865 at the age of 18, having suffered from fits throughout her life. It now seemed to Roff that his daughter had returned from the grave and taken over Lurancy’s body. Indeed, Lurancy was giving every sign of being Mary Roff and was constantly pleading to be allowed to go home to her parents.

Roff Household

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On February 11 “Mary Roff” moved to the Roff household. For three months she behave exactly as if she were the dead daughter of the Roffs’ immediately recognizing friends, relatives, clothes, and belongings. She also remembered scores of events from her past, many of which had occurred up to 25 years before. When the Vennums visited, “Mary Roff” behaved as if Lurancy reemerged.

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On May 7 the personality of Lurancy reemerged. Sitting down again, and asked: “Where am I? I was never here before.” She pleaded to be taken home. But five minutes later the “Mary Roff” personality took control once more. Between May 7 and May 21 this temporary displacing of “Mary” by Lurancy occurred several times. Finally, “Mary” announced that it was time for Lurancy to return, and she said good-bye to her family and friends.

The Days of Full Possession

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Lurancy was welcomed back into the bosom of her family, and she settled in happily. From time to time the “Mary” personality would emerge, but only briefly, and Lurancy was able to lead a normal life. The days of full possession seemed to be over.

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The case of the Watseka Wonder, as Lurancy Vennum affair became known, came to attention of Dr. Richard Hodgson, a notoriously skeptical researcher into psychic phenomena. He studied it carefully in 1980 and concluded that there was no way that the strange case could be explained by any normal means. Either Mary Roff had returned from the dead to possess the body of Lurancy Vennum, or Lurancy had developed a secondary personality that used psychic powers to gather details about Mary Roff’s past life. The truth may never be known. The case of the Watseka Wonder retains its mystery to the present day.