Evidence of Emma at 52 Building

Emma Lebban is on the right.

Transcendent Paranormal Society has investigated many locations in the 13 months since we split off to form our own team.

It’s thoroughly satisfying when we can help a client with activity in their home. We have been blessed to do that many times.

It’s exhilarating when we catch a piece of evidence that is then validated, not through what that evidence reveals, but validated by factual information. We’ve had a couple instances of that happening, and the latest was in August at a reveal of our July 27 investigation of the 52 Building in Lancaster, Wis.

As part of a reveal, we talk about personal experiences that weren’t caught by evidence. One of the staff members who worked in the 52 Building talked about how during part of her group’s investigation, they were in the old kitchen. Kelly, a guest investigator who is also a medium, picked up on a spirit named Emma who was running things in the kitchen and thought the group members were getting in the way.

One of the women in the audience at the reveal was Jeni Oyen. She came because she was intrigued by what we would find at the building. After the staff member shared her personal experience, Jeni spoke up. She knew an Emma who worked at the 52 Building.

“My great grandma Emma Lebban is from Beetown and worked in the kitchen of the county home, I believe her entire adult life until retirement. My grandma was a wonderful, kind soul but she was very matter of fact about things.

When I heard someone mention that they had asked if Emma wanted them to leave and she replied with ‘We’re cooking here’ that would for sure be something she would say, and I can hear her voice saying it in my head.

Grandma was a very hard worker and enjoyed for the most part working in the kitchen. She actually handed that trait down to my grandma (her daughter) because my grandmother was a cook for the Lancaster schools her entire adult life until retirement.

I’m sure Grandma Lebban wanted the investigators to come help her in the kitchen but probably soon realized they were more in her way, then got irritated.”

Investigators had no knowledge of Emma beforehand. Jeni’s information validated this piece of evidence for us. Truly amazing. We love it when stories like this come out and back up the evidence. It’s motivation to keep doing what we’re doing.

Opportunity seized

The last time I wrote a column here, I was out of a job, blindsided by a budget decision and scurrying to apply for jobs at a clip of three per day.

I viewed my lack of gainful employment, through no fault of my own, as a challenge, yes, but not one I was going to despair about. I tackled it as an opportunity to find something greater, something more meaningful and fulfilling.

I’m sorry it took me so long to provide an update, but I’m happy to report, I indeed found something greater, more meaningful and fulfilling. On Jan. 21, I became the digital content director for WATT Global Media, a business-to-business media company based out of Rockford, Ill., that serves the poultry, egg, animal feed and pet food industries.

WATT is a ROWE workplace. ROWE stands for results only work environment. I am evaluated based on the results I achieve, the goals I meet, rather than face time in front of the computer. Best of all, I get to work wherever and whenever I want, as long as the work gets done. If I want to go to a movie at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday, I can. If I want to fly to Las Vegas for an extended weekend, I can. As long as I meet my goals, I have complete freedom to structure my life the way I choose.

You may think that working from home, it would be easy to slack off. You can’t do that in a ROWE. No results equals no employment. But it’s amazing to be treated like an adult. Do I work more than 40 hours a week? Yes, nearly every week, but not because I feel the stress and pressure that I have to, but because I so enjoy what I do and the people I work with that I want to put in the extra work. But that said, in the 9 months I have worked for WATT, there’s only been two occasions where I have felt overwhelmed. And through talking with colleagues, and working to obtain results, those feelings quickly dissipated.

Was getting let go from my job frightening? Yes, of course, but in retrospect, I’m so glad it happened. WATT Global Media is an amazing company to work for, and I couldn’t be happier. I am challenged to do my best work every day, I feel as if my opinion matters and we’re all one big team working for the same end goals. And my life is so much better for it.

Onward and upward.