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The normally placid little community of
Victor, near the northern Comanche and Erath County line, was teeming
with activity this past week as more than 30 people showed up to learn
the art of “grave dowsing.”
 DeLeon
resident Jane Pair Sims, sent a press release to area newspapers
several weeks ago, offering to show those interested how to locate
lost or unmarked graves, on the two days prior to, and the day of, the
annual Victor Cemetery Association meeting. Sims’ sister, Elayne Pair
Gibbons, of Phoenix, Arizona, assisted in the demonstrations, as did
another sister, Lola Pair Hestand, of Midland. Their mother, Ruby
Pair, is the secretary/treasurer of the Victor Cemetery Association.
Jane Sims’ daughter, Jennifer, 16, and Elayne Gibbons’ son, Josh
Gibbons, 14, also gave demonstrations.
It was Gibbons who learned of grave
dowsing with divining rods, and introduced the rest of the family to
the practice. The process is similar to the old-fashioned “water
witching” where a person holds a metal rod straight out, in each hand,
and slowly walks around, waiting for the rods to move. According to
Gibbons, the rods cross each other over a grave, and will open wide
where there’s water.
Most of those trying it last week had
similar results, but there were a few for whom the rods crossed over
water and separated over graves. Sims acknowledges that dowsing
doesn’t work the same for everyone, and that for a few people it
doesn’t work at all, but that most of the time people are surprised
and impressed when they try it for themselves.
“People are totally shocked and
intrigued,” Sims said, “that it really works. We had people come from
Comanche, Carbon, Sidney, Bedford, DeLeon and Denton for the
demonstrations.”
Although some people are interested in
the grave dowsing procedure for genealogy reasons, Sims said that a
proper map of the cemetery was the chief motivating factor for the
dowsing work there.
“We’re not trying to find out exactly
who’s in what spot,” Sims said. “Our whole point is to do what’s
right, and best, for the cemetery.” She goes on to explain that
knowing just where there might be unmarked graves, and cataloging the
marked ones, and then producing a map, will help when someone wants to
reserve a grave site in the future.
Exactly how dowsing for graves works is a
bit of a mystery. Some believe that it involves the earth’s magnetic
forces while others believe it’s the gases released by decaying
bodies.
Various materials are used for the rods,
including brass, steel and even straightened clothes hangers. They all
seem to work equally well.
On this day at Victor, Jennifer and Josh
slowly stepped from the pathways to the graves, and watched the rods
cross. They stepped back, and the rods reverted to their former
position. The procedure was repeated over and over again as the two
made their way around the cemetery. If they grew tired of
demonstrating the dowsing technique they never showed it -- and their
audience was properly appreciative. As one woman put it, “this is just
amazing.” |
