When I think of the best cemetery ghost stories, I always think back to my grandmother’s porch in rural Tennessee. Born in the early 1900’s, Granny was a “tough old bird” who spoke her mind in colorful language. Every summer, my sister and I caught fireflies in mason jars and perched on her porch swing to listen to her tales. My favorites were always her cemetery ghost stories, especially the ones she swore were true.
The Origin of Local Cemetery Ghost Stories
The most famous of her legends began with a young girl known for her long, beautiful blonde hair. Every night, her mother would sit and brush it. Tragically, the girl was killed in a carriage accident while being courted by a young man.
Distraught with grief, the mother began visiting her daughter’s grave every night. She would sit in the dirt with a hairbrush, talking to the headstone and going through the motions of brushing the girl’s hair. Soon, the townsfolk were warning everyone to stay away from the graveyard, and new cemetery ghost stories began to spread, claiming the girl would rise from the dirt to wait for her mother.
A Tragic Turn in a Tennessee Graveyard
By her teenage years, Granny was a bit of a rebel. One evening, she and three friends dawdled too long picking peaches and decided to cut through the cemetery to get home before dark. In the middle of the graveyard, one of the friends stepped behind some bushes to relieve herself. The rest of the group stood with their backs turned, whispering nervously about the local cemetery ghost stories.
Suddenly, their friend began screaming for help. Granny spun around to see a white mass rising from the ground, seemingly grabbing the girl’s ankles. The girl was so terrified she fell to the ground in convulsions.
The Truth Behind the Legend
When the group rushed to her side, they realized the “ghost” was no spirit—the girl’s bloomers had simply snagged on a low-hanging branch. But the realization came too late. The sheer terror of the moment caused the young girl to suffer a fatal heart attack.
Whether it was a true account or just one of Granny’s masterful cemetery ghost stories, we never knew. But to this day, you will never find my sister or me anywhere near a graveyard once the sun starts to go down.
