Maple & Pinehill Cemeteries Investigation

Maple Cemetery is located in DeKalb County and is bordered by Pine Hill Cemetery.

Address: 1^st Street & Hortense Drive (Pearl Street), Kirkland, Illinois 60146

Hauntings: There has been an apparition of a little girl seen from the sidewalk on Pearl Street in between a large mausoleum and a line of trees. She is often seen peeking out from the line of trees. Photographs taken by the Dan Norvell Project have captured a dark black mist in a large tree also on that same side of the cemetery.

Numerous EVPs have been captured along with the feeling of a presence.

The Ghost Research Society investigated Maple & Pinehill Cemeteries on June 22, 2019 and the team members included: Jim Piscopo, Ron & Laura Lovatt and Dale Kaczmarek with help from Dan Norvell and Larry Eissler from the Dan Norvell Project.

Equipment setup: Kaczmarek set up a Sony Nightshot camcorder along with supplemental infrared illumination facing the tree line and large mausoleum where the little girl has been seen. Piscopo set up another Nightshot camcorder with two infrared illuminators facing into the center of the cemetery.

Other equipment used were Melmeters, K-II Meter, infrared goggles, digital cameras and recorders, Ovilus X with DTD display, Phasma Box, X-Cam SLS device and full spectrum camera. Norvell conducted a live Facebook session there.

Experiments performed: EVP and Phasma Box sessions were conducted in both cemeteries along Pearl Street and while standing on the sidewalk.

Personal encounters:

Ron & Laura Lovatt: In Kirkland, IL was the Maple and Pine Hill cemeteries. At this location we used the Phasma Box for EVPs and others took videos of the areas of both cemeteries. The Phasma Box session didn't give us much evidence and it seemed like the spirits were only talking to each other and did not respond to our question. The most Interesting thing that came at the end of the session when a response said “investigation over" and then the laptop seemed to shut off by itself.

Jim Piscopo: We went to Maple Cemetery in Kirkland. There I set up my Sony camcorder with night vision and IR lights. We did more EVP sessions and also used some night vision binoculars and the SLS camera. We wrapped up about midnight. This was a great investigation and thanks to Dan and Larry for a great time.

Dan Norvell & Larry Eissler: One comical session with the Phasma Box that surprised us was at Maple Cemetery where the Box was not getting much interaction. Towards the end of the session, Dale asked a question and the Box states "investigation over" and immediately the tablet which runs the Phasma Box turns itself off, essentially ending the investigation. Taking the intriguing responses into account, we're still skeptical about the use of the device simply because we're unsure how the spirits are able to manipulate a word bank without the use of a microphone to trigger responses. That being said, we felt the same way about the SB-7 Ghost Box when we first started using it and prolonged use proved that the device did produce tangible results. We look forward to obtaining the Phasma Box for ourselves to continue testing it and appreciate Dale and the GRS introducing it to us. Otherwise, we enjoyed investigating with the GRS and look forward to returning to future locations with them.

Dale Kaczmarek: It was a very cool night with a stiff wind almost the entire time we were investigating here that played a little havoc with my digital recorder. We did not venture into the cemetery but stayed on the public sidewalk the entire time.

I helped Piscopo place the supplemental infrared lights as it was so very dark in the cemetery, his camcorder needed some additional lighting which made his picture much brighter and sharper.

There were some interesting Phasma Box responses but none that actually replied to specific questions asked. They were all random words. The Melmeter placed on the ground near the tree where a black mist had been captured in the past registered a steady .4 which was a bit unusual. Even though there were overhead wires, these devices aren’t sensitive to EMF fields further than about eighteen inches.

Nothing was detected on the static infrared Nightshot camera placed to face the small crypt and tree line.

Evidence collected:

I’m right here pinehill.MPG – while conducting a Phasma Box session, the device said, “I’m right here.”

Investigation over maple.MPG – while conducting a Phasma Box session the device blurted out, “Investigation over” and soon afterwards the application shut down.

Conclusions: Two cemeteries, side by side, in Kirkland, Illinois were eerily quiet as far as EVPs or Phasma Box responses. I don’t know of anyone who captured anything else that cool evening but that is how this field is. Sometimes you pick up a lot and sometimes nothing at all. This was one of those quiet nights.

While working off of the sidewalk that surrounded the cemetery with the occasional car passing by, no other evidence either audible or visual phenomena was encountered. I do wish to thank members of the Dan Norvell Project for escorting to these cemeteries and investigating with us.