Local sisters investigate paranormal activity

NAHMA — It’s a topic that’s been debated for centuries– do ghosts exist? For one pair of local sisters, there’s no question– they absolutely do.

“The U.P. is rich with history so there are a lot of haunted houses in the U.P,” said paranormal investigator, Trish Kautz.

Trish Kautz is half of a sister-duo that run Yooper Paranormal, which investigates haunted buildings around the U.P. Kautz started in the business a decade ago when she had a strong feeling the home she resided in was haunted.

“We weren’t sure what was going on,” Kautz said. “We were experiencing everything from voices in the house, objects levitating, knocks, bangs apparitions. Our children saw things.”

She began searching for answers but was coming up empty-handed for help here in the U.P. After reaching out to a group outside of Michigan, Kautz’s suspicions were confirmed – her house was, in fact, haunted. She continued to live in the house for eight years, investigating strange occurrences within her home.

Then last year, Kautz’s sister Kelly Carlson also started experiencing activity in her house. The home is located within a mile of the Barnes-Hecker mining site, which killed 51 local miners after the mine flooded in 1926.

“My kids would say they saw miners walk up and down the hallway and basement,” Carlson said.

But this was not the first time Carlson had experienced ghostly encounters. At just thirteen years old, Carlson felt a ghostly presence in her childhood home on County Road 581.

“I thought I was just crazy – hearing voices, seeing things, I just thought it was in my mind,” Carlson said.

The combined experiences had Carlson questioning the existence of ghosts in our world, which led the sisters to Ashmore Estates in Illinois for an overnight ghost hunt.

“It just kind of solidified it for me – this stuff is real,” Carlson said.

The sister’s fate was sealed from then on, sending them on a haunted journey investigating the U.P. to help people in need, like Kautz once was.

“It’s been wonderful to be able to help people understand what’s going on in their house,” Carlson said.

The siblings investigate businesses, homes and cemeteries around the U.P. for clients and for fun. The sister’s families are generally supportive of their hobby, as is the community, but are aware that skeptics do exist.

“The problem is a lot of people experience stuff and won’t say anything because they think people are going to think they’re crazy,” said Carlson.

“I don’t expect you to believe what I believe, but until you’ve experienced the things we have, you’re going to be a skeptic,” said Kautz.

The ladies do have clients, which they disclose full confidentiality to, and spend an evening in their home to figure out if it’s haunted or not. If they do rule a house to be haunted, the duo will cleanse the home if asked.

“Some people are just really uncomfortable with the fact that they have a ghost in their house and so they would feel better if we saged their home and get rid of whatever is in their house,” said Kautz. “Even though it’s not evil or bad, to them, it’s just the thought of a ghost being in their house. They want it gone.”

“We did one house and the lady texted me and said she was so happy we did that. There was no more banging, no more thumping, no more voices,” Carlson added.

The women did disclose they’ve never encountered any bad spirits in the U.P. yet. Kautz and Carlson are eager to help those in need and if you feel you’ve been experiencing ghostly activity and would like the ladies to check it out, you can contact them through their Facebook page HERE.