In Martinsville, Indiana, a legend lies restlessly behind the forest. As you walk up the wide, grassy path, a  feeling of utter peace fills you, with a tiny hint of fear as well. This weekend, I visited Stepp Cemetery to uncover what really lies beyond the trees. There’s a common legend that floats around the cemetery; though like a game of telephone, the story has been interpreted differently by different people.

The original, most common legend involves a mother and her son. Her son, Baby Lester, drowned. The mother was filled with grief and wept constantly.  She was in so much disbelief that her baby had died that she would dig him up out of the grave to disturbingly rock him. She wept on the stump to mourn the loss. It is rumored that if you sit on the stump, you will die immediately because she placed a curse on it. Eventually, the woman died and got reunited with her beloved baby. Now, the cemetery is filled with peace because they have found each other once again.

Baby Lester’s grave is in the back right corner of the cemetery and is surrounded by toys, coins, and other gifts with sentimental value.  Something odd I noticed about this cemetery is that a good majority of the graves had tributes of coins on them. To my knowledge, this is an Egyptian tradition, to help them in the afterlife. Another out of place attraction that I noticed was two Russian graves. One was a very fascinating shape that could be interpreted as a crown or a castle. Engraved on the headstone was the Russian phrase “ утро вецера мудренее”which translates to “morning is wiser” or “tomorrow is another day.”

I’m not the type to discredit other people’s paranormal experiences, but I personally did not feel that there was any discord or restlessness from the cemetery. To me, everything felt peaceful, and everyone was resting comfortably. 

A Requiem For Baby Lester — The Hauntings of Stepp Cemetery

All photographs were taken by yours truly.