Spooks, ghouls at Ghost Tour

LIME SPRINGS - The chill in the air from true fear entered on Saturday, Oct. 12 in Lime Springs. The Lidtke Mill Harvest Festival and Ghost Tours of Old Town crept into the area.

The fifth annual fright had visitors touring the foreboding Mill. The atmosphere of eerie stories and the cold snowy weather brought many to attend the ghost tour and the benefit soup supper at Lime Springs Community Center.

Lidtke Mill Board President Dr. Roy Herman Lidtke said, “It’s fun. Every year is slightly different.” There are seven different story-tellers and three guides who dress in many creative creepy costumes. Lidtke wrote the stories for the event.

He stated, “It’s great that the community still supports the mill, and that we have volunteers that still do this. We couldn’t do it all by ourselves. Something like this is unique to the area. It helps to get the word out about how fun this is and how much we enjoy doing it.”

In the first room, Dr. Don Lyon was the tour guide. He told of the history of death in those olden days, as well as how the undertaker started to learn to embalm during the civil war. In the room, there was a hand-crafted child’s coffin and many photos of real people who passed away. Years ago, women wore black for 90 days, and there were many superstitions that people practiced when a person passed away. Many times the wake would take place in the family home.

Jessica DeVries was the guide in the dining room. Her story was about an accident that happened to her because of a spirit.

Jill Tibbals told a tale of horror, and other tour guides spoke of witches, white magic and awful noises.

Gary Gassett was in the part of the museum where electricity was made. His tale had to do with the nightmare of the apparition which suffered a great shock from that dangerous room.

The tour ended with Lidtke in the wooden jail, where he had a story about the gruesome event that happened in his youth. He told of a mass murder and a sweet young girl who saved his life.

There was a youth-writing contest sponsored by the Mill board. There were about 60 writers with two winners. First place went to Spencer Kitchen and second place to “The Axe Bandit,” Carter Lepa. There were also honorable mentions including Sophie Blaser, Dominic Dehning, Cale Knight, Kyrah Reicks and Jake Underbakke-Hennessy

Besides soup, the Community Center had six vendors who sold many products. There were fall seasonal items and types of food. Janet DeVries had a table for Family Fun & Fitness Center. The Lime Springs Youth Group had a fund-raiser by selling baked goods, and Lime Springs Soft Ball sold popcorn to raise money for new uniforms. 

Mighty Pine Acres also sold jams, jellies, honey, maple syrup, fresh produce and much more.

In addition, there were hayrides from the Community Center to the Old Town, that did not stop even though the weather was very snowy.

The Harvest Fest this year was full of mystery that caused a cold sweat in the community. May this celebration always bring joy to locals.