This week marks the 56th anniversary of the death of one of the most well-known psychics to ever come out of this region.
Clara Jepson, born Clara Estes in Adams, Mass., in 1861, lived for most of her life just over the Vermont line in Pownal. A simple, down-to-earth woman, there was nothing truly remarkable about her demeanor or appearance, except for one outstanding physical oddity: her sharp eyes, one brown, and one blue. It was to this single blue eye that she would come to attribute the special gift for which she was most known: her much touted powers of clairvoyant vision.
It was said of Clara that she could see the future and recall past events of which she had no foreknowledge. But the aspect of her abilities that won her the greatest praise and prominence was her capacity to discern the whereabouts of lost objects. For more than 50 years, visitors flocked from all around to her home to enlist her help in the locating of missing valuables. Over the years, she helped her clients find all manner of important items: safe combinations, purses, files, letters, and numerous pieces of jewelry, including a $2,000 diamond bar pin, which she located for Mrs. E. Parmalee Prentice.
One elderly Shaftsbury gentleman told me of the time he had lost a beloved hound dog in the woods near Glastenbury Mountain. He went to see Jepson, and though she had never been there, she described to him the place where the dog would be found. It subsequently proved true.
Her services were also sought after in the search for lost people. In 1937, George Palmer Putnam, husband of Amelia Earhart, phoned and wrote to her for help. She was also contacted during the Lindbergh kidnapping case. In 1946, she was paid a visit in regards to the most famous missing-persons case in Vermont history, that of 18-year-old Bennington College sophomore Paula Welden, whose disappearance single-handedly led to the establishment of the Vermont State Police. Though her vision proved insufficient in that case, and Welden’s fate remains a mystery to this day, it did not detract from the tremendous regard in which Jepson was held. In a nationwide survey of seers and clairvoyants conducted by the Rockefeller Foundation, she received the highest rating. The foundation awarded her with a certificate of merit.
Cynics will probably be flustered to know that despite her widespread reputation, Clara never accepted payment for her highly sought-after services, saying she did not consider herself to be a “professional.†In an age in which we are inundated with psychic hotlines and high-profile television mediums who command hundreds of dollars for private sessions, this comes across as particularly remarkable.
Another unusual aspect of Clara’s work was her method of divination. Her technique involved focusing her attention on a handkerchief, which the client would provide. This she would stretch over a piece of cardboard, slowly drawing the folds in as the sitter described their situation. As she folded the handkerchief, she would make pencil markings depicting the story in the creases. This is a highly atypical practice. In fact, in the considerable amount of literature I’ve read over the years on seers, sorcerers and shamans, I cannot recall ever coming across mention of the technique being used by anyone before or since.
Clara Jepson died at Bennington’s Putnam Memorial Hospital on Nov. 22, 1948, and was buried in Williamstown’s Eastlawn Cemetery. The Bennington Evening Banner carried a lengthy obituary on the front page, praising her unique attributes. And now, though more than half a century has passed, there are still those who talk of her gifts in reverent tones, and her life forms a small but fascinating chapter in our New England heritage.
Freelance writer Joe Durwin specializes in Berkshire County and Southern Vermont folklore and strange tales.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Pittsfield Parade Committee Picks Theme, Elects New Leadership
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Parade Committee, during its Annual Meeting in November, chose the theme "Young at Heart" for this year's Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade.
While holding its annual elections for the Board of Directors, the committee elected Pittsfield Downtown Inc. Director Rebecca Brien President, officially replacing longtime Director Pete Marchetti.
"The parade brings people of all ages together for a celebration of country and patriotism," Brien said. "This year's focus or theme, as with previous years, is on a segment of the whole or on the younger members of our community or those who simply feel young at heart."
The theme is typically used as a guide by float designers and musical groups participating in the line of march.
Marchetti is just entering his second full year as Mayor of Pittsfield following two decades as Director of the parade organization and coordinator of the Fourth of July Parade. Brien spent the past year as interim co-coordinator of the parade with Kristine Rose.
Elections also saw the re-election of the following members to the board: City Council President Pete White as well as Esther Anderson, and Chuck Gianatasio. Other members of the Board: Vice President Dick Murphy, Treasurer Tom Ryan, Secretary Patrick Kelly, Jill Gianatasio, April White, Weslia Wheeler, Ken Wheeler, Claudia White, and Peter Marchetti.
The committee invites members of the community to join and participate in the decision-making and on the day of the parade as the individual units are delivered into the parade's line of march on time and in order from the various holding streets just south of Pittsfield's Park Square intersection.
Pittsfield High's Matt Dupuis and Lee's Devyn Fillio Sunday won the boys and girls individual high school bowling State Championships at Spare Time.
click for more
While holding its annual elections for the Board of Directors, the committee elected Pittsfield Downtown Inc. Director Rebecca Brien President, officially replacing longtime Director Pete Marchetti. click for more
Capped by Sam St. Peter’s come-from-behind win in the final bout of the day to win the 285 crown, the Spartans placed second at the Western Massachusetts Division 3 Championships at Mount Greylock. click for more
