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Friday Night Frights: Home Sweet Funeral Home

By Randy Trevino | Local Happenings



The history of our great city of Portsmouth is a rich filled one. Each home and each building has a history of its very own. Over the years homes and businesses have been repurposed into numerous different things.


What would you do if you found out your dream house was formally a funeral parlor? That's exactly what this couple says happened to their family.


Mark and Julie wouldn't disclose the location of the Portsmouth home that they no longer reside in. They say shortly after moving into their dream home, they were soon living a nightmare.


The couple moved to the area in the late 90s and fell in love with a newly remodeled home built just before the turn of the century.


Julie said she remembers the first day and the excitement that came along with moving.


"All the kids were running everywhere, trying to pick bedrooms. Our oldest boy was fascinated by the tall ceilings. The two younger boys couldn't believe that the house had two staircases. That day was so much fun!"


As the rest of the family settled into their home, Mark says he never really felt like they were alone.


"I don't know...It's hard to explain that feeling when you're in your own house but you feel like someone is watching."


The first unsettling incident occurred in the master bedroom. The couple had just turned in for the night.


The next morning they saw that the bed had moved itself to the middle of the room.


Confused, Julie woke first and demanded to know why her husband would do such a thing. Mark denied moving the bed and was baffled.


Soon after the children often heard what sounded like large carts being rolled upstairs. A bell could sometimes be heard urgently ringing, but never located.


Towels would often be found wet and piled in the bathtub upon th