She was declared dead after no sign of life was found on her. Her corpse was put in a wooden coffin and her funeral was arranged for eleven the following morning.

Essie’s sister, who lived in a neighboring town, wanted to participate in the funeral, and although the ceremony was a lengthy one, the sister had still not arrived when Essie’s coffin was lowered into the grave.

Essie's sister appeared a few minutes later, however, and the ministers agreed to dig up the coffin so that she might see Essie one last time. But when the screws were removed and the coffin lid opened, Essie sat up in her coffin and smiled at her sister.

The three ministers fell backward into the grave, the shortest suffering three broken ribs as the other two trampled him in their desperate efforts to get out.

The mourners, including Essie’s sister, believed that she was a ghost, and fled yelling. When they saw that Essie, who had climbed up from the grave, was actually pursuing them, they stampeded into town in a state of complete hysteria.



For many years, Essie Dunbar was viewed with suspicion in the neighborhood; there were rumors that she was a zombie who had returned from the dead. She went on to live another 47 years.