folklore assignment

Margie  Shewell  

Vernal,  UT  

February  2013  

“The  Comforter”  

Supernatural  Religious  Legend  

Informant:  

Margie  Shewell  is  my  mother.  She  is  49  years  old,  and  has  four  children.  She  has  lived  in  Vernal  her   entire  life,  and  has  worked  for  Uintah  County  since  she  was  a  senior  in  high  school.  Her  senior  year  she   worked  for  the  County  Attorney’s  office,  where  she  had  to  look  over  and  log  evidence  and  be  involved  in   each  case  that  came  through  the  office.  Margie  now  works  for  Uintah  County  Justice  Court  as  a  court   clerk.  Margie  is  also  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-­‐Day  Saints.  

Context:  

I  interviewed  Margie  in  her  office  at  work.  She  remembers  having  to  look  at  very  gruesome  pictures  of  a   homicide  that  happened.  She  was  only  17  years  old  at  the  time,  and  it  was  a  horrific  murder  scene.  She   had  told  me  this  story  a  few  times  growing  up  because  I  was  friends  with  a  girl  whose  half  brother  was   the  son  of  the  woman  murdered.  And,  because  it  was  a  very  similar  story  to  the  country  song  “The  Little   Girl”  by  John  Michael  Montgomery.  But,  she  never  shared  this  story  more  than  a  few  times,  and  with   very  few  people.  

Text:  

When  I  was  a  senior,  so  about  17,  I  was  working  for  the  county  attorney’s  office  and  I  had  to  log  all  the  

evidence  and  everything  they  did.  The  worst  thing  I  ever  saw  was  Troy’s  mom’s  murder  scene.  It  was  

seriously  so  horrible.  It  was  a  sick  act  straight  from  the  devil  himself.  Troy’s  mom’s  boyfriend  had  slit  her  

throat  after  a  heated  argument,  and  then  killed  himself.  What  made  that  worse  was  that  her  daughter,  

Brittany,  seen  it  all.  She  was  only  about  five  or  so  at  the  time.  But,  Brittany  told  the  police  that  she  

wasn’t  there  alone  when  her  mom  had  been  killed.  The  cops  didn’t  know  what  she  was  talkin’  about.  No  

one  else  was  there.  They  knew  that  for  a  fact.  So,  then  they  asked  Brittany  who  had  been  there.  She  just  

said,  “Jesus.”  They  kinda  giggled  at  her.  She  went  on  to  tell  them  that  Jesus  sat  with  her  in  her  room  and  

just  held  her  and  told  her  everything  was  going  to  be  okay.  They  asked  her  to  show  them  a  picture  of  the  

man,  but  she  said  the  pictures  were  at  church.  And  she  learned  about  him  in  Primary.  I  don’t  think  many  

people  believed  her  story,  but  I  know  that  I  sure  do.  Miracles  do  happen  and  we  are  always  protected  

when  we  need  it.  

Texture:  

Margie  told  this  story  with  great  reverence.  She  was  somber  and  told  the  story  with  great  care.  While   talking,  she  kept  looking  down  at  her  hands,  and  then  at  the  picture  of  Jesus  in  her  wallet.  When  she  got   to  the  part  about  the  little  girl  she  got  very  teary-­‐eyed.  The  feeling  felt  in  the  room  was  very  peaceful   and  calm.  

Krista  Shewell  

USU  

ANTH  2210  

Lynne  McNeil  

Spring  2013