The Ada Witch of Findlay Cemetery
Written by Amberrose Hammond
First Published – 2005
Last Updated – July 10, 2026
The Ada Witch is one of West Michigan’s best-known ghost legends. According to local folklore, a woman murdered by her jealous husband now wanders the area around Findlay Cemetery and nearby roads as a mysterious “Lady in White.” Although the legend has been shared for decades, no historical evidence has ever confirmed that the murder took place.
Research later revealed that the grave long believed to belong to the Ada Witch actually belonged to Sarah McMillan, a young woman who died of typhoid fever in 1870. Today, the legend continues to attract curious visitors, blending local folklore, reported paranormal experiences, and historical investigation into one of Michigan’s most enduring ghost stories.
At A Glance
Location: 2 Mile Road NE, Ada, Michigan
Established: Circa 1850s
Paranormal Legend: Classic “Lady in White” ghostly figure has been reported in the cemetery and surrounding areas.
Best Time to Visit Cemetery: Daylight hours only
Story Type: Haunted Cemetery, Ghost Legend
The Ada Witch has been a popular legend in West Michigan for decades. People have claimed to witness the paranormal classic: the “Lady in White.” She has been seen wandering around the area of Findlay Cemetery and along the surrounding roads. But who is this mysterious woman? Was she ever a real person?
Over the years, this spectral entity was given the title of the “Ada Witch,” but that’s nothing more than a dramatic name that makes for a good campfire tale. The story was first published in the book Haunted Houses of Grand Rapids in 1982 by Gary Eberle. The book was reissued in 1994, and the Ada Witch story gained popularity again when the surprise hit movie The Blair Witch Project was released. Ada had its own “Blair Witch” to look for, and local news and radio stations ran with the legend for publicity around Halloween.
THE LEGEND OF THE ADA WITCH
Sometime during the 19th century, a woman had been unfaithful to her husband and would disappear into the night to meet her secret lover. Her husband started to suspect his wife was up to something and, one night, pretended to fall asleep. After his wife quietly left the house, he followed her and found her in the arms of another man. Rage welled up inside him, and he attacked the adulterous couple, killing his wife first. The two men then fought viciously until they both died from the wounds they inflicted upon each other.
People claim they have heard the sounds of a fight taking place in the area, only to find no one around. At one point, the land had been open for hunting before much of it became zoned for residential use. There have been reports from hunters feeling a presence around them, hearing a ghostly fight, and getting tapped on the shoulder from behind, only to turn around and find no one there. And, of course, there are the sightings of the Lady in White, also known as the Ada Witch herself, in the cemetery.
Ada resident Julie Wiley told news channel WZZM 13 about her sighting.
“I was driving home from work, heading down Bailey Dr.,” said Wiley. “I was coming up the crest of the hill and all of a sudden I saw a woman sitting in the middle of the street. She had a long, flowing blue dress on. She was sitting there waving her arms, and the words coming out of her mouth, to me, looked like she was asking, ‘Help me. Help me.'”
“I’m a 100% believer,” Wiley said. “I know what I saw. I didn’t drive that way for the longest time because I was afraid I was going to see her again.”
Investigating the Legend
I first visited Findlay Cemetery back in 2005 with the hope of glimpsing the “ghost lady,” but we just encountered idiots and the police.
It was a nice summer night for an evening investigation. The moon was full, and the cemetery was lit up. The place is small but well cared for. We wandered in and headed toward the back, where it was wooded and more private. Small tombstones trickled into the woods, making for an eerie little graveyard forest. It was also rumored to be the more “paranormally” active part of the cemetery, so we set up some basic equipment, the usual audio and video recorders.
In the middle of the cemetery was an old, broken tombstone, its top half missing and the bottom propped up by two wooden posts. At some point in time, it became known as the grave of the “Ada Witch.” People had left trinkets, coins, and candles beside it, so there was no doubt we were looking at the right spot. Since there was no historical evidence backing the legend, there was also no evidence that the grave actually belonged to the famed Ada Witch.
Encounter with Drunk Ghost Hunters and the Police
We knew we were in for an interesting, and annoying, night when a couple of lackluster “ghost hunters” showed up smelling like beer and stupidity. They introduced themselves and informed us they were part of a paranormal team (naturally). We talked to them for a bit, and then they wandered off into the cemetery.
When the police decided to show up to investigate the cars parked alongside the cemetery, the drunk couple ran from the front of the cemetery to the back yelling, “The cops are here! The cops are here!”
No… that didn’t look suspicious or anything.
Idiots.
We picked up our gear and proceeded to walk calmly over to talk to the police. As we approached the gates, the officers stepped out of their cars and were already shining their flashlights at us. One member of our group, coming from the back of the cemetery, started to jog to catch up with everyone. An overzealous officer thought she was fleeing the scene and yelled, “Freeze! Stop running!”
“I’m just trying to catch up!” she yelled back, irritated.
The officers had confused looks on their faces as we walked out of the cemetery and lined up. Our group ranged in age from our 20s to our 50s. They thought they were going to find a bunch of teenagers partying in the cemetery, not a gang of people dressed in dorky matching black T-shirts with our group logo on them.
“What are you guys doing here?” one officer asked, clearly confused.
“We’re ghost hunting,” we replied as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
The officer arched an eyebrow and asked for our IDs. While he looked them over, we explained that we were a paranormal team (Great Lakes Paranormal Research back then) and described what we did during our investigations. I kept waiting for the officers to smell the beer on the drunken couple’s breath, but they never said anything to them.
The next thing we knew, a voice came over the officer’s radio asking if everything was okay.
“It’s okay… they’re paranormal investigators,” he radioed back.
That was the last thing I expected to hear. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud.
He handed us our IDs back and told us to let them know the next time we planned to investigate the cemetery. They were happy they didn’t have to bust a bunch of teenagers and even told us to go back in and keep investigating because we’d probably scare the kids away for the night.
Yeah… but what about these drunken idiots next to us? Take them with you!
Did We Experience Anything Paranormal?
The whole episode was kind of humorous after it was over. The police even asked us if we had found anything paranormal yet. We stayed a little longer, but the Ada Witch wasn’t going to show up for us that night.
A few days later, “dirt from the grave of the Ada Witch” appeared on eBay, sold by none other than the drunken ghost hunters. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from them.
The dirt never sold.
Over the years, people have continued to visit Findlay Cemetery hoping to experience something paranormal. Many have visited respectfully, but those who haven’t hacked away at the supposed grave of the Ada Witch until even the bottom half was gone.
In 2013, Nicole Bray was researching her book Ghosts of Grand Rapids and discovered that the destroyed grave belonged to Sarah McMillan, who had died of typhoid fever in 1870 at the age of 29, not by the hands of her enraged husband. Her grave had become entwined with the West Michigan legend and suffered because of it. Bray contacted several monument companies, and one generously donated a new gravestone.
Will the new grave continue to be associated with the legend? Hopefully not. But no doubt people will continue to report seeing the ghostly apparition of the Ada Witch, whoever—or wherever—she may be.
Looking For the Ada Witch?
While this apparition has long been associated with the cemetery, she is more often reported along the nearby roadways. People have claimed to see her wandering along Honey Creek Road, near Honey Creek Conservation Area and Seidman Park, and along Egypt Valley Avenue. If you decide to go looking for her, please be respectful of the people who live in the area and of the cemetery itself. Remember, visiting a cemetery after it has closed is considered trespassing and can get you into trouble.
Don’t get in trouble.
What is true?
More than forty years after the legend first appeared in print, no historical records have been found to support the murder story associated with the Ada Witch. What survives instead is an enduring example of how folklore can become attached to a real cemetery and even a real person’s grave. Whether visitors believe they encounter something paranormal or simply experience the power of local legend, the Ada Witch remains one of Michigan’s most famous ghost stories.
Sources
- Gary Eberle, Haunted Houses of Grand Rapids
- Nicole Bray, Ghosts of Grand Rapids
- WZZM interview with Julie Wiley
About the Author
Amberrose Hammond has spent more than two decades researching Michigan folklore, hauntings, paranormal history, and unsolved mysteries. She is the author of many books including Mysterious Michigan and has appeared at libraries, museums, and historical organizations across the state.
