Grave Dispatches No. 002: Helen Peters Nosworthy

Some gravestones tell us almost nothing. Others give us a clue worth following.

Helen Peters Nosworthy’s memorial is one of the latter. Buried at Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Helen is remembered today for an unusual connection to one of the most recognizable objects in American popular culture: the Ouija board. She is widely credited with giving the board its name during its early development, but her story stretches well beyond that single moment.

Dispatch No. 002 follows Helen’s life, the history surrounding the Ouija board, and the way her memorial continues to invite curiosity more than a century later. Created for October, this Dispatch leans into the season through cemetery history, symbolism, and one particularly fitting historical story.

What’s included

Your October Grave Dispatch includes:

• An original researched story from A Grave Affair
• A collectible Memorial Card featuring Helen’s memorial, cemetery information, and graveside location
• Historical photographs and reproduced ephemera connected to her story
• Story-specific collectible materials

Each Dispatch is designed to be read, explored, displayed, saved, or added to your own collection of cemetery and historical ephemera.

Why October?

There are few months better suited to a story involving cemeteries, symbolism, spiritualism, and the history of the Ouija board. But Grave Dispatches is rooted in history rather than hauntings. No. 002 uses Helen’s story as a doorway into the real history behind one of America’s most enduring cultural curiosities, while also taking a closer look at what her memorial itself can tell us.

Mailing Schedule

Dispatch No. 002 will be mailed in mid-October 2026, with the goal of reaching U.S. mailboxes before Halloween. Please order early to allow enough time for processing and delivery.

About Grave Dispatches

Grave Dispatches is a physical storytelling series from A Grave Affair, created for cemetery wanderers, history lovers, genealogists, taphophiles, public historians, curious travelers, and anyone who has ever stopped at a gravestone and wondered:

Who were you?

Each Dispatch begins with a grave and follows the story wherever the research leads.

Shipping

This is a physical product. U.S. shipping is included in the $22.99 purchase price. Dispatch No. 002 is available while quantities remain.

Grave Dispatches explores real people, places, and events through cemetery history. Because these are true stories, individual dispatches may occasionally touch on sensitive historical subjects, including death, violence, illness, or other difficult circumstances. Historical documents, photographs, ephemera, and other materials included in a dispatch may be reproductions when original materials are unavailable or impractical to include. Some materials may also be resized, reformatted, excerpted, or otherwise adapted for presentation while remaining faithful to the historical source.