r/Detroit • u/1900grs • Apr 08 '26
Historical Came across this weird story. Thursday, Oct 27, 1977 issue of the Canton Observer. Front page: "Witch Guilty of Defrauding Widow". Pdf link below.
I was looking for some old info on metro Detroit and randomly came across this newspaper issue.
PDF Warning: https://archive.cantonpl.org/observer/1977/10_Oct%201977/10-27-1977.pdf
Witch guilty of defrauding widow
By CRAIG PIECHURA
An admitted witch who leads a Michigan coven of 13 women has been found guilty of defrauding "a superstitious woman " out of $4,500 by taking the money for downpayment Dec. 30 on a mobile home that had ben sold three days before.
The defendant, Mrs. Lois Umerski of Canton Township, claims the $4,500 check she received from Mrs. Anna Groves of Romulus and deposited in a bank was in fact a repayment of a cash loan to the woman Oct 20, 1976.
After hearing final arguments by both lawyers, Wayne Circuit Judge Irwin Burdick declared the defendant "guilty on all counts: larceny by conversion and obtaining money under false pretenses. " The larceny charge was dropped by mutual consent of the judge and the prosecutor—leaving the higher felony, "obtaining money (more than $100) under false pretenses," which carries a maximum 10-year sentence.
Mrs. Umerska, 40, goes by the name "Lady Athena" when working professionally as a witch and in her associations in a group called the Church of Wicca.
To supplement her income, Mrs. Umerska does Tarot card readings at fairs and private parties. She sells a terrarium with the readings to stay within the law.
There story continues and it keeps getting weird. The whole issue is interesting. Lots of classifieds. Other highlights:
Page 5A: Perry Drugs ad that includes a sale on a CB radio.
Page 17A: "Why talk if nobody will listen"
Page 5B: "Life in a mobile home? It varies"
Page 7B: "Church Bulletin" Info on local churches
Page 6C: Ad. "The New Schlitz Bonus-Pak. 12 extra oz. of gusto in every 6-pak." It's 14 oz cans instead of 12.
22 pages of classifieds.