On July 20, 1886, T. W. Springfield wrote an interesting article for The Lamar News of Vernon concerning “little Mollie Pennington:”
The following are statements I know to be true. She [Mollie Pennington] was taken violently ill on the 15th of June; convulsions being of Hydrophobia type, and was so pronounced by four distinguished physicians. These convulsions continued up to Friday in the evening. She told the doctor and friends that she would die and go to the Spirit land for one hour and then come back; and asked the doctor to remain with her till she returned. She did die — had no pulse; no heart beat, and the doctor pronounced her dead. Her friends and relatives stood around, agonizing and weeping, and thought she had parted with life. At the end of one hour by the watch, she revived and breathed again, and told them that she was well and that the Lord had cured her, and she desired to get up. Although the doctor told her that she was too weak to get up, she jumped up and began to shout and praise God. She said that she had been to Heaven and had seen the Lord and many who were dead, some who died long before she was born. She said that she saw Mrs. Bickerstaff, who had died about five miles from her home that day, and it is a certain truth Mollie had not heard of the death. I had officiated as minister at the burial that morning. She told her friends that I went with her to Heaven and that the Lord had sent a message by her to me. When asked what it was she told them she was to tell no one until she told me. This conversation I did not hear but I vouch for its truthfulness, every word of which can be established beyond any doubt should any doubts arise. Up to this time I had not had opportunity to go and see her nor had I seen her in four or five years. I was in bed asleep on Friday night when two young men called at my home and related the circumstances and told me of her request that I come to see her. I rode with them and found her. She was, I think, one of the happiest mortals I ever saw and I have been a revivalist for thirty years and have witnessed many happy persons but nothing like this. She told me that she had been to heaven and saw the Lord, and that she saw my son Jimmy, who had been dead three years, there, and that the Lord told her if I kept on that I would get there when I died and meet my
