Editor’s Note: My family lived at 4621 Lake Avenue in the 1940s through the early ‘60s. For the story and photos of that period of the home’s history, see
Does a playful ghost still inhabit 4621 Lake Avenue? Former residents believe it could be the spirit of a young girl named Mary Melissa (Missy) French who died by fire in the home in the 1960s. The French family lived in the home from 1963-1985.
When asked if she thought the house was haunted, former owner Realtor Lindsay Collins said: “I did feel it was haunted. We have a lot of fun stories – my youngest child was in the front bedroom (where the child allegedly died). “She didn’t hear it or see it, but she was very little.
“One night my then-husband and I were in our bedroom talking, and the door opened and no one answered – it had been latched shut, and the kids were asleep in their bedrooms.
“This happened before we even knew about the French family story. (The spirit) was very playful, sweet and gentle – it often opened and shut doors. For example, the doors on the second-floor deck would open in summer and winter, and you could hear little footsteps above.
“Eventually, we’d just laugh and say ‘Cassie’ is playing with the doors again. We gave the spirit a nickname before we learned the story.”
One of 15 York family reunions. According to Barb York, “we did something special for every niece and nephew when they turned 16, including carriage rides on Lake Avenue, a Western line-dancing party with chuckwagon and band on the porch, horse sleigh rides for winter birthdays, etc. This year’s theme was for my niece whose last name is Schyler and she lives in Hollywood.
York family spent 30 years at 4621 Lake Ave.
In the home’s 140-year existence, only seven families have lived there. Barb York and her family moved into the house in 1988. They bought it from someone who had purchased it from the French family and was going to try to flip it.
It didn’t have a front porch at that time. The stove in the kitchen was from Roberto’s Italian Restaurant, complete with a griddle top and two ovens. Next to it was a milk machine. “That kitchen fed a lot of people over the 30 years we lived in the house,” York said.
Like the Collinses, she and her husband Bob also sensed a spirit in the house. “We would go to bed at night,” she said, “and the heat would go up, and we’d turn it down, and it would go back up.
“Eventually, I put an image of the Our Lady of Czestochowa with the Blessed Mother’s protection up in the hall - nothing ever happened again. Our experience was extremely peaceful after that.”
York says 4621 was made for gathering and her memories are primarily about the many people who spent time in their home.
“People would flock to the house,” she said. “For 20 years, we had family reunions in July - there were 75 people at the last one.”
An active member of St. Pius X in White Bear Lake, she hosted a variety of church related activities. She recalls that many years after hosting a Moms in Touch group, a lady came back and knocked on the door, saying “I loved the peace I had in your house.”
The Yorks also were visited by many members of the French family, who wanted the chance to visit their former home again.
“That was the kind of house it was - it had to be shared,” said York.
The Collins family enjoyed their home's central location at Clark and Lake Avenues during a community parade a few years ago.
2015-2022 major remodeling
Lindsay Collins and her family lived in the home from 2015-2022. Early on, “We had an environmental engineer come look at it. They recommended new joist beams, which lifted six inches of floor sag.”
“We remodeled extensively, but we kept the original trim and kept the house the same as much was possible. In addition to a new roof and insulation, we added a master bath, because the original upstairs bathroom was very small.
“And when they lifted the floor, it damaged the cabinets and we had to do a kitchen remodel, but we kept the butler press and other charming items; we wanted to preserve as much as we could.
“It would have been cheaper to knock it down. but I love squeaky wood floors, old-fashioned trim, the grand front doors, big windows. …
The renovation was done by her Uncle Jim Baker of Baker Home Management. Collins admits caring for an older home is a lot of work, and she has moved to a smaller place.
“It was so amazing to sit on the veranda and to watch everyone watch everyone go by. My oldest son’s life goal is to rebuy it.”
In an interview with the current owners during late July 2024, they said the story of the friendly spirit was news to them. They added that they thoroughly enjoy watching “life go by” from the large private porch of their home. Their plans for their historic home is to build a garage – theirs has been shared with neighbors for at least 75 years – and to do some landscaping.
“We love living on the lake, even in the winter.”
John and Mary Elizabeth "Lizzie" Matheis purchased the lot for their summer cottage in 1883. John was a German immigrant to Minnesota who developed a prosperous carpet, wallpaper and drapery business in downtown St. Paul. A sketch of the house and many others from the era are included in a booklet called “All About White Bear Lake”, which was published in 1890 and is distributed even today by the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society.
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