Voss Biographical Record
SCANNED
Biographical Record
Lenore Voss
Born: 1847 · Died 1939
Occupation: Memorial Custodian
Cause of Death: Unknown.
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Lenore Voss made her living keeping secrets for the dead.
For nearly seven decades, grieving families visited her rooms carrying letters, photographs, locks of hair, wedding rings, and other possessions of the recently deceased. Voss sealed each object inside one of hundreds of small black cabinets lining her walls and gave the family a key.
The dead remained quiet so long as their secrets remained locked.
Her clientele included widows, politicians, clergymen, criminals, and several members of families whose names were conspicuously removed from later records.
Voss herself wore a single brass key around her neck.
After her death in 1889, authorities discovered her sitting upright at her writing desk. There were no signs of violence, but the cabinets surrounding her had all been opened and every one was empty.
During preparation of the body, an undertaker discovered a small brass keyhole embedded in the center of Voss's forehead. He initially assumed it was ornamentation and attempted to remove it. He stopped when the plate began to bleed.
Later examination revealed deposits of gold throughout the left parietal bone. Initially believed to be gilding, microscopic examination showed the metal extending beneath the surface and into the cranial sutures.
The deposits have increased measurably since the specimen entered the Archive.
Her skull was acquired by the Society in 1902 along with the key Voss had worn throughout her life.
ARCHIVE NOTE: Archive instructions are explicit: The key is to remain with the specimen. The reason for this instruction [REDACTED].