Updated at: 11/10/2009 1:32 PM | KSAX.com
By: Megan Brown
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Some say Lady of the Hills Cancer Curing: Spiritual Sites Part 3

MILLERVILLE, Minn. - This story starts with a prayer and a promise made by a man named Bill Danelke, diagnosed with cancer at the age of 18.

"His mother told him to pray to our blessed mother and he did get a cure, so he promised he would build the statue, which was wonderful," Georgianna Holthaus said.

Prayers to the Virgin Mary back in 1953 seem to have sparked a miracle after months of misery. In turn Bill promised to one day build a giant statue in her honor.

"He never forgot his promise," Georgianna said.

50 years later a 16 foot 8 inch high Virgin Mary was built on the hills of Leaf Mountain Township.

"A lot of people visit up here. We've got about four or five of these books now with people signing in so we've got a steady stream of people come to visit up here," George Holthaus said.

Once neighbors of Bill and his wife Viola Danelke, George and Georgianna Holthaus say folks from far and wide come to catch a glimpse of Lady of the Hills today.

"I'm just amazed at how many people come from so many different places," Georgianna said.

Taking care of the Virgin Mary for years after the Danelkes passed, George and Georgianna have come across many who have come to be cured.

"Well I don't know because he got cured of cancer, I think that people think that maybe they have relatives that have cancer and if they come up here to pray for them, maybe this will help them," George said.

One couple's prayers seemed to have paid off.

"This couple said they had a cure of cancer, so they were very pleased and they came up every year," Georgianna said.

Folks from far and wide come to talk to Our Lady of the Hills, a woman some say has a very special healing power.

"There's many things that happen that we don't even know I'm sure. We're just happy she's there and she's watching over all of us," Georgianna said.

Here are the first two installments of the KSAX Eyewitness News central Minnesota Spirtual Sites Series:

Believers find Healing Power at Priest's Gravesite: Spiritual Sites Part 1

Fighting Spirit of Erhard Boy Felt in Local Garden: Spiritual Sites Part 2

Written for the web by Megan Brown

mbrown@ksax.com