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Bear Nearly Steals Baby on Kansas Homestead

By Capper's Staff
Published on July 30, 2012

My brother-in-law tells this story, passed down from his great-grandfather:

He and his wife were laboring together on their Kansas homestead, and of course, their baby son was taken to the field, to be wrapped in a blanket and laid nearby.

Once, to their horror, they glanced up to see a huge bear carrying off their precious bundle. The father followed. The bear stopped, lowered the baby to the ground, and covered it until only a mound of leaves showed. Then the bear left.

The father snatched the child and put the leaves back in place.

He then hid to see what would happen.

The bear came back with two cubs. She went at once to the pile of leaves and threw herself down upon it. She dug around, but her warm live prey was gone.

You can bet that father and mother thanked God for protecting their treasure from death. 

Thelma Blosser Loucks
Canton, Kansas


Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then Capper’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from Capper’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.