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Outhouse Confusion

By Capper's Staff
Published on August 27, 2012

At every family gathering we enjoy remembering about a family gathering at my husband’s parents several years ago. We had finished our carry-in dinner. The men and children had gone outside. While the women picked up and put stuff away, our visiting was interrupted by our three-year-old granddaughter, Kelly. She came running in and grabbed great-grandma’s hand, saying, “Grandma, Grandma, come quick, Uncle Doug just went into your birdhouse!”

We all looked at each other as great-grandma and Kelly went outside. Wasn’t long until great-grandma came back in with a big smile on her face. The birdhouse turned out to be the outhouse! We now call the outhouse the birdhouse.

Marguerite Ryman
Kincaid, 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.