Thursday, Oct. 10, 1968: Baby left in entryway
Posted on November 28th, 2005 – 8:05 PMBy Ben Welter
I’m a sucker for babies — and baby stories. This one ran inside the Tribune’s local news section in 1968. Two residents of a Minneapolis duplex heard whimpering one night and found an infant abandoned in the entryway. They alerted police, who took the boy to a hospital. He was later adopted by a rural Minnesota family and took the name Thomas Moede.
As an adult, Moede obtained his slim adoption file and found a clipping of the story below. In August 2005, he found the man who had found him on that chilly October night 37 years ago. Star Tribune reporter Kay Miller captured Moede’s story beautifully in an article published in November 2005. Maybe someday he’ll find his birth mother.
Baby Left in Entryway
of Minneapolis Home
An apparently newborn baby was listed in serious condition at General Hospital Wednesday night after being found abandoned in the entryway of a south Minneapolis duplex.
The baby was taken to the hospital by Minneapolis police who were called by Mrs. Gus Pohl, 23, and Clayton Houff, 22, who live in the two apartments at 3021 18th Av. S.
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| Wasn’t he a cutie? |
Mrs. Pohl said she heard a “funny noise” outside her front door about 9:15 p.m. yesterday and “thought it might be a cat or dog whimpering.”
She called Houff in the upstairs apartment and he turned on a hall light and came downstairs. Mrs. Pohl came out and they found the baby, wrapped in a pair of oversized pajamas, just inside the screen door.
Mrs. Pohl said she had “no idea” how long the baby had been lying in the hall because no one had left the house since 6 p.m. The baby was found about 10 p.m.
She took him in the house and wrapped him in a blanket. She said she found no note.
Mrs. Pohl said the front door to the duplex had been open and it was “pretty cold out there,” but the baby was “apparently very healthy” because it “kept squirming around and making noises.”
6 Responses to "Thursday, Oct. 10, 1968: Baby left in entryway"
Wow, I can’t believe someone would leave an innocent child out there on their own. I’m glad someone took him in.
My heart goes out all those little people that were abdonded. Parent(s) should be punished if convicted!!
THANK GOD SOMEONE FOUND THAT CHILD WHEN THEY DID. MAY GOD BLESS HIM AND KEEP HIM SAFE WHERE EVER HE MAY BE IN HIS ADULT LIFE. PSALM 23
Speaking as on of those who was abandoned as a newborn, I would like to say that while on the surface it seems to be a terrible crime, I believe on a much deaper level, it is done out of love and a great sacrifice. This baby, as well as myself, was not dumped in a trash can or “left to die”, it was put where it would easily be found and cared for. I am sure the lives of babies who are “left” turns out far better than had their birth parents, who obviously were not in a position to have them, had kept them.
Just my two cents.
I see it as a sign of strength and selflessness as well as deep fear and emotional stress these new mommies are in. My heart bleeds for their healing. I am so very thankful that they took the path for life with these newborns rather than death. I wonder if they stand by and wait as with Moses, until someone finds their little ones. I imagine such pain. We should reach out to them, not condem them. They are most likely have already done enough of that to themselves.
Baby’s. How beautiful life of a newborn is. Grace has captured my heart, I pray for her everyday. While these babies were not left to die in a trash can, they were however left.. and it was God who intervened and let someone find them. Self-lessness would be to bring the child to a safe haven,not leaving them on a cold road side, or in the hall of some complex. These abandoners are no different and actually worse than those who have abortions. These lives are precious, and thier abandoners disgusting.
