Family Stories- The Panther Lady
Similar to my Heirloom Posts, I’ve decided to start posting some of our family stories in the hopes that they won’t be lost over the years.
Over the years I would always ask Gramma Mary to tell me the story of “The Panther Lady”. Gramma Mary was named “Mary” after her grandmother, Mary Rowe Bargy. Great-Great Gramma Mary Bargy was born in 1847. This is our favorite story about her and Great-Great Grandpa Peter.
Grandpa Peter and Grandma Mary lived in the dense wilderness of Upstate New York during the 1860′s-1920′s. Shortly after they were married, Peter and Mary went out in to the big woods to collect firewood or go for a walk. As dusk settled they realized that it was later than they realized and that they had ventured deeper into the woods than was originally intended. Suddenly they heard a woman scream. As they were deep in the woods and had no close neighbors, this was strange. Grandpa Peter called out to her but she did not respond. Minutes went by and the scream came again, this time much closer. A shiver of fear ran up Gramma Mary’s spine as she realized that the cry they heard was not that of a woman but of a panther. When a panther “cries”, it sounds as if a woman is screaming. The panther screamed a third time, this time from a tree above them. They were deep in the woods and Grandpa Peter did not have his gun with him. If they ran they would neever make it and turning thsir backs to the Panther would ensure that it would attack them. Grandpa Peter toook Mary’s elbow and lead her, walking backwards, therough the woods and to their cabin. All the while, Mary was eyeing down the Panther as it lept from tree to tree, following them all they way, waiting for a chance to pounce. Finally they reached their cabin. As they slowly backed up to the cabin, Grandpa reached behind and grabbed the door. In one swift movement, he turned around, threw open the door, yanked Gramma inside, SLAMMED the door and slid the bolt closed. The panther threw itself at the door, bouncing off the door as it was slammed shut and the bolt slid into place. The panther circled the little cabin all night, screaming and hissing in a fury that it had missed it’s dinner.
