Caroline Ingalls
Encyclopedia
Caroline Ingalls, born Caroline Lake Quiner (December 12, 1839April 20, 1924) was the mother of Laura Ingalls Wilder
, author of the Little House
books.
She was born 15 miles west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, in the town of Brookfield
, in the county of Waukesha, the fifth of seven children of Henry Quiner and Charlotte (Tucker) Quiner. Her brothers were Joseph, Henry, and Thomas, and her sisters were Martha Jane and Eliza (the Quiners' first child, Martha Morse Quiner, died in 1836).
When Caroline was five, her father died in an accident, reportedly on Lake Michigan
near the Straits of Mackinac
. In 1849, her mother married Frederick Holbrook, a farmer who lived nearby. They had one child together, Charlotte "Lottie" Holbrook. Caroline evidently loved and respected her stepfather, and would later honor his memory by naming her son after him.
At the age of sixteen and a half, Caroline started working as a teacher. On February 1, 1860 she married Charles Ingalls
. They had five children: Mary, Laura, Caroline ("Carrie")
, Charles Frederick ("Freddie"), and Grace.
, and died August 27, 1876 in South Troy, Minnesota
, of undetermined causes. In her unpublished autobiography Pioneer Girl, Laura remembers that "Little Brother was not well" and that "one terrible day, he straightened out his little body and was dead". Wilder scholar William Anderson noted, "Nearly forty years after Freddie’s death, Ma mourned him, telling relatives how different everything would be 'if Freddie had lived'." Laura Ingalls Wilder never mentioned him in her books, but he appears in Old Town in the Green Groves
, a Laura's Lost Years novel by Cynthia Rylant
. The history of Freddie is also mentioned in The Lord Is My Shepherd, Part 1 episode of the Little House on the Prairie
series. Certain circumstances and consequences of his death (appearing in the part 2 of the episode) were, however, fictionalized, including his death when he was only a few weeks old.
Laura Ingalls Wilder's only son also died. It is not known exactly how old he was, but he was supposedly a few weeks old, sick, and was never even named. He died of unspecified causes and Laura did not have any more children after his death. He is not buried with his parents Laura and Almanzo in Mansfield, Missouri. Instead "baby son of A.J. Wilder" is buried with his maternal grandparents and aunts in the De Smet, South Dakota cemetery.
Laura's only surviving child, daughter Rose Wilder Lane
, like her mother and grandmother, also had a son who died shortly after birth or who was still born around 1910. Like her mother Laura, Rose never had any more children after his tragic death. Supposedly, the end of the pregnancy required Rose to have an operation which left her unable to have children. She eventually divorced her husband, Gillette Lane around 1915 or 1916 and does not appear to have dated men after her divorce. Although she was a prolific writer, Rose never wrote about what exactly happened to her son or when he was born. The death was so painful, as was Freddie Ingalls' and Baby Son Wilder's deaths, that Rose did not want to speak about the loss. Decades later she would only write a friend and say that she never forgot it.
The Ingalls family traveled by covered wagon from Wisconsin
, Kansas
(Indian Territory), Burr Oak, Iowa and Minnesota
. In 1879 they settled on a homestead near De Smet. When Charles and Caroline Ingalls decided to sell their farm because of the persistent pattern of dry years of weather, combined with Charles Ingalls advancing age and inability to take care of his large acreage, he built the family a home on Third Street in the town of De Smet
in Dakota Territory
. He made his living primarily as a carpenter from that time onward until his death of heart disease at age 66 - a normal lifespan for an adult male at that time.
After her husband Charles died in 1902 of heart disease, Caroline rented rooms out in her house for income. De Smet residents remember Caroline sometimes sitting outside with her blind daughter Mary. Although they attended church, Caroline was a very private person who very rarely left home. She was deeply religious and Mary's blindness was an extreme blow to Caroline's hopes for her bright daughter.
Caroline died at the age of 84, and was buried at De Smet Cemetery
along with her husband and daughters Mary, Carrie, and Grace along with her deceased, un-named baby grandson (son of Laura Ingalls Wilder).
Additionally, Caroline was portrayed in the television adaptation of Little House on the Prairie by :
In I Remember, I Remember, fourth season episode of the Little House on the Prairie
series, Katy Kurtzman
portrays young version of Caroline.
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...
, author of the Little House
Little House on the Prairie
Little House is a series of children's books by Laura Ingalls Wilder that was published originally between 1932 and 1943, with four additional books published posthumously, in 1962, 1971, 1974 and 2006.-History:...
books.
Biography
- For information on the relatives, see : List of real-life individuals from Little House on the Prairie
She was born 15 miles west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, in the town of Brookfield
Brookfield (town), Wisconsin
Brookfield is a town in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 6,390 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Goerke's Corner is located in the town.-Religion:...
, in the county of Waukesha, the fifth of seven children of Henry Quiner and Charlotte (Tucker) Quiner. Her brothers were Joseph, Henry, and Thomas, and her sisters were Martha Jane and Eliza (the Quiners' first child, Martha Morse Quiner, died in 1836).
When Caroline was five, her father died in an accident, reportedly on Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
near the Straits of Mackinac
Straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac is the strip of water that connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and separates the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a shipping lane providing passage for raw materials and finished goods, connecting, for...
. In 1849, her mother married Frederick Holbrook, a farmer who lived nearby. They had one child together, Charlotte "Lottie" Holbrook. Caroline evidently loved and respected her stepfather, and would later honor his memory by naming her son after him.
At the age of sixteen and a half, Caroline started working as a teacher. On February 1, 1860 she married Charles Ingalls
Charles Ingalls
Charles Phillip Ingalls was the father of Laura Ingalls Wilder, known for her Little House on the Prairie series of books...
. They had five children: Mary, Laura, Caroline ("Carrie")
Carrie Ingalls
Caroline Celestia "Carrie" Ingalls Swanzey was the third child of Charles and Caroline Ingalls, and was born in Montgomery County, Kansas...
, Charles Frederick ("Freddie"), and Grace.
Freddie Ingalls
Freddie died at the age of 9 months. He was born November 1, 1875 in Walnut Grove, MinnesotaWalnut Grove, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 599 people, 291 households, and 178 families residing in the city. The population density was 577.7 people per square mile . There were 341 housing units at an average density of 328.9 per square mile...
, and died August 27, 1876 in South Troy, Minnesota
South Troy, Minnesota
South Troy is a small unincorporated community on U.S. Route 63 in Zumbro Township, Wabasha County, Minnesota, United States, west of the city of Hammond.-Notable people:...
, of undetermined causes. In her unpublished autobiography Pioneer Girl, Laura remembers that "Little Brother was not well" and that "one terrible day, he straightened out his little body and was dead". Wilder scholar William Anderson noted, "Nearly forty years after Freddie’s death, Ma mourned him, telling relatives how different everything would be 'if Freddie had lived'." Laura Ingalls Wilder never mentioned him in her books, but he appears in Old Town in the Green Groves
Old Town in the Green Groves
Old Town in the Green Groves novel by Cynthia Rylant is a fictional midquel book based on some notes left by Laura Ingalls Wilder and a general knowledge about her life and the times....
, a Laura's Lost Years novel by Cynthia Rylant
Cynthia Rylant
Cynthia Rylant is an American author. She has written more than 100 children's books in English and Spanish. With the divorce of her parents when she was four and living without running water and electricity she became an author including works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry...
. The history of Freddie is also mentioned in The Lord Is My Shepherd, Part 1 episode of the Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...
series. Certain circumstances and consequences of his death (appearing in the part 2 of the episode) were, however, fictionalized, including his death when he was only a few weeks old.
Laura Ingalls Wilder's only son also died. It is not known exactly how old he was, but he was supposedly a few weeks old, sick, and was never even named. He died of unspecified causes and Laura did not have any more children after his death. He is not buried with his parents Laura and Almanzo in Mansfield, Missouri. Instead "baby son of A.J. Wilder" is buried with his maternal grandparents and aunts in the De Smet, South Dakota cemetery.
Laura's only surviving child, daughter Rose Wilder Lane
Rose Wilder Lane
Rose Wilder Lane was an American journalist, travel writer, novelist, and political theorist...
, like her mother and grandmother, also had a son who died shortly after birth or who was still born around 1910. Like her mother Laura, Rose never had any more children after his tragic death. Supposedly, the end of the pregnancy required Rose to have an operation which left her unable to have children. She eventually divorced her husband, Gillette Lane around 1915 or 1916 and does not appear to have dated men after her divorce. Although she was a prolific writer, Rose never wrote about what exactly happened to her son or when he was born. The death was so painful, as was Freddie Ingalls' and Baby Son Wilder's deaths, that Rose did not want to speak about the loss. Decades later she would only write a friend and say that she never forgot it.
The Ingalls family traveled by covered wagon from Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
(Indian Territory), Burr Oak, Iowa and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. In 1879 they settled on a homestead near De Smet. When Charles and Caroline Ingalls decided to sell their farm because of the persistent pattern of dry years of weather, combined with Charles Ingalls advancing age and inability to take care of his large acreage, he built the family a home on Third Street in the town of De Smet
De Smet, South Dakota
-External links:* * * * *...
in Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
. He made his living primarily as a carpenter from that time onward until his death of heart disease at age 66 - a normal lifespan for an adult male at that time.
After her husband Charles died in 1902 of heart disease, Caroline rented rooms out in her house for income. De Smet residents remember Caroline sometimes sitting outside with her blind daughter Mary. Although they attended church, Caroline was a very private person who very rarely left home. She was deeply religious and Mary's blindness was an extreme blow to Caroline's hopes for her bright daughter.
Caroline died at the age of 84, and was buried at De Smet Cemetery
De Smet Cemetery
De Smet Cemetery is a cemetery located southwest of the town of De Smet in Kingsbury County, South Dakota, USA.- Notable people buried in De Smet Cemetery :*Robert Boast, appeared in a number of the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder....
along with her husband and daughters Mary, Carrie, and Grace along with her deceased, un-named baby grandson (son of Laura Ingalls Wilder).
In the media
The series The Caroline Years, an extension of the Little House series, by Maria D. Wilkes and Celia Wilkins, follows Caroline Quiner from her fifth year to her late teens, up to her engagement to Charles. The names, dates and people mentioned in the books are true, but much of the content of the books is, by necessity, fictionalized. The first title in the series is Little House in Brookfield.Additionally, Caroline was portrayed in the television adaptation of Little House on the Prairie by :
- Eiko MasuyamaEiko Masuyamais a Japanese voice actress who works for Aoni Production. She is most known for the roles of Fujiko Mine , Kisaragi Honey , and Bakabon's Mama .-Notable voice roles:...
(voice) in Laura, The Prairie GirlLaura, The Prairie Girlwas a Japanese anime TV series based on the novels Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Twenty-six episodes were released, between 1975 and 1976, each lasting about 30 minutes.-Characters:Laura Ingalls...
Japanese cartoon series, - Karen GrassleKaren GrassleKaren Grassle is an American actress, best known for her role as Caroline Ingalls, the wife of Michael Landon's character and the mother of Melissa Gilbert's character, on the Little House on the Prairie TV series.-Early career:She graduated from Ventura High School in 1959 , serving as the...
in the television series Little House on the PrairieLittle House on the Prairie (TV series)Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...
and its movie sequels, - in Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls WilderBeyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls WilderBeyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder and its sequel, Beyond the Prairie, Part 2: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder, are television films which were presented in two parts, the first in 2000, and the second in 2002, which presented episodes from the later books in the...
films by Lindsay CrouseLindsay Crouse-Early life:Crouse was born in New York City, the daughter of Anna and Russel Crouse, a playwright. Her full name—Lindsay Ann Crouse—is an intentional tribute to the Broadway writing partnership of Lindsay and Crouse. Her father and his writing partner, Howard Lindsay, wrote much of...
, - in the miniseriesMiniseriesA miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Little House on the PrairieLittle House on the Prairie (TV miniseries)Little House on the Prairie, also known as Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie, is a five-hour miniseries which was broadcast on ABC as part of The Wonderful World of Disney anthology series. It was made in 2004. It was directed by David L...
by Erin CottrellErin CottrellErin Cottrell is an American actress, who has appeared in the role of Missie Davis-LaHaye in 5 of the 8 films in the Love Comes Softly series. She also played Caroline Ingalls in the 2005 miniseries Little House On The Prairie...
. - and in the MusicalLittle House on the Prairie (musical)Little House on the Prairie is a book musical adapted from the children's books, Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The creative team includes Rachel Sheinkin , Rachel Portman , Donna di Novelli , and Francesca Zambello...
by Melissa GilbertMelissa GilbertMelissa Ellen Gilbert is an American actress, writer, and producer, primarily in movies and television. Gilbert is best known as a child actress who co-starred as Charles Ingalls's second daughter, Laura Ingalls Wilder, on the dramatic television series Little House on the Prairie...
.
In I Remember, I Remember, fourth season episode of the Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...
series, Katy Kurtzman
Katy Kurtzman
Katy Kurtzman is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress. In 1977, Michael Landon cast Katy as stuttering Anna who was abused by Nellie on Little House on the Prairie...
portrays young version of Caroline.