Michael Sloanm. 1990
What happened to Mary from Little House on the Prairie?
[6] 
Ingalls family plot, De Smet Cemetery, South Dakota 
Mary Ingalls’ headstone at De Smet Cemetery, South Dakota In popular culture[edit]
Ingalls was portrayed in the television series Little House on the Prairie by actress Melissa Sue Anderson. The television version of Mary Ingalls became a teacher in a school for the blind and married a blind fellow teacher. The real Mary Ingalls never became a teacher nor married, but returned to De Smet to live with her parents after graduating from Vinton.[7][8]
References[edit]
- ^ Benge, Janet and Geoff (2005). Laura Ingalls Wilder: A storybook life. YWAM Publishing. p. 180. ISBN 1-932096-32-9.
- ^ Allexan, Sarah S.; Byington, Carrie L.; Finkelstein, Jerome I.; Tarini, Beth A. (2013). « Blindness in Walnut Grove: How did Mary Ingalls lose her sight? ». Pediatrics. peds.2012-1438.
- ^ dell’Antonia, K.J. (February 4, 2013). « Scarlet fever probably didn’t blind Mary Ingalls ». The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ^ Serena, Gordon (February 4, 2013). « Mistaken infection ‘On the Prairie’? ». U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
Did Melissa Gilbert and Melissa Sue Anderson get along?
Melissa Gilbert And Melissa Sue Anderson Didn’t Get Along At All. Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim were inseparable as co-stars, but Melissa Gilbert’s relationship with Melissa Sue Anderson was less amicable. From what Arngrim recalls in her memoir, Gilbert expressed her feelings for Anderson openly and honestly.
What is the actress Melissa Sue Anderson doing now?
Though the family is happily based in Montreal these days, Anderson has continued making occasional acting appearances. She has been in The Equalizer, The Return of Sam McCloud, 10.5: Apocalypse, Veronica Mars, The Con Is On and Far North.
Is Melissa Sue Anderson married with children?
Personal life[edit]
Anderson married television writer and producer Michael Sloan (The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, The Equalizer and others) in 1990.[11] The couple has two children, daughter Piper and son Griffin.[12] The family moved to Montreal in 2002 and became naturalized Canadians on Canada Day in 2007.[12][13]
Filmography[edit]
Television[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ O’Conner, John (February 28, 1981). « ‘Offerings’ show tackles burning issue of witches ». Fort Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel.
- ^ Johnson, Malcolm L. (May 19, 1981). « ‘Happy Birthday to Me’ Plot Lacking, but Gore Plentiful ». Hartford Courant.
- ^ Rosenberg, Howard (June 5, 1980). « Donahue Tops Daytime Emmys ». Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Lynch, Tom (2002). Screen World 2002. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 321. ISBN 978-1-557-83598-7.
- ^ a b c d e f Gritten, David (June 1, 1981). « With Dates Like Sinatra Junior Melissa Sue Anderson Is Outgrowing Her ‘little House' ». People. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
- ^ Miley, Scott (September 14, 1979). « Melissa Anderson’s role challenging ». Anderson Daily Bulletin.
- ^ « Bed-wetting is a problem for ‘The Lonliest Runner' ». The Tampa Times. December 26, 1980.
- ^ « 3rd Youth In Film Awards ». YoungArtistAwards.org. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
- ^ Hill, Michael E. (January 28, 1990). « Michael Landon ». The Washington Post. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
- ^ a b c Potts, Kimberly (October 15, 2015). « ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Cast: Where Are They Now? ». Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ Ho, Rodney (November 1, 2016). « Interview with Melissa Sue Anderson, Mary on ‘Little House on the Prairie' ». The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
- ^ a b « Melissa Sue Anderson ». Biography.com. A&E Television Networks. April 17, 2019 [Original Published Date: April 28, 2015]. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
- ^ Magder, Jason; Hashmi, Sikander (July 2, 2007).
Why did Mary leave Little House?
I’m leaving because there just isn’t much more that can be done with the blind character I play.
‘The writers have exhausted all the possibilities for Mary Ingalls Kendall. First of all, she became blind. Then she had a miscarriage. She lost her mind. Another baby died in a fire. She’s had all kinds of diseases.
‘It is just a matter of moving on for me. I’ve done about everything I could do with the character.
‘There have been rumors for years that Melissa Gilbert and I didn’t like one another. They said I was jealous of her, that she was jealous of me. Then this story came out saying Alison and I were leaving because we resented Melissa.
‘I’ve never been jealous of Melissa. And she certainly hasn’t been jealous of me.
‘When I read the story I telephoned Melissa and we got together to talk about it. We laughed, but it really isn’t funny. It hurt us both.’
Melissa Sue is grateful to ‘Little House on the Prairie’ and aware that the show, now going into its eighth year, is responsible for making her a star of sorts.
Melissa starred in ‘Happy Birthday To Me,’ a horror movie released earlier this year.
What was Mary Ingalls illness?
Far worst of all, the fever had settled in Mary’s eyes and Mary was blind.” (p 1).1 Herein, we examine the plausibility of scarlet fever as the cause of Mary Ingalls’ blindness by systematically analyzing biographical documents, local newspapers, school registries, and epidemiologic data on blindness and infectious disease in the years when Mary and Laura Ingalls were children. We conclude that Mary’s blindness was probably caused not by scarlet fever but by viral meningoencephalitis.Scarlet Fever in the 19th Century
Mary Ingalls went blind in 1879 at age 14. Between 1840 and 1883, scarlet fever, caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, was one of the most common infectious causes of death among children in the United States.2 Case fatality rates ranged from 15% to 30%.2 As late as 1910, scarlet fever was cited as one of the top 4 causes of blindness, along with measles, meningitis, and “other diseases of the head.”3 For reasons that remain unclear, scarlet fever case fatality rates fell dramatically in the early 20th century, well before antibiotic treatment.2,4
The mechanism for scarlet fever causing permanent blindness is uncertain. It is conceivable that it could be a postinfectious autoimmune phenomenon, such as optic neuritis. However, there are few cases reported, of which most were temporary and some likely misattributed cases of meningitis.5 Given scarlet fever epidemiology in late 19th century United States, it is possible that Mary Ingalls could have contracted scarlet fever and gone blind as a result. However, evidence from newspaper reports of Mary’s illness and from Laura Ingalls’ memoirs (as opposed to her novels) suggests this is improbable.
Firsthand Reports of Mary’s Illness
The Little House on the Prairie series is based on Laura’s 1930 unpublished memoir, “Pioneer Girl.” Laura mentions scarlet fever in this memoir only in reference to the winter of 1872: “We took the Scarlet Fever. We couldn’t go to school nor play our [sic] doors but had to lie in bed and take nasty medicine.”6 However, Laura’s description of Mary’s illness in 1879, the year she lost her sight, never mentions scarlet fever. During the 1878 to 1879 winter, Mary “did not go [to Sunday school] in the afternoon, because she was not very well all winter.”6 Then, in April 1879, Mary was “taken suddenly sick with a pain in her head and grew worse quickly. She was delirious with an awful fever. We feared for several days that she would not get well.”6
Laura vividly describes the illness: “One morning when I looked at her I saw one side of her face drawn out of shape. Ma said Mary had had a stroke.”6 After the initial stages of illness, Mary’s vision deteriorated.
What happened to the real Grace Ingalls?
Grace kept a diary as a young girl which mentions events that took place in the First Four Years. The diary has been published in The Story of the Ingalls by William Anderson.
Grace was not only a housewife and school teacher, but a talented journalist, writing for a magazine and local newspapers. Grace and Carrie both contributed to the 50th anniversary edition of “The De Smet News”. Grace was also a correspondent for the « Huronite ».
During the late 1920’s, farm prices were low and during the Dust Bowl Years in the 1930’s, Grace and Nathan had financial difficulties. They were renting their farm out at the time and were depending on the rent for income. Their health was declining and they rented a small house in Manchester. Harvey Dunn, Nathan’s nephew, and others helped Nathan and Grace financially.
Grace was diagnosed with severe diabetes in 1932 at a hospital in Huron. Carrie came to visit Grace and brought Laura’s newly released book Little House in the Big Woods.
Grace passed away at the age of 64 on November 10, 1941, in Manchester, South Dakota, from complications of diabetes.
Why did the Garveys leave Little House?
Beyond Little House for Merlin Olsen
To facilitate the spin-off of the series Father Murphy, Jonathan and Andrew Garvey had to move away from Walnut Grove. Three seasons on Father Murphy led to some additional television series appearances such as Fathers and Sons, The American Frontier, Aaron’s Way, and commercials for FTD flowers. Even after Merlin stopped acting, he continued working in front of the camera as a sports commentator.
He remained close to Michael and other friends from the show throughout the years. In fact, when Michael Landon passed away in 1991, Merlin Olsen gave the eulogy. Alison Arngrim recounts in her book, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch, the following memory of the event.
“The eulogy was given by Merlin Olsen….His speech was absolutely brilliant, moving and funny at the same time. He started by saying, perfectly deadpan, ‘Hello, I’m Merlin Olsen. I sell flowers.’ He then went on to do a virtual stand-up routine about Michael. Michael had insisted his funeral be funny, and he got his wish.”
Merlin Olsen passed away from cancer in 2010, but his legacy lives on.
Why did Nellie Oleson wear a wig?
The same goes for the fried chicken from the girls’ lunch pails, too! 
Via/ Wiki Commons
7) DIY Dye
Michael Landon starting going grey while working on Bonanza so he began dyeing it himself. He continued this routine while working on Little House on the Prairie, preferring to avoid going to a salon because of his social anxiety. Varying accounts have him either finally convinced to let the hair and makeup staff professionally dye it for him or to wear a wig.
Via/ Wiki Commons
6) Nellie Oleson’s Perfect Hair
It was actually a wig! After days of intensive styling on set, it was decided that a wig would altogether be more cost and time effective. The wig, according to Nellie Oleson actress, Alison Arngrim, was not comfortable.
Via/ eBay
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Did Melissa Sue Anderson from Little House on the Prairie pass away?
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Who did not get along on Little House on the Prairie?
There was no chance of an actual romance between the two because Steve Tracy was gay. Real-Life Rivalries on “Little House on the Prairie”
While Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim played rivals but were actually very close many actors had trouble with one “Little House on the Prairie” co-star. Melissa Gilbert and Melissa Sue Anderson didn’t get along at all. Anderson played Mary Ingalls, Gilbert’s on-screen big sister. They put their differences aside for the show and appeared to be loving siblings to audiences.
In Gilbert’s book “Prairie Tale,” in which she looks back at her time on “Little House on the Prairie,” she described Anderson as cold and bratty. The dislike went both ways. While Anderson hasn’t talked about their feud, they still aren’t friends today. While the Ingalls sister’s off-screen dislike for one another was the strongest, Gilbert wasn’t the only one who felt that way about Anderson. Several cast members have said that she was cold to them.
Behind-the-Scenes Siblings
William Oleson was played by Jonathan Gilbert. He was Melissa Gilbert’s adopted brother. Not only did they star in “Little House on the Prairie,” together, but they were also very close. However, they became estranged later in life.
The actors on “Little House on the Prairie” were able to put aside rivalries and friendships alike to bring great on-screen performances to life.
How old was Mary Ingalls when she died?
Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
Did Carrie Ingalls ever marry?
The legal mining ads were more expensive than the five dollar notices required of homesteaders; the flat rate for mine notices in the Recorder was nine dollars. Miners were presumably wealthier than farmers. Carrie also worked for the Hill City Star.
On August 1, 1912, Carrie married David N. Swanzey and retired from the newspaper business so she could raise her stepchildren, Mary (age 8) and Harold (age 6). Carrie spent the remainder of her life in Keystone until she passed away on June 12, 1946 at the age of 76. After Ma Ingalls passed away in 1924, Mary, the blind sister, came to Keystone to live with Carrie until she passed away in Carrie’s home on October 20, 1928.
With a visit to the Keystone Historical Museum, you will learn more about the 35 years Carrie spent in Keystone and you may view the memorabilia of the Ingalls’ family. You will learn about Uncle Henry Quiner, his wife Aunt Polly (Ingalls) Quiner, and Carrie’s double-cousin, Ruby, when they lived and died in the Keystone area during the mid 1880s.
The free museum in the old two-story Victorian schoolhouse in Keystone is open from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, May through September. The museum is open seven days a week.
Thanks to Julie Hedgepeth Williams of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama who authored the booklet « Little Newspapers on the Prairie: The Frontier Press of Carrie Ingalls ». The booklet is available for purchase in the Keystone Museum and will soon be available online. For more information on purchasing the booklet, please contact us via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Did the real Mary Ingalls ever get married?
But Mary’s parents continued to push her, expecting her to do chores and to continue to study.
Mary’s parents, Caroline and Charles, accompanied her on the train to Iowa. They toured the school and met Mary’s roommate.
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Mary passed the school’s entrance exam and quickly established herself as an excellent student. She particularly excelled at music. Students were also required to take industrial classes in sewing, beadwork, knitting and other work so they could be self-supporting, if need be. Mary quickly picked up new skills.
Mary graduated June 12, 1889. She was 24 years old.
Mary returned to De Smet, South Dakota, to live with her parents. She read, played the organ for hours, visited friends, sewed and wrote poetry. Unlike in the television show, the real Mary never married.
Mary’s blindness had long been attributed to scarlet fever, as Laura wrote in her book. But research by Dr. Beth Tarini and her team uncovered Mary’s blindness was likely caused by viral meningoencephalitis.
How old was Caroline Ingalls when he died?
They had one child together, Lottie Holbrook. Caroline evidently loved and respected her new father, and would later honor his memory by naming her son after him.[2] At the age of 16 1/2, Caroline started working as a teacher.
Marriage[edit]
On February 1, 1860, she married Charles Phillip Ingalls in Concord, Wisconsin.[3] Together they had five children: Mary Amelia, Laura Elizabeth, Caroline Celestia (Carrie), Charles Frederick (Freddie), and Grace Pearl.[4][5]
Freddie Ingalls[edit]
Charles Frederick « Freddie » Ingalls was born on November 1, 1875, in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, and died August 27, 1876, in South Troy, Minnesota, of indeterminate causes.
In her autobiography Pioneer Girl,[6] 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’. »[7]
Travels and later years[edit]
The Ingalls family traveled by covered wagon from Wisconsin; Kansas (Indian Territory); Burr Oak, Iowa; and Minnesota. In 1879, they settled in De Smet in Dakota Territory.
