Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Charlotte "Lotty" Holbrook (Laura Ingalls Wilder's Aunt/Half-Sister to Caroline Lake Quiner Ingalls

 


Half-sister of Caroline Quiner Ingalls. Aunt to Laura Ingalls Wilder.

She is Aunt Lotty in Little House in the Big Woods.


Frederick Marshall Holbrook (Caroline Lake Quiner Ingalls Stepfather)



Frederick was an early settler of the town of Concord, Wisconsin, coming from Connecticut in the year 1848. He lived in Concord until 1867 and then went to the town of Sullivan and settled on a farm adjoining the village until his death. He was an active member of the Methodist Faith.


Frederick was also the stepfather of Caroline Lake Quiner, Laura Ingalls Wilder's mother. In essence, he was Laura's Grandfather.He was the second husband of Charlotte Quiner and the father of Charlotte Holbrook

Charlotte Tucker Quiner Holbrook (Laura Ingalls Wilder's Grandmother)

 




Henry and Charlotte Quiner
Henry Newton Quiner, born in 1807, married Charlotte Tucker, born May 25, 1809, on April 2, 1831. They had seven children: Martha (died in childhood), Joseph, Henry, Martha, Caroline, Eliza, and Thomas. Henry and Charlotte were Laura's maternal grandparents.
Henry was a farmer, but also traded with the nearby Wisconsin Indians. In the fall of 1844, he sailed off on Lake Michigan on a trading trip. A storm arose and sunk the schooner, and Charlotte Quiner was left a widow.

BIOGRAPHY: In 1849, Charlotte remarried to a farmer named Frederick Holbrook. The couple's only child, Charlotte, was Aunt Lotty of the Big Woods. When asked by Mary and Laura which color of hair she preferred, Aunt Lotty replied wisely that she liked both kinds best. Lotty later married Henry Moore and had 6 children.

BIOGRAPHY: Charlotte died in 1884 in Rome, Jefferson Co Wisconsin, just before her granddaughter Laura married Almanzo Wilder many miles away. It is unlikely Laura ever saw her grandparents again after leaving the Big Woods at age 7.

She was the daughter of Martha Tucker and the grandmother of Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder.

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

July 2026 Birthdays/Anniversaries

 Ingalls Wilder Families

Baby A. J. Wilder July 11, 1889-August 10, 1889

TV Show Cast

Sherrie Stoner (Rachel Brown-Oleson) July 16, 1959

Patrick Labyorteaux (Andrew "Andy" Garvey) July 22, 1965

Karl Swenson (Lars Hanson) July 23, 1908-October 8, 1978)

Lucy Lee Flippin (Eliza Jane Wilder) July 23, 1943

Wedding Anniversaries

Maxwell & Eliza Jane (Wilder-Thayer) Gordon July 1, 1904


Tuesday, July 28, 2026

3 Generations of Ingalls Women: Caroline Quiner-Ingalls, Laura Ingalls-Wilder, Rose Wilder-Lane

 



Three generations of Ingalls women, each having sons who didn't survive, somehow carried the Ingalls line into legacy. It is truly haunting to reflect on the immense sorrow they endured and the quiet strength it took to persevere. Their resilience ensured that the Ingalls family name and story would continue to be honored and cherished by fans across generations. Does anyone else find this specific thread of their family history particularly moving?

**Discussion Points to Engage the Group:**
* **Historical Context:** How much of the Ingalls family history do you find is most accurately portrayed in the books versus the show?
* **Emotional Resilience:** Which Ingalls family member do you believe possessed the most internal strength when facing loss?
* **Legacy Preservation:** What is the most important lesson the Ingalls family teaches us about overcoming tragedy?
* **Fan Perspectives:** Does knowing the real-life history of the family change how you view the characters during their more difficult moments on screen?.

Sunday, July 5, 2026

June 2026 Birthdays

 Ingalls-Wilder Family

Perley Day Wilder (July 13, 1869-May 10, 1934)

Laura Ann (Wilder) Howard (June 15, 1844-1899)

TV Show Cast

David Friedman (Jason Carter) June 10, 1973

Bonnie Bartlett (Grace Snider-Edwards) June 20, 1929

Richard Bull (Nels Oleson) June 26, 1924-February 3, 2014


Sunday, May 31, 2026

May 2026 Birthdays

 Ingalls-Wilder Family

Grace Pearl (Ingalls) Dow - May 23, 1877-November 10, 1941


Television Cast

Melissa Gilbert - Laura Ingalls Wilder - May 8, 1964

Dean Butler - Almanzo James Wilder - May 20, 1956

Hersha Parady - Alice Garvey/Eliza Ingalls - May 25, 1945-August 23, 2023

Lindsay & Sidney Greenbush - Carrie Ingalls - May 25, 1970