Wilder Family

 

James Mason and Angeline Day Wilder

James Mason Wilder, known as "Father" in the second "Little House" book Farmer Boy, was born on January 26, 1813, to Abel and Hannah Wilder near Milton, Vermont. Four years later, the family moved two miles from Malone, New York, where James met and married Angeline Albina Day of nearby Chateaugay on August 6, 1843. Angeline, born in 1821, was the daughter of Justin and Diadema Day.

James and Angeline Wilder had six children, four of whom play a role in one or more of the "Little House" books. Their first child, Laura Ann, was born on June 15, 1844, and was therefore grown by the time of the events of Farmer Boy, which took place around 1866. Laura married Harrison Howard in 1874, had four children, and died in Crowley, Louisiana, in 1899.

The next four Wilder children, Royal, Eliza Jane, Alice, and Almanzo, are the main characters of Farmer Boy. Only Alice does not appear in the later books. She was born September 3, 1853, and married Albert Baldwin in 1879 in Spring Valley, Minnesota. Albert and Alice had two children, Myrtle and Leland. Alice died in Georgiana, Florida, in 1892.

The sixth child of James and Angeline Wilder was Perley Day, born June 13, 1869, in Malone, New York. Perley grew up in Spring Valley, Minnesota, and moved to Crowley, Louisiana, in 1895. He married Elsie Merritt in 1897 and had six children. He later opened a general store in Kinder, Louisiana, and died in 1934.

James and Angeline left their Malone farm around 1875, and moved to Spring Valley, Minnesota. In 1898, they moved to Crowley, Louisiana, at the insistence of Eliza Jane, where they failed at rice farming. James died in 1899, and Angeline died in 1905.

Laura Ann Wilder Howard

Birthdate: June 15, 1844

Birthplace: Franklin, New York, United States

Death:  1899 (54-55)

Place of Burial:  Crowley, Acadia, Louisiana, United States

Immediate Family:         

Daughter of James Mason Wilder and Angeline Albina Wilder

Wife of Harrison Lomanzo Howard

Mother of Angelina Esther Howard; Harrison J. James Howard; Josephine Howard and Ralph Waldo Howard

Sister of Alice Maria Wilder; Royal Gould Wilder; Eliza Jane Thayer; Almanzo James Wilder and Perley Day Wilder

Born 15 Jun 1844 in Burke, Franklin County, New York, United States

Daughter of James Mason Wilder and Angeline Albina (Day) Wilder

Sister of Royal Gould Wilder, Eliza Jane (Wilder) Thayer, Alice Maria (Wilder) Baldwin, Almanzo James Wilder and Perley Day Wilder

Wife of Harrison Lamanzo Howard — married 31 Dec 1874 in Fillmore, Minnesota, United States

[children unknown]

Died 16 Apr 1899 at age 54 in Crowley, Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States

Biography

Laura Wilder Howard was the sister of Almanzo Wilder.

Laura was never mentioned in the Little House' 'books as to not confuse the readers with the author, Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Burial

Old Crowley Cemetery, Crowley, Acadia Parish, Louisiana

Royal Gould Wilder

Birthdate: February 20, 1847

Birthplace: Franklin Co., New York, United States

Death:  April 21, 1925 (78)

Spring Valley, Fillmore, Minnesota, United States

Place of Burial:  Spring Valley, Fillmore, Minnesota, United States

Immediate Family:         

Son of James Mason Wilder and Angeline Albina Wilder

Husband of Electa M. Averill

Father of Angelina Bernice Wilder; baby girl Wilder and Susan E. Wilder

Brother of Laura Ann Wilder; Alice Maria Wilder; Eliza Jane Thayer; Almanzo James Wilder and Perley Day Wilder

Occupation:        farmer

Born 20 Feb 1847 in Burke, Franklin, New York, United States

Son of James Mason Wilder and Angeline Albina (Day) Wilder

Brother of Laura Ann (Wilder) Howard, Eliza Jane (Wilder) Thayer, Alice Maria (Wilder) Baldwin, Almanzo James Wilder and Perley Day Wilder

Husband of Electa Marie (Averill) Wilder — married 16 Mar 1893 in Spring Valley, Fillmore, Minnesota

Father of Bernice Angeline (Wilder) Granger

Died 21 Apr 1925 at age 78 in Spring Valley, Fillmore, Minnesota, United States

Biography

Birth

Royal Wilder was born February 20, 1847 to James Wilder and Angeline Day in Burke, New York.

Siblings

Royal's older sister Laura Ann (Wilder) Howard was born in 1844. Royal was the first son born to his parents three years later. After his birth, his parents had four more children: Eliza Jane (Wilder) Thayer-Gordon, Alice Maria (Wilder) Baldwin, Almanzo James Wilder (husband of the famous Laura Ingalls Wilder), and Perley Day Wilder.

In 1879, Royal went with his brother Almanzo James Wilder and sister Eliza Jane (Wilder) Thayer-Gordon to what is now De Smet, South Dakota, where he filed on a homestead and owned a feed store. He later returned to Spring Valley, Minnesota to live near his parents.

Marriage

In 1893, Royal married Electa (Averill) Hutchinson, a widow with four children from her first marriage. Together they had three more children, but only one (Bernice) survived beyond infancy.

Business

Royal owned and operated a store in Spring Valley, Minnesota.

Books and Film

Royal's brother Almanzo’s story is told in the books "Farmer Boy," "By the Shores of Silver Lake," "The Long Winter," "Little Town on the Prairie," and "These Happy Golden Years." These books were all written by Royal's sister-in-law Laura Ingalls Wilder. Royal is also referenced and talked about many times in these books. Royal also is talked about in the "Little House on the Prairie" TV series, and in the books that were written about Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter Rose's growing up years.

Death

Royal died on April 21, 1925 in Spring Valley, Minnesota and was buried in the Spring Valley Cemetery, in Spring Valley, Minnesota.

Eliza Jane Wilder Thayer

Birthdate: January 01, 1850

Birthplace: Malone, Franklin, New York, United States

Death:  June 01, 1930 (80)

Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, United States

Place of Burial:  Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, United States

Immediate Family:         

Daughter of James Mason Wilder and Angeline Albina Wilder

Wife of Thomas Jefferson Thayer and Maxwell Gordon

Mother of Walcott Wilder Thayer

Sister of Laura Ann Wilder; Alice Maria Wilder; Royal Gould Wilder; Almanzo James Wilder and Perley Day Wilder

Eliza Jane was born in 1850, possibly the first or third of the year, to James and Angeline Wilder. Eliza Jane was likely named after the wife of her father’s brother, Eliza Jane Smith.

Eliza Jane became a school teacher in Malone, New York. When the Wilder’s moved west from Malone to Spring Valley, Minnesota Eliza Jane followed and taught in the Spring Valley school during 1877 and 1878.

In 1879 Eliza Jane accompanied her brothers Royal and Almanzo to De Smet, South Dakota where they all took claims. While tending her claim, Eliza Jane taught the school term which Laura writes about in Little Town on the Prairie.

Later, she relocated to Washington D.C. where she became a “Government Girl” working for the Department of the Interior.

At the age of 42, Eliza Jane married Thomas Jefferson Thayer, a twice-married Spring Valley merchant with six children. In June of 1894, Walcott Thayer was born, named after the father of Thomas, whom was nicknamed Wilder. In 1899, Thomas died, with his estate being left to Etta, his daughter from a previous marriage.

It was at this time when Rose stayed with Eliza Jane to continue school in Crowley, Louisiana. In 1904, Eliza Jane married Maxwell Gordon, whom she later separated from. Eliza Jane died on June 1, 1930 in Lafayette, Louisiana, and is buried there.

Alice Maria Wilder Baldwin

Birthdate: September 03, 1853

Birthplace: Burke, Malone, Franklin, New York, United States

Death:  February 22, 1892 (38)

Georgiana, Brevard, Florida, United States

Place of Burial:  Merritt Island, Brevard, Florida, United States

Immediate Family:         

Daughter of James Mason Wilder and Angeline Albina Wilder

Wife of Albert A. Baldwin

Mother of Myrtle Baldwin and Leland Edward Baldwin

Sister of Laura Ann Wilder; Royal Gould Wilder; Eliza Jane Thayer; Almanzo James Wilder and Perley Day Wilder

Alice Maria Wilder was born to James Mason And Angeline Albina Day Wilder on September 3, 1853 near Malone, New York.  She is the sister of Almanzo Wilder.

Alice features heavily in Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder, as one of Almanzo’s siblings.  At the start of the book, Alice is 10 and Almanzo is almost 9, and their closeness in age means that they spent a lot of time together in the book.  The last mention of Alice in Farmer Boy is during the chapter Christmas.

Driving home that night, they all felt good. Alice’s woolwork had won first prize, and Eliza Jane had a red ribbon and Alice had a blue ribbon for jellies. Father said the Wilder family had done itself proud, that day.

After the time period of Farmer Boy, Alice moved with her parents to Spring Valley, Minnesota.

Alice later married Albert Asa Baldwin in 1878 at age ~25 in Spring Valley, Minnesota, where the Wilder family had settled.

Alice and Albert had two children, Myrtle Emmeline (Baldwin) Brown born in 1880 and Leland Edward Baldwin born in 1885.

Alice died on February 22, 1892 at only 38 years of age.  She is buried on Merritt Island in Florida.

Perley Day Wilder

Also Known As: "Perly", "Purley"

Birthdate: June 13, 1869

Birthplace: Malone, Franklin, New York, United States

Death:  May 10, 1934 (64)

Kinder, Allen, Louisiana, United States

Place of Burial:  Kinder, Allen, Louisiana, United States

Immediate Family:         

Son of James Mason Wilder and Angeline Albina Wilder

Husband of Elsie Lillian Wilder

Father of James Wilder; Gladys Wilder; Harold Wilder; Perley Day Wilder, Jr.; Dorothy A. Pittman and 1 other

Brother of Laura Ann Wilder; Alice Maria Wilder; Royal Gould Wilder; Eliza Jane Thayer and Almanzo James Wilder

Occupation:        owner/general store

Youngest son of James and Angeline Day Wilder. He was born in Malone NY, but grew up in Spring Valley, Minnesota. He moved to Crowley, Louisiana, in 1895, married Elsie Merritt in 1897 and had six children. He later opened a general store in Kinder, Louisiana.

NOTEABLE HISTORY: Perley is the brother in law of LAURA INGALLS WILDER the author of the "LITTLE HOUSE" books. Perley's brother Almanzo was married to Laura. You can read about Perley, Almanzo and life on the farm in Laura Ingalls Wilder's book "FARMER BOY"