Childhood & Early Life
She was one of the five children born to Charles Philip Ingalls and Caroline Lake Ingalls. She had three sisters and one brother who had died as an infant.
Her father was a restless man who kept changing his jobs. As a result, the family had to move quite often. Laura had spent her childhood at various places like Wisconsin, Kansas, and Missouri before finally settling down in De Smet, South Dakota.
She attended high school in De Smet but she never graduated.
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Later Years
She started working as a teacher in 1882 when she was just 16 years old. Even though she was young, she wanted to contribute to her family financially.
From 1883 till 1885, she taught in a school, worked for a dressmaker and attended high school.
She got married in 1885 at the age of 18, leaving behind her studies and teaching career.
She settled down to a life of domesticity with her husband and daughter when misfortunes struck. Her husband became partially paralyzed due to diphtheria and their home burned down in 1890.
After struggling for years, they bought a farm in Missouri in 1894. They named this farm the Rocky Ridge Farm. Over the next many years they worked hard to develop a poultry, dairy and fruit farm.
Her daughter Rose Wilder Lane grew up to become a writer and encouraged her to write. Laura was appointed as a columnist and editor with the ‘Missouri Ruralist’ in 1911 and worked with the publication till the mid 1920s.
Her column ‘As a Farm Woman Thinks’ became very popular among the women readers. She used to write on a variety of topics like family life, farming, world war, traveling, etc.
At the behest of her daughter, she wrote her first novel in 1932. The novel titled ‘Little House in the Big Woods’ told of her experiences in their small house in Wisconsin describing in detail the farming activities and household experiences.
The very next year she wrote a book, ‘Farmer boy’ about her husband’s childhood and growing-up in the town of Malone during the 1860s.
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The third book in the series, ‘Little House on the Prairie’ was published in 1935. She wrote about the time her family spent in Kansas, and the difficulties and dangers they faced there.
After leaving the Kansas prairie, her family moved to Plum Creek, Minnesota and she recollected the experiences in the novel ‘On the Banks of Plum Creek’ (1937).
Her novel ‘By the Shores of Silver Lake’, published in 1939, covers a period of one year in the life of the 12 year old protagonist. She wrote of the sad incidents like her sister’s blindness and death of the family dog in this book.
In ‘The Long Winter’ published in 1940, she described the harsh winter of 1880-81 which was so severe that the family did not even have enough coal to keep warm, or proper food to eat.
The ‘Little Town on the Prairie’ (1941) was one of the more popular novels of the series. The author who began working even before her 16th birthday described her experiences as a schoolteacher.
Her 1943 novel, ‘These Happy Golden Years’ was the last book in the series published during her lifetime. This book covered a period of three years in her life and focused on her relationship with the man whom she eventually married.
Some of her previously unpublished works were later published posthumously. These included ‘On the Way Home’ (1962) and ‘The First Four Years’ (1971).
Personal Life & Legacy
She married Almanzo Wilder in 1885 and gave birth to two children, one of whom died in his infancy. Her daughter Rose Wilder Lane was a journalist-cum-writer.
She always wanted to live to be 90, and had her wish fulfilled when she died in her sleep on 10 February 1957, three days after her 90th birthday.
Facts About Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Ingalls Wilder's favorite childhood chore was gathering eggs from the family's chickens. She loved the challenge of finding hidden nests and collecting the fresh eggs each day.
Despite living a simple and humble life on the prairie, Laura had a strong appreciation for music. She enjoyed playing the fiddle and singing with her family, bringing joy and entertainment to their evenings.
Laura was known for her resourcefulness and creativity, often finding unique solutions to everyday problems. She once repurposed an old wagon wheel into a makeshift water pump, showcasing her ingenuity.
In addition to her writing talents, Laura had a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling.
She often wove elements of her own life experiences into her beloved "Little House" books, creating a rich tapestry of historical fiction.
Laura had a deep love for nature and the outdoors, finding solace and inspiration in the vast open spaces of the prairie.
She often remarked on the beauty of the natural world and its ability to bring peace and clarity to her mind.
