Caroline Lake Quiner Ingalls was born 12 December 1839 in Brookfield, Clinton County, Wisconsin, United States to Henry Newton Quiner (1807-1844) and Charlotte Wallis Tucker (1809-1884) and died 20 April 1923 De Smet, Kingsbury County, South Dakota, United States of unspecified causes. She married Charles Phillip Ingalls (1836-1902) 1 February 1860 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
Biography
Caroline Lake Quiner Ingalls was the mother of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Wikipedia:Little House books series.
She was born 15 miles west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the Town of Brookfield, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, 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).[1]
"Ma" Ingalls Birthplace memorial marker at Brookfield WI.
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.[1] 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.
Marriage and Family
On February 1, 1860, Charles Ingalls married a neighbor, the quiet and proper Caroline Lake Quiner (1839-1924). They had five children:
- Mary Amelia Ingalls (1865-1928) - oldest daughter - At age 14, she suffered an illness—thought to be scarlet fever—which caused her to lose her eyesight. Between 1881 and 1889, Mary attended the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School. She never married.
- Laura Elizabeth Ingalls (1867-1957) - author of the famous Wikipedia:Little House on the Prairie book series - family biography. Second daughter; Later Almanzo's (Manly's) wife and Rose's mother; nicknamed "Half-pint" by Charles and "Beth" by Almanzo.
- Caroline Celestia Ingalls (1870-1946) - suffered greatly in the great winter of 1880-81, she married widower David N. Swanzey (1854–1938), who is best-remembered for his part in the naming of Mount Rushmore.
- Charles Frederick Ingalls (1875-1876) - died in infancy
- Grace Pearl Ingalls (1877-1941) - trained as a schoolteacher, and taught in the former town of Manchester, South Dakota. Married, but had no children.
Children
Siblings
Adopted Children
Several adopted children are portrayed as part of the family in the TV series, but our research shows that they are all fictional characters.
Known Relatives
- For information on the relatives, see: List of real-life individuals from Little House on the Prairie.
Vital Records
De Smet Cemetery
- Gravestone Location: De Smet Cemetery at De Smet, South Dakota
References
- ^ a b "Laura Ingalls Wilder Homepage". Dahoudek.com. http://www.dahoudek.com/LIW/ingalls/aqwg02.htm#35. Retrieved 2015-09-26.