Caroline Ingalls

Caroline Ingalls, born Caroline Lake Quiner (/ˈɪŋɡəlz/; December 12, 1839 – April 20, 1924), was the mother of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House books.

Biography

She was born 15 miles west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the Town of Brookfield, Waukesha County, 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).

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. 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.

At age 16 1/2, Caroline started working as a teacher. On February 1, 1860, she married Charles Ingalls. They had five children: Mary, Laura, Caroline ("Carrie"), Charles Frederick ("Freddie"), and Grace.