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De Smet, South Dakota, Caroline "Ma" Ingalls, grave and tombstone, photo

Caroline "Ma" Ingalls, tombstone and grave, Little House on the Prairie, De Smet, South Dakota

The grave and tombstone of Caroline "Ma" Ingalls, mother of Laura Ingalls Wilder of the Little House on the Prairie book series. Caroline was born as Caroline Lake Quiner, the daughter of Henry Quiner and Charlotte (Tucker) Quiner on December 12, 1839 in Brookfield, Wisconsin. While living in Wisconsin, she met and was courted by Charles Ingalls whom she married on February 1, 1860. Charles Ingalls was a man who liked to travel and disliked putting down long term roots in any one location. Some of the moves were necessitated due to drought and locust plagues which made farming near impossible. During the course of their 42 year marriage the family lived in the states of Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota. After a number of moves during a nearly twenty year period, the Ingalls family moved to De Smet, South Dakota in 1879 where Charles and Caroline Ingalls lived the remainder of their lives. During the course of their many moves, five children were born: Mary (1865, near Pepin, Wisconsin); Laura (1867, near Pepin, Wisconsin); Carrie (1870, near modern day Independence, Kansas); Charles (1875, Walnut Grove, Minnesota, died when 10 months old); and Grace (1877, Burr Oak, Iowa).

On June 8, 1902 at the age of 66, Charles Ingalls died of heart disease. Caroline Ingalls died nearly twenty-two years later on April 20, 1924 at the age of 84. Charles and Caroline Ingalls are buried side by side in the De Smet Cemetery, outside De Smet, South Dakota. Other members of the family buried in this cemetery include daughters Mary (never married), Carrie (Swanzey) and Grace (Dow). An unnamed infant son of Laura and Almanzo Wilder is also buried here, next to Caroline, mother of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Caroline "Ma" Ingalls was portrayed by Karen Grassle in the Little House on the Prairie television series originally broadcast between 1974 and 1982.

De Smet is the county seat of Kingsbury County, South Dakota.

Numerous Laura Ingalls Wilder related photos including her birth place, the homes where she wrote the Little House book series, the graves of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder, Charles "Pa" Ingalls, Caroline "Ma" Ingalls, her sisters, and Rose Wilder Lane can be viewed here:
Laura Ingalls Wilder - Little House related photos

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