She was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin, on December 12, 1839 to parents, Henry & Charlotte Quiner. She was to be the fifth child; with an older sister who had died before Caroline was born. She had three brothers - Henry, Joseph and Thomas, and two older sisters - Martha and Eliza. Caroline was barely five years old when her father died in an accident on Lake Michigan. Her mother remarried about 5 years later to, Frederick Holbrook, a farmer. Her new step father and her mother gave her a younger sister, Charlotte. And at the age of sixteen, Caroline became a school teacher. But, as she met Charles Ingalls, her career was cut short after only a couple of terms. They wed, February 1, 1860. Then began a new career - wife and mother. In January of 1865, Mary Amelia was born; the first of Caroline's five children. Two years and one month later, Laura came into the world. (And it has never been the same since!) Caroline gave birth to her next daughter, Caroline (Carrie) in 1870. Then came Charles Fredrick (called Freddie), in 1875. He died within about 9 months. (Caroline never really got over losing him.) Finally, Grace was born in 1877.
During that period of time, the family have moved residence six different times! Let's just say, pioneer life was hard. They faced all kinds of challenges, as written about by Laura in her books. But, through it all, Caroline kept her family as best she could.
Laura once described her father as "always jolly and sometimes reckless." She didn't mean that he put his family in peril, but that he was somewhat unpredictable and carefree. She said that he had a disease called, "Wanderlust". This was the greatest reason they made so many moves. But, in stark contrast to Pa, she said that "Ma was thrifty, educated, gentle and proud." She was the stablizing factor for the family. She provided the girls with an education, when there wasn't a school nearby. She taught them all she knew as a school teacher. But the life-lessons she taught, by example, would better serve them throughout their lives. She taught them how to survive with grace and taught them the importance of making do with what the Lord provided, and to be grateful for it. And she certainly was a good example of a helpmate to her husband.
In my opinion, much misinformation or misunderstanding has been attributed to Caroline's supposed hatred or racial prejudice of Native Americans. If you'll consider the fact that during the time the Ingalls family were pioneering across the wilderness, it was an undisputed fact that it was dangerous. They would have to be cautious and very wary of any strangers approaching them; let alone, half-naked men carrying weapons! Caroline had heard the stories of how Indians had massacred other settlers. She was determined to protect her family. Yet, on the occasions that she was visited by Indians, while Charles was away, she treated them with respect! She stood her ground, yet certainly showed hospitality and Christian love, even though they actually stole goods from her family.
Caroline was, at all times, a role model for her children and an example of a fine Christian woman of her day. She may not have had the evangelistic zeal that her husband showed, but she always showed Christian charity to all. This was yet another lesson taught to her daughters, by example.
While Laura wrote of her affection toward her father, it was obvious that she was in many ways, more like her mother in the end.
Caroline's obituary speaks of how others perceived her.
Caroline must have had a lot of patience and a good sense of humor to be married to the sometimes zany Charles!
She certainly loved her children too. She had always wanted Mary to succeed in life. When Mary became blind she made every effort for her dream of education to succeed as well. When Mary came back home from her time away at school, she stayed with her widowed mother. And Caroline took care of Mary at that time, by renting out rooms to borders in order to have the needed income to live comfortably. It was only a few years after her mother passed, that Mary joined her again.
Laura, may not have written any odes to her mother, or given special preferences in writing about her more than others, but it was obvious the impact that her mother had on her. She wasn't always able to get away to visit her mother, so distant from Missouri, but she always held her in her thoughts and memories - as we are reminded here:
"Reading a message from my mother, I am a child again and longing unutterable fills my heart for Mother's counsel, for the safe haven of her protection and the relief from responsibility which trusting in her judgment gave me."
"When to realms of boundless peace, I am waiting to depart
Then my mother's song at twilight
Will make music in my heart.
"Hush, my babe, lie still and slumber;
Holy angels guard thy bed."
And I'll fall asleep so sweetly, Mother's blessings on my head"
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Resting in the arms of your Lord, Caroline, we wish you a happy birthday! The Old Man in the Bib Overalls
Thanks for this nice history of Caroline. I, too, am bothered by hints that she was a racist. They lived in a different world than we do now. Things were dangerous, and the Indians probably scared the heck out of her.
ReplyDeleteIt was a tense time in our country's history. Mistakes were made that can't be undone at this point. I feel Caroline had a healthy and realistic fear for her family's safety based upon what was going on at the time. I also believe she must have been a strong and brave woman to follow Charles to the ends of the earth--so to speak.