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Date Posted: 18:55:31 05/02/07 Wed
Author: Ron Kelsey
Subject: Re: Nellie Owens Post Part I
In reply to:
Jennifer
's message, "Nellie Owens Post Part I" on 10:04:35 09/06/02 Fri
In answer to some of the questions on the Owens of Walnut Grove I have talked to the living Owen family members. First of all they did not know that they were the Olesons of the book because they were Owens and not Olesons. They learned this after the TV show had ended. It is believed that Laura--in her writings changed the last name to protect herself. The only place that the Ingalls and Olesons lived together was in Walnut Grove and it is true that Nellie , in the books is a combination of three people that Laura had disagreements with in her life. Nellie did ;however, live in Walnut Grove. Willie was blinded in only one eye in Walnut grove playing with firecrackers and later in life in Oregon in the other eye from a tree branch. Michael Landon never came to Walnut Grove, and just gave names to Mr. and Mrs. Oleson for TV, as Laura in the books just refered to them as Mrs. and Mr. Oleson--no first names. We know here at Walnut Grove the real names from the church and county records. They were William and Margaret and they were Owens. Some of this information was learned from a letter found in an attic that one of the Kennedy girls wrote to Laura after the books were written. Laura was over 60 when she wrote the books.The Kennedy girl told Laura of some happenings in Walnut Grove after the Ingalls left Walnut Grove. Laura was gone from Walnut grove when Willie had his accident and in this letter the Kennedy girl told Laura of this happening.To who this may concern--any other questions --please ask.--Ron Kelsey
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Re: Nellie Owens Post Part I -- Ann, 16:38:13 05/04/07 Fri
Thanks for all the information, Ron! Where in Oregon did Willie live, and when did he move there?
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Re: Nellie Owens Post Part I -- LisaE, 23:26:25 05/11/07 Fri
Yes, thank you! interesting..
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More about Willie -- Ann, 17:00:03 05/12/07 Sat
Here's some more about Willie that I got from Ron by emailing him--he has a wealth of information if you have any questions!
"On June 16, 1901 Willie married Delphia Bramwell--real
first name Philadelphia. They had 3 children, one living only 8 years. In 1907 Willie lost the sight in the other eye and was now 90% blind...In 1921 Willie moves to Portland and him and wife are separated. He goes to Oregon Blind Trade School. On February 3rd, 1934 Willie died of a stroke and was buried next to his father at Forest Grove Cemetery in Forest Grove, Oregon."
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Re: More about Willie -- LisaE, 20:12:53 05/15/07 Tue
I guess if Willie was only blind in one eye originally, it makes sense that he was still able to marry. I always thought it unusual for him to be blind and still get married..and have kids. Of course this is thinking how things were "in the old old days".
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Original post -- LisaE, 20:14:32 05/15/07 Tue
I can't believe the first post of this thread is almost 5 YEARS old!!!
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Re: Original post -- Ann, 11:01:45 05/16/07 Wed
Yes! LOL
It's funny, I'd thought we'd said everything there was to say about LIW, her books and the TV show. But then someone such as Ron comes along, and we get new information. Fun!
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Re: Nellie Owens Post Part I -- Misty, 13:48:47 08/16/07 Thu
Well I was reading on other sites and Mary was blind, graduated and moved back home to live with her parents and died while visiting sister Carrie. Never any mention of her being married to Adam or of her ever having childern. Funny how the "Little House" books are to chronicals of LIW's life but when you research the people it goes back to the previous question of Fact or Fiction. On the show Willie marries Rachel and lives at the inn w/ LIW remember?
So if Willie never married Rachel and Nellie never married Percivel, who were these actual people that LIW mentions? I am now sooooo confused! J/K.
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Re: Nellie Owens Post Part I -- Misty (Oh Yeah!), 11:03:30 08/17/07 Fri
Forgive earlier comment was trying to write it and keep a one year old off the keys! Hopefully it made some sine. But I was watching TV and remembered how could they also say that the "Olsens" adopted Nancy? If they moved and there is no mention of her in factual family history?
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Re: Nellie Owens Post Part I -- LisaE, 20:32:45 08/18/07 Sat
There was never a Rachel, Percival or Nancy, all fictional characters for the television program. The Nellie and Willie in Laura's On the Banks of Plum Creek are based after the Owen's family. The Nellie character in the later books is supposed to be a composite of three people in Laura's real life, Nellie Owens, Genevieve Masters and Stella Gilbert.
The tv show is based on the books and people like Nancy, Percival, Rachel, Albert, James and Cassandra are all fictional. The only episodes I found to be closely related to the books were episodes in the very beginning of the tv series, like Country Girls and Town Party, Country Party.
A very good book to read on Laura's real life is Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder by John T. Miller.
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