[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement:
Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor
of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users'
privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your
privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket
to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we
also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.
Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your
contribution is not tax-deductible.)
PayPal Acct: 
Feedback: 
Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):
[ Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message ]
Date Posted: 10:04:35 09/06/02 Fri
Author: Jennifer
Subject: Nellie Owens Post Part I
William Henry Owens was born on a farm in Scranton, PA on June 20, 1835. His family had immigrated to America from Wales, where they operated a dairy farm. In the early 1860's, William moved to Cresco, Iowa. It was here he met and married Margaret H Gibson on March 20, 1864. She was born January 12, 1836 in Hichinbrooke, Huntington County, Quebec, where her family lived on a 100 acre farm. In 1848 her family came to the US. "Two years later, another important event in Margaret's life took place when she became a Christian. She remained a devoutly religious woman throughout her life, with her personality described as patient, loving and kind.
They lived in Cresco and had a 40-acre farm until they moved to Le Roy, Minnesota. On Sunday, August 2, 1868, Nellie Winifred Owens was born, and in the following year on October 7 or 9, 1868, William Robert (Willie) was born. In March 1870 they moved to the town of Alba where Mr. Owens served as postmaster. He held that job until 1873 when they moved to Walnut Grove, the same year as the Ingalls. They began operating a general store in town. The store was mainly the responsibility of Mrs. Owens, while Mr. Owens practiced a little veterinary medicine on the side, a skill he had learned on his parent’s farm.
It was in Walnut Grove were Willie lost his eyesight. It was a careless accident involving firecrackers and happened in the first year they lived in Walnut Grove. "One day, a group of boys in town decided it would be fun to pile up some rocks in the middle of the road and blow them up. Willie was eager to please the older children, who persuaded him to go over to his parents store and get some firecrackers. When he brought them back, the older boys lit them, and quickly put them into a striped paper candy bag. Then, they piled gravel on top, and stood back to watch it all blow up. But instead, the firecrackers went out, so the boys asked Willie to go over and blow on them to get it started again. Not knowing any better, he obliged. Suddenly, the volatile material exploded, causing Willie to completely lose the sight in one eye, and damaged the other. In later years, Willie never allowed his own children to have firecrackers, or anything that could cause an explosion. He would always just blow up a bag, pop it, and say, "Now that sounds just like a firecracker."
Interestingly, the Owens cared for Frank Bedal ( son of Lafayette and Clementia - the same Mrs. Bedal who taught). Lafayette was killed at the age of 30 in a sawmill accident leaving Clementia with 6 small children to care for. When the Owens left Walnut Grove, Frank went with them.
Five years later the Owens decided to head west. Most family members believe they went along the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon. They arrived in Ferndale, CA, most likely by the fall of 1883. Fernadale was a great dairy farming town, and Mr. Owens had decided to return to his farming roots. In 1884, the Adventist Church was organized and the Owens joined this church along with the family of Mrs. Josephine Kirry and her 9 children - one of which was Harry Frank Kirry (born March 20, 1869) who married Nellie.
In July, 1889, Mr. Owens purchased a 100 square foot parcel of land for $150. It was located about a mile and a half west of town in an area known as Meridian. He put up a general store, which still stands today, along with the carriage house behind it. In January, 1891 he sold it for $650 and moved the family to Tillamook, Oregon. There they purchased an 80-acre dairy farm known as South Prairie which was still in the family as of the mid 1980's.
In addition to the dairy farming, Mr. Owens became the first veterinarian in the county.
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Replies:
[>
Re: Nellie Owens Post Part I -- Ann, 11:36:33 09/06/02 Fri
Thanks, Jennifer! I never knew the real Willie lost his eyesight. Interesting that they didn't put that in the show, although with Mary losing hers, I suppose they would have thought it was too much.
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[>
Re: Nellie Owens Post Part I -- Harriet, 16:12:53 09/06/02 Fri
Jennifer, I really enjoy the background information. Thanks so much for your effort.
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[>
Re: Nellie Owens Post Part I -- Harriet, 16:14:44 09/06/02 Fri
Don't think I've ever seen "Lore Magazine". Where can I find one?
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[>
Re: Nellie Owens Post Part I -- Shell, 21:34:34 09/06/02 Fri
Thanks a lot for the info. I really enjoyed reading it. I do remember reading somewhere a while ago that Willie had lost his site but I didn't realize it was at such a young age.I always thought, gee, he was blind and had a family but didn't Mary? But that's not what she wanted to do. Also, I didn't relize that he and Nellie were so close in age. I guess growing up watching the show they seemed like they were 4 or 5 years apart and didn't think about it in the books.(alos in the books they were a combo of 3 families so that could be while too)
Harriet- you can get a subscription to the LORE newsletter through the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society(LIWMS.com).
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[>
thanks, jennifer.... -- delilah, 01:10:35 09/07/02 Sat
That was very interesting reading. The story of Willie made me think of the show Fact or Fiction. That story just sounds so peculiar to me. Maybe it's my lack of sleep. LOL
Thanks for posting this.
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[>
The lifes and personalities of Nellie Owens and her mother -- Laura, 01:01:34 02/11/06 Sat
I really wanted to know more about Nellie Owen's life and also about her mother's life. I read a little, but I don't know enough. I take it Mrs. Owens was not like Katherine MacGregor on little house on the praire. Was the real Nellie Owens a brat? If Nellie and her mother were not really like they were portrayed on the show, then why did Michael Landon have them portrayed that way? Also, why did they change their name to Oleson on the show, when it was really Owens? On the show, why did they make her mother's name Harriet and her father's name Neils, when their real names were William and Margaret? Was Nellie really as bratty as the show portrayed her to be?
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[> [>
Re: The lifes and personalities of Nellie Owens and her mother -- Ann, 17:38:01 02/12/06 Sun
My impression was that Nellie was based on a couple of girls that Laura knew, but I'm not sure. I think Laura did write about Nellie as if she was bratty, but maybe she exaggerated.
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[>
Re: Nellie Owens Post Part I -- Ron Kelsey, 18:55:31 05/02/07 Wed
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
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[> [>
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?
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[> [> [>
Re: Nellie Owens Post Part I -- LisaE, 23:26:25 05/11/07 Fri
Yes, thank you! interesting..
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[> [> [> [>
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."
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[> [> [> [> [>
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".
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[> [> [> [> [> [>
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!!!
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[> [> [> [> [> [> [>
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!
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[> [>
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.
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[> [> [>
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?
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
[> [> [> [>
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.
[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]
