Almanzo Wilder

Almanzo Wilder
Dean Butler as Almanzo Wilder
Personal Information
Born:	February 13, 1857
Birthplace:	Burke, New York, U.S.
Died:	October 23, 1949(1949-10-23) (aged 92)
Deathplace:	Mansfield, Missouri, U.S.
Family/Relatives:	Eliza Jane Wilder (sister) Royal Wilder (brother) Jenny Wilder (niece/adoptive daughter) Rose Wilder Myron Wilder Royal Wilder Jr. Baby Boy Wilder (son)
Spouse (s):	Laura Ingalls Wilder (m. 1885; his death 1949)
Romances/Domestic partners:	Laura Ingalls Wilder
Series Information
Played by:	Dean Butler
Appeared on/in:	Little House on the Prairie (TV series) "Little House: Look Back to Yesterday" (TV movie) '"Little House: Bless All the Dear Children" (TV movie) "Little House: The Last Farewell" (TV movie)

Almanzo James Wilder (/ælˈmænzoʊ ˈwaɪldər/; February 13, 1857 – October 23, 1949) was the husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the father of Rose Wilder Lane, both noted authors. Wilder is a well-known character in the Little House books where his wife wrote about their courtship and subsequent marriage in The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and The First Four Years. He also appeared briefly in chapter 28 ('Moving Day') of By the Shores of Silver Lake. Almanzo was characterized as a quietly courageous, hardworking man who loved horses and farming. He was also an accomplished carpenter and woodworker.

Farmer Boy recounts events of Wilder's childhood starting when he was eight years old, in 1866. Among other things, he goes to school (when not needed at home for the farm work), learns to drive a team of oxen, attends a county fair, and enjoys a mid-19th century Fourth of July celebration in town. He also learns how to deal with being bossed around by his older siblings, particularly his strong-willed sister Eliza Jane, who would later become a teacher of his future wife.

Farmer Boy, by publication date, was the second book written in the Little House series. Published in 1933, it was followed by Little House on the Prairie in 1935. The original order of publication was changed by the publisher Harper with the release of the newly illustrated 1953 edition.

About Almanzo

Almanzo moved to Walnut Grove with his sister, Eliza Jane, who taught at the school. This is where Laura first met him, whom she quickly took an attraction to; as did Nellie. They competed for his attention, which led Nellie to invite him over for dinner at her restaurant. Laura volunteered to do the cooking, which was cinnamon chicken. She, however, substituted the ingredients and used cayenne pepper instead of cinnamon. This cut the dinner drastically short.

After misleading Laura on an upcoming test, she and Nellie engaged in a wrestling match in the mud. Almanzo broke up the fight and took Laura back to get her cleaned up. Later, after being told a twisted version of her whereabouts Charles and Jonathan went to Almanzo's house, and after seeing her in his robe Charles assumed the worse and punched him; before getting any worse, she explained the situation.

Almanzo courted a few other women unsuccessfully while Laura watched jealously. Though her crush on him was unrequited for a while, he finally began to see her as more than a "little friend" right before her sixteenth birthday, when she got her teaching license and he volunteered to drive her back and forth from the small town where she was teaching. On her sixteenth birthday they shared their first kiss and he gave her a scarf, a traditional courting gift at the time.

Although Charles initially resented Almanzo courting Laura due to their age differences, their relationship blossomed quickly. He asked Charles for her hand in marriage, but the answer was no. She agreed to wait to marry him, but he was hurt. He left and lived in Sleepy Eye. They made up, and left after him was well. Charles agreed to let them marry but only wait for one year and they agreed. While they clashed several times throughout the courtship, they eventually did get married and remained in Walnut Grove. Later, he fell ill, and during a hailstorm he made the mistake of going outside and began to go numb; it turned out he suffered a stroke and bitterly resigned life as a cripple. The birth of their daughter, Rose, still didn't help his new life situation. Only to make matters worse, a tornado leveled their house leaving Laura injured and becoming embittered in self pity just as Almanzo. He made the decision to get better and eventually did.

After those events, Almanzo's brother, Royal, arrived in Walnut Grove with his daughter, Jenny. He told them that he was terminally ill and the reason he came to Walnut Grove is so that Jenny could get to know her adoptive parents. Royal died and Laura and Almanzo adopted her and they lived together in Walnut Grove.

Almanzo and Laura had a son who died about a week after he was born. One fateful morning, they awoke to find him dead. They were undecided on what to name him before he died, so he never got one. (Episode 918: A Child With No Name)

Episode appearances:

Season 6

1. "Back to School (Part 1)" (Season opener)
2. "Back to School (Part 2)" (episode #2)
3. "Annabelle" (episode #5)
4. "The Faith Healer" (episode #10)
5. "The Angry Heart" (episode #13) 
6. "The Werewolf of Walnut Grove" (episode #14)
7. "Silent Promises" (episode #17)
8. "Wilder And Wilder" (episode #19)
9. "Sweet Sixteen" (episode #21)
10. "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (Part 1)" (episode #22)
11. "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (Part 2)" (episode #23)

Season 7

1. "Laura Ingalls Wilder (Part 1)" (Season opener)
2. "Laura Ingalls Wilder (Part 2)" (episode #2)
3. "Fight Team Fight!" (episode #4)
4. "Portrait of Love" (episode #6)
5. "Divorce, Walnut Grove Style" (episode #7)
6. "The In-Laws" (episode #9)
7. "Oleson Versus Oleson" (episode #12)
8. "The Nephews" (episode #14)
9. "Goodbye, Mrs. Wilder" (episode #16)
10. "I Do, Again" (episode #20)

Season 8

1. "Growing Pains" (episode #3)
2. "Dark Sage" (episode #4)
3. "A Wiser Heart" (episode #5)
4. "The Legend of Black Jake" (episode #7)
5. "Chicago" (episode #8)
6. "Wave of the Future" (episode #10)
7. "A Christmas They Never Forgot" (episode #11)
8. "No Beast so Fierce" (episode #12)
9. "Stone Soup" (episode #13)
10. "The Legacy" (episode #14)
11. "Uncle Jed" (episode #15)
12. "Second Chance" (episode #16)
13. "Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow (Part 1) (episode #17)
14. "Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow (Part 2) (episode #18)
15. "A Promise to Keep" (episode #19)

Season 9

1. "Times Are Changing (Part 1)" (season opener)
2. "Times Are Changing (Part 2)" (episode #2)
3. "Welcome to Olesonville" (episode #3)
4. "Rage" (episode #4)
5. "Little Lou" (episode #5)
6. "The Wild Boy (Part 1)" (episode #6)
7. "The Wild Boy (Part 2)" (episode #7)
8. "The Return of Nellie" (episode #8)
9. "The Empire Builders" (episode #9)
10. "Love" (episode #10)
11. "Alden's Dilemma" (episode #11)
12. "Marvin's Garden" (episode #12)
13. "Sins of the Fathers" (episode #13)
14. "The Older Brothers" (episode #14)
15. "Once Upon A Time" (episode #15)
16. "Home Again (Part 1)" (episode #16)
17. "Home Again (Part 2)" (episode #17)
18. "A Child With No Name" (episode #18)
19. "The Last Summer" (episode #19)
20. "For the Love of Blanche" (episode #20)
21. "May I Have This Dance" (episode #21)
22. "Hello and Goodbye" (episode #22, season/series finale)

TV Movie specials

1. "Little House: Look Back to Yesterday" (TV movie)
2. "Little House: Bless All the Dear Children" (TV movie)
3. "Little House: The Last Farewell" (TV movie)

Gallery

External links

• Almanzo Wilder article at Wikipedia