Ida Belle Wright’s life may not be widely known today, but she played a small, memorable role in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series and lived a rich life full of love, resilience, and quiet strength. From surviving tragedy in her early years to raising a family in the heart of pioneer America, Ida’s story offers a glimpse into the lives of those who lived alongside the Ingalls family.
From Tragedy to a New Beginning
Ida was born in Chicago on September 24, 1866. When the Great Chicago Fire swept through the city in 1871, she lost both of her parents and some of her siblings. What happened next is somewhat unclear, but she was adopted shortly afterward by Reverend Edward Brown and his wife. The Browns moved frequently, living in Minnesota, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Wisconsin before settling in Dakota Territory—where Ida’s life would soon intersect with Laura Ingalls.
A Friend in De Smet
In De Smet, Ida became one of Laura’s close school friends. She appears in Little Town on the Prairie and These Happy Golden Years, often seen by Laura’s side during school events and social gatherings. Her gentle presence and courtship with Elmer McConnell are lightly woven into the background of Laura’s own love story with Almanzo Wilder.
When Miss Wilder had called the school to order, she took the record book and went from desk to desk, writing down the pupils’ names. Laura’s seatmate answered that her name was Ida Wright, but she was called Ida Brown. She was the adopted daughter of Reverend Brown and Mrs. Brown.
Rev. Brown was the new Congregational minister who had just come to town. Laura knew that Pa and Ma did not like him very much, but she was sure she liked Ida.
Little Town on the Prairie, Chapter 11
When Laura married, Ida slipped into the room before the wedding to give a gift to Laura of a triangular fichu made of white silk lace, with a pattern of lovely flowers and leaves.
Mrs. Brown opened the sitting room door. Nervously she said that she would call Mr. Brown and asked them to sit down. She went into the bedroom and closed the door.
Laura and Almanzo sat waiting. In the center of the sitting room a marble-topped table stood on a crocheted rag rug. On the wall was a large colored picture of a woman clinging to a white cross planted on a rock, with lightning streaking the sky above her and huge waves dashing high around her.
The door of the other bedroom opened and Ida slipped in and sat down in a chair near the door. She gave Laura a frightened smile and then twisted her handkerchief in her lap and looked at it.
The kitchen door opened and a tall, thin young man quietly slipped into a chair. Laura supposed he was Elmer but she did not see him, for Reverend Brown came from the bedroom, thrusting his arms into his coat sleeves. He settled the coat collar to his neck and asked Laura and Almanzo to rise and stand before him.
So they were married.
These Happy Golden Years, Chapter 33
On December 3, 1885, Ida married Elmer McConnell in a ceremony performed by her adoptive father. The couple settled west of De Smet on a tree claim, where they had three children: Laura (1886), Mark (1888), and Robert (1890).
Moving On from the Prairie
Around the same time Laura and Almanzo left De Smet, the McConnells also moved—first to northern Wisconsin, where two more children, Eva (1893) and James (1901), were born. Life was quieter for Ida after leaving Dakota, but it remained full. Eventually, the family relocated again, this time to California, settling just outside Sacramento.
Elmer worked as a farmer, while Ida cared for their home. Their children built lives nearby—Laura and Eva became schoolteachers, James became a dentist, and Robert took up a position as the local mail carrier. Mark went into banking and lived in several states before also returning to California.
A Life Remembered
Ida and Elmer never returned to De Smet, and sadly, Ida died before the Little House books were even written. She passed away from tuberculosis on January 26, 1926, at age 59. She’s buried in the Masonic Lawn Cemetery in Sacramento.
After her passing, Elmer lived with their daughter Eva until his death in 1942 at the age of 81. Their children lived varied and meaningful lives: Laura died in 1965, Mark in 1939, Robert in 1952, Eva in 1961, and James in 1961.
Her Legacy in the Little House Books
Though she wasn’t a central character, Ida Wright’s inclusion in Little Town on the Prairie and These Happy Golden Years shows just how important friendships were during Laura’s growing-up years. Ida’s quiet companionship, her shared milestones with Laura, and her steady presence in De Smet are all small but cherished threads in the broader tapestry of the Little House series.
Ida’s life—marked by tragedy, resilience, and enduring friendship—is a reminder that every side character in a story has a full life of their own, often just as rich and meaningful.
