Rose Wilder Lane was a famous American writer and journalist, best known as the daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of the Little House series. She was also one of the most influential advocates of the American libertarian movement, along with Ayn Rand and Isabel Paterson. But how did she die and what was the cause of her death?
Early Life and Career
Rose Wilder Lane was born on December 5, 1886, in De Smet, Dakota Territory, to Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder. She was their first and only surviving child, as they had lost a son and a daughter in infancy. Her early years were marked by hardships and frequent moves, as her parents struggled to make a living as farmers and homesteaders. She attended secondary school in Mansfield, Missouri, and Crowley, Louisiana, while living with her aunt Eliza Jane Wilder.
She married a traveling salesman, Claire Gillette Lane, in 1909, but they divorced in 1918. She began her writing career as a freelance journalist and later became an editorial assistant on the San Francisco Bulletin. She achieved success and fame as a writer of biographies, novels, short stories, travelogues, and political essays. She traveled extensively in Europe and lived for a while in Albania with her friend Helen Dore Boylston.
Political Views and Activism
Rose Wilder Lane was initially a supporter of communism and socialism, but she changed her views after witnessing the horrors of totalitarian regimes in Europe and Asia. She became a staunch defender of individual freedom, free markets, and limited government. She wrote several books and articles that criticized the New Deal policies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and promoted the principles of libertarianism. She was one of the founders of the American libertarian movement, along with Ayn Rand and Isabel Paterson.
She also supported various causes and organizations that advocated for human rights, civil liberties, anti-war efforts, and anti-communism. She donated money and books to refugees, dissidents, students, and libraries around the world. She corresponded with many influential figures, such as Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Barry Goldwater, Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, and Ronald Reagan.
Death and Legacy
Rose Wilder Lane died on October 30, 1968, at the age of 81, in Danbury, Connecticut. The cause of her death was complications from diabetes mellitus, a chronic condition that affects the body’s ability to produce or use insulin. Diabetes can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage, blindness, and amputation. Rose Wilder Lane had suffered from diabetes for many years and had lost most of her vision due to diabetic retinopathy.
She was buried next to her parents in Mansfield Cemetery in Missouri. Her grave is marked by a simple stone that reads “Rose Wilder Lane / Writer”. She left behind a rich legacy of writings that have inspired generations of readers and thinkers. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential women writers and libertarians of the 20th century. Her life story has been told in several biographies, documentaries, and dramatizations.
