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Actress Melissa Gilbert Uncovers Shocking Family Coincidences
27 May
Summary
- Birth father's middle name was Manly, mirroring Laura Ingalls Wilder's husband.
- Adopted mother and birth mother shared the same birthday.
- Gilbert is sharing her story to connect with others who have similar experiences.
Melissa Gilbert has revealed astonishing parallels between her biological family and her "Little House on the Prairie" character. She discovered her birth father, David Darlington, had the middle name Manly. This name was the nickname given to Almanzo Wilder, the husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder, who was portrayed by Dean Butler in the series. Gilbert, adopted in 1964, reconnected with her biological father and only recently learned this surprising detail.
Further astonishing coincidences emerged as Gilbert learned her birth mother, Frances Catherineanne Wood, and her adoptive mother, Barbara Crane, were both born on April 26th. Frances was born in 1935, and Barbara in 1936. Gilbert shared these discoveries on Instagram, inviting others with similar experiences to connect and share their stories, while acknowledging recent past difficulties with social media comment moderation.
