Aunt Docia

Docia Waldvogel Forbes

Laura Ladocia Ingalls was born to Landsford and Laura Ingalls in Pepin, Wisconsin. She was Aunt Docia of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House in the Big Woods and By the Shores of Silver Lake.

Docia Ingalls married August Waldvogel and had two children, Lena in 1866 and August Eugene ("Jean") in 1870. Just before Jean's birth, August was imprisoned for shooting a man who was breaking into their home. Due to this disgrace, Docia divorced August, and moved into her parents' home with her two young children. This is why she is mentioned along with Aunt Ruby as living at Grandpa's house during the "Dance at Grandpa's" in Little House in the Big Woods.

Laura Ladocia Ingalls

Docia later married Hiram Forbes, who worked as a contractor for the Chicago and North Western Railway. In By the Shores of Silver Lake, Docia came to Walnut Grove to offer Pa a job as timekeeper and storekeeper for the railroad. The first half of By the Shores of Silver Lake tells of the fun Laura and her cousin Lena had on the Dakota prairies singing, going after the wash, and riding black ponies.

The Ingalls family decided to stay in the Dakotas, but Uncle Hi and Aunt Docia headed to Nebraska. Little is known of what happened to them after this, as the two families did not keep in touch; Hi and Docia had seven daughters, and Hi died in 1906, Docia in 1918. In later years, Lena recognized herself when reading By the Shores of Silver Lake and contacted Laura. Lena died in 1943.