Celebrating the life of Dabbs Greer

Dabbs Greer, who is most remembered for his role as Reverend Robert Alden on the show Little House on the Prairie, passed away on April 28th. Some of the fans wrote sympathy letters to his family and were encouraged to share their memories on Lennon Parker's Prairie Talk forum (http://www.pioneerontheprairie.com/prairie_forums/index.php).

This is my letter, part of which was read on Getting to Know You with Susan McCray (http://www.susanmccray.com/) on KSAV Radio (http://www.ksav.org/). Susan McCray was the Casting Director for LHOP.

What a sad time for the world of TV. Dabbs had such a wonderful career, and I could never see anyone else playing our beloved Reverend Alden.

Kind, understanding, and full of wisdom, Reverend Alden embodied all that we laymen might seek in a spiritual leader. Remember the time he thanked the children for getting him a box to carry his Bible in. Mary and Laura had taken the Sunday School money and bought patent medicine with it so that they could get him a better gift, but it didn't turn out the way they had planned, and the only thing they had left was the box that held the medicine.

Another great Reverend Alden memory was when he spoke to Charles about Mary right before she went blind. He admitted that his human mind could not comprehend why God was allowing this to happen to Mary, but that he was sure God had chosen her for a very special purpose. Charles could not accept that at the time, but Reverend Alden was right--Mary helped Adam open up a new blind school in Dakota Territory.

And like someone else mentioned, his scene in The Last Farewell where Reverend Alden walks around the blown up town of Walnut Grove crying at the destruction--if I live to be 100, I will never get the pain-filled face of Reverend Alden out of my mind as he looks upon the town he has called home for so many years.

Dabbs Greer brought Reverend Alden to life for me, and while he was talented in so many other shows and films, my fondest memories will be from his role as the spiritual minister of Walnut Grove.

May God bless the Greer family at this time and comfort them in their loss.

Cheryl