- - 'Little House on the Prairie' Fans Mourn Devastating Loss

Michelle SteinDecember 18, 2025 at 3:48 AM

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Bud Gray/NBCU Photo Bank

Little House on the Prairie fans are mourning the death of Gil Gerard, who played a handyman named Chris Nelson in Season 4 of the historical drama series.

On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Gerard's wife, Janet, announced via Facebook his death at 82 after a battle with cancer.

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In the wake of the actor's death, Little House on the Prairie fans took to Reddit to react to the news. "The handsome handyman right?" one fan wrote.

Another shared, "Aw, that's sad, that was a good episode," of the Season 4, Episode 4, titled "The Handyman," which premiered in 1977.

"Uncle Chris??" someone else asked in disbelief.

"Oh, I loved him😊😊," yet another fan commented.

Meanwhile, a different Redditor lamented, "Aw :( Rest Easy Gil," alongside a screenshot of the actor as Chris the handyman.

Related: Little House on the Prairie Actress Dead at 89

In "The Handyman," Chris helped Caroline "Ma" Ingalls (Karen Grassle) finish a kitchen addition while Charles "Pa" Ingalls (Michael Landon) was away. Mary (Melissa Sue Anderson) and other townsfolk, including Harriet Oleson (Katherine MacGregor) and Nellie Oleson (Alison Arngrim), started speculating that an affair was brewing. Ultimately, Charles returned to finish the project, and the rumors were revealed to be false.

Arngrim and former costar Dean Butler—who played Laura Ingalls Wilder's (Melissa Gilbert) husband, Almanzo Wilder—discussed the episode during a September episode of the Little House on the Prairie 50th Anniversary Podcast. During their conversation, host Pamela Bob read a short excerpt from Grassle's 2021 memoir, Bright Lights, Prairie Dust, in which she wrote about working with Gerard.

"He had the charisma many women find irresistible," Grassle recalled. "When he showed up on set, even the little girls got up and took notice. He was sweet and hardworking and endeared himself to all of us women, young and old."

More so than Little House on the Prairie, Gerard was known for starring in the TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Next: Melissa Gilbert Honors Late Little House on the Prairie Costar: "My Childhood BFF"

This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”